Imperial Physician Su was utterly baffled.

He performed all sort of tests on the Young Master of the Ji clan, inserted his needles in various acupoints, examined his wrists for his blood movement and his heartbeat. Whatever knowledge he had under his belt to examine a patient for ailment, he had expended it all.

He had never faced such situation before. Just a couple of days ago, the young man's breath was a faint as a flickering candle.

But now, it was like he was never poisoned.

Ji SongLi could even already move very vigorously and started to conduct his normal sparring sessions with Zhen BuFeng. Initially the latter refused, but later on he acquiesced. If anything, Zhen BuFeng did not hold back the slightest when he was sparring against the younger man.

He needed to express his grievance towards  Ji SongLi's lack of care towards himself.  Both did not hold back in their exchanges of blows; every time their training sessions concluded, both were panting heavily.

Unfortunately however, Ji ChanFang was not that fortunate. A week after Ji SongLi woke up, Ji ChanFang also regained his full consciousness and could start walking and eating normally. He no longer had his dizzy spells.

But his limbs were weak and he could no longer hold his sword without his wrist trembling.

The Imperial Physician could only attribute it to the General's older age and the longer time of having been contracted by poison.  

For Ji ChanFang's whole life, sword was his path. Therefore, the General was disheartened by Imperial Physician Su's latest prognosis:

"Although the General can live like normal people, he most likely may not be able to wield weapon anymore."

One day, his anger took the better of him as he bellowed from inside his room, "What 'living like normal people'?? Without my swordsmanship, I may as well be an invalid!!"

Wu JianRui could only stare at the tightly closed door with tears in her eyes. Ji LanBai hold her mother's sleeves, also with silent tears streaming down her face. 

For them, it was the first time ever they saw this man, the usually-mighty pillar of their family, looking so frail. He had shut his own wife and daughter from reaching out to him.

But would Wu JianRui be admonished by her husband if she were to say that, for her, it was enough that he was alive?

*** *** ***

There was no formal arrangement or announcement. Still, with implicit understanding, Ji SongLi became the head of the family. He started to assign some lead commanders in Ming Town, the base of their operation, to recruit some fresh faces for the clan. For days and weeks, he traveled back and forth between Ming Town and Da Lang. He also set a second base for Ji clan in Da Lang, having purchased another empty field, by Zhen BuFeng's recommendation.

The place was intended to be the second barrack of the Ji clan's freshly recruited soldiers. Fortunately, for the immediate family members, Liu YangHuan was more than happy to let them continue their use of his estate.

For the following months, he was busy carrying the duty as the Tiger's heir. In the absence of his father, he was to approve and half-supervise all new recruits. Luckily there were still some experienced soldiers in the clan, who were more than happy to ease his burden somewhat. 

Again, the women in the Ji family and YuLan could only wait. Waiting while the main pillar of the family, Ji ChanFang, wallowed in his fate.

Some days, there were also some grieving families from the soldiers killed by the Dong tribe who directly expressed their grievance at the front gates.

The people, dressed in whites, carried the urns containing the ash of their sons, brothers, nephews, or fathers. Ji SongLi had to deal with those families as well, despite YuLan having giving them their due compensation.

YuLan could only observe as Zhen BuFeng voiced his recommendation, wanting to drive these families away.

For him, being a soldier was to be a prideful occupation. Dying in a battlefield was the epitome of being a hero.

Such was mentality of men in kingdoms and countries embroiled in constant war and power struggle.

His thought was not exactly a strange one for YuLan. After all, the modern era was not that different, deaths and war happening behind the cloak of peace. Yet, she could feel the heartache of those people holding the cold urns.

What use was money, if the person in their hearts was to never return?

What use was a hero title, if all that would return was cold body that was to turn into ash? 

What was pride and honor granted in death, when the living had to sleep alone at nights, their loved ones gone to a place they could no longer follow?

Dying is easy. What was to happen for the people left behind? For the people who had been constantly waiting? Only to find out that the people they had been waiting were gone forever.

Whenever YuLan got the chance to see Ji SongLi, the latter was already fatigued from his responsibilities. If the Imperial Physician had not given his all-clear bill of health, she really wanted to tie him to his bed to stop him from constantly moving about.

To her own vexation, she felt anxious. How could she not be? In this era, men and women's line of duties were clearly segregated. She could only stay inside the estate, performed domestic chores, looked after Ji LanBai and the Madames who were trying to look after Ji ChanFang. With her current young age, despite her wealth of past knowledge that meant almost nothing now, there was hardly anything she could do to ease her uneasiness.

