Cat Who Walks Thru The Wall

The 235th year to commemorate the crown glory of the Caiwong Empire.  Such blessing that such a long lasting country could continue to exist in amiss the changes that were brought among the hands of various rulers who wore the crown.  However, the once strong country had crumbled slowly over the centuries to become a shadow of its former glorious self with the progression of men who refused to really take a care to the common folk.  There were constant wars raging in the borderlands as the vanity of the rulers had fought for farther land to add to the glory.  The old trade routes were robbed with bandits causing the large city markets to be empty of quality goods.  Towns were raided constantly such that the farmers had little to sell other than the meager that they could keep to survive for their own self.  Even the city folk feared to venture out after dark behind the safety of the shadow of their city wall.  It was an age thirsty for change. 

Bingquing nodded in understanding.  Even though she had been raised in private quarters, Bingquing was not as sheltered away from the outside world as her counterparts.  As she was her father's only child, Bingquing was well aware of all of the plots and exchanges in the palace.  It was a treacherous place full of smoke and mirrors.  The box sitting at the palace was a decoy as to attract those who coveted the throne by her father's own design.She knew the real successor was actually buried in the box by the cypress tree on the island in the pond in their back garden.  No one had seen the location other than her and her father.  And the order to entrust this task was written in blood by the emperor to her father.  It was their dearest secret.  Although he had not said it in so many words, Bingquing knew her father's order was to go home to see if the earth had been disturbed around the cypress.  Was their secret still

The swaying of a cart is what woke Bingquing.  She awoke with a start from the pain in her blistering hands that were chafting as they were tied tightly together with a rough biting rope that was threaded with small rivers of glass.  It was hot and she felt a sting of pin and needles in her head.  She looked up and realized a flimsy bandage that had been tied too tightly around her head.  Upon seeing it, she felt against her chest and was relieved to see the scroll was still there.  She knew her idea to cut the document out of it's scroll would have some raised eyebrows, but she knew it would be better than leaving it there for someone to stumble upon when a new tree was potentially planted in that spot.  It was not simple to have something like this anywhere honestly.There were many girls in a similar state who were all sniffling or in various stages of crying.  The one closest to Bingquing had a burlap cloth roughly shoved into her mouth.

Mo'lan sat down in a huff.  She wrapped her hands around her knees and raised an eyebrow at Bingquing who was obeying the command.  "Qing-er, I thought we were going to meet someone rich.  This looks like some old geeser's house whose run into hard times.  I don't want to be the wife of a crumbling old man.  I'm still young.  This is the opposite of what you promised me . . . I know I'm not supposed to trust someone who is more intelligent than me, but I feel like you're very nice to me.""Maybe he'll be nice to you, mam.  You should kneel like the guard said.  It might not be what you think."  Bingquing said quickly.  She said this more out of a fear that the guard was a fan of collective punishment.  She did not want then, for Mo'lan to be whipped for being ostentatious.Mo'lan complied in an irritated fashion, "You know the only reason I'm doing this is because I don't want to see his ugly face when he coos over

The next day, Bingquing woke refreshed.  Her back was surprisingly sore from several weeks sitting cramped in a cart. There was a maid who did her hair and helped her dress.  There was a qin laid out for her to play.  The view was beautiful.  The meal the chef made for her was nice and fragrant.  It was almost as if the last month had not occured.  She could for a millisecond fantasize that she was still the daughter of a minor court official.Father . . . she wondered if he were still alive.Escape would not be easy as the guard's eyes were on her as she traversed the room.  She slept mostly and looked out the window.  Interestingly, even though the outside of the manor was not well tended, the inside was immaculate.  The trees were cut in the shapes of flying swans and soldiers battling endlessly.  It was a bit comical as she realized from an angle it looked like the soldiers were battling a swarm of swans."Wh