 

One night, Ji SongLi had just returned from Ming Town, having only reached home late at night.

The estate was quiet as he tiredly sat in the dark living room. Apart from the servant who opened the gates for him, there was clear lack of other humans' presence in the dimly lit estate.

He closed his eyes and kneaded his temple when there was a smell of freshly brewed tea wafting his sense of smell. He opened his eyes to see a petite figure walking with a tray containing a pot of tea and an empty cup.

His heart warmed when he saw her.

YuLan poured the tea into the cup and handed it to Ji SongLi.

He softly brushed his fingers at the reaching hand, causing YuLan to stiffen. She shifted uncomfortably and tightened her cloak around herself. 

He smiled, "Have you been waiting?"

"No!" Her reply came very quickly.

She knew she lied. She knew she had waited.

She had not seen him for the past weeks and could only wait.

She hated the feeling of waiting. 

"I know." Ji SongLi received the cup, feeling the warmth seeping to his being from his fingertips making contact with the warm porcelain, "Still, I am sorry for having kept you waiting."

"I said I have not been waiting." She frowned. She turned on her heels in annoyance to retreat to her room, leaving the young man staring at her back.

If she were to stay longer, she probably would notice that there was only tenderness in his eyes as he shifted his eyes to now stare at the cup, letting the soft mist from it warming his sight and heart.

 

 

*** *** ***

Seasons passed, an Imperial Edict was suddenly issued. After several petitions from Ji SongLi and Zhen BuFeng, the Emperor decided to conduct a formal appreciation ceremony to those lives that were lost.

For the first time, an expansive yard in one section of the Imperial Palace would be opened to selected citizens, namely for those who had lost their family members in wars and various military expeditions.

The Emperor wanted to let them know that the lost soldiers and brave men of Da Lang would never be forgotten.

Of course, both Ji clan and Zhen clan's family members were to be invited as well. The Emperor wanted to show his appreciation towards the two backbones of the Empire. 

He had also heard from the Imperial Physician about Ji ChanFang's condition. His Emperor status did not let him to visit his sworn brother directly. But with a formal edict, utilizing his status as the Emperor; surely, he could coax Ji ChanFang to come out of the latter's hermit cave?

The Emperor also requested for He Shan and Sun Chen to display some of their widely-sought artful performance, be it in poetry or musical arts.

Ji ChanFang had been refusing to eat his meal; he even sent Ji LanBai out of his room when she tried to coax him to eat. She, who he had usually doted on heavily, was not used to her father being curt towards her. Nonetheless, she could only comply dejectedly.

As Ji LanBai walked towards the kitchen to return the still untouched meal box, YuLan intercepted her path,

"LanBai, are you interested in performing at the Imperial banquet with me?"

*** *** ***

Towards the approaching banquet date, the quartet once again were holed up in the study room to work on their intended repertoires at the banquet.

One day, as He Shan and Sun Chen left them both inside the media room, YuLan silently stared at the younger girl who was having her head on YuLan's lap. Ji LanBai's eyes were closed.

It had been more than a year since the first day they arrived in Da Lang. At their age, although it was supposed to be the years for a young female her age to be happy and blossom like a flower, Ji LanBai's countenance was dark and fatigued. 

Unfortunate events that befell her family clearly had started to take the toll on her appearance.

"I can say the same for myself, though," YuLan mused bitterly.

"LanBai," YuLan called, causing the other to open her eyes,

"If... ." YuLan took a deep breath, "If one day, I won't be here, promise me you will take good care of yourself, alright?"

Ji LanBai straightened her body abruptly as she stared at YuLan's eyes,

"What nonsense are you talking about, YuLan?" Her lips were curled in nervous amused smile, her fingers suddenly gripping onto YuLan's sleeves, "We will always be together."

YuLan sighed as she caressed her fingers on Ji LanBai's cheeks,

"One day, we will part."

"I have to go."

"We cannot always be together."

"I cannot be here. I cannot live cooped in a cage. Constantly worrying. Constantly waiting."

"I ... don't understand... ." Ji LanBai frowned, "Won't we live together at GuoFu-ge's estate?"

"This girl does not understand."

YuLan forced a gentle smile, "Your husband should belong to you and you alone. He will look after you in my stead. You also need to look after yourself."

"My beautiful china doll. My beautiful sister. I wish for your happiness."

"But I have to go. Otherwise, I will not survive."

 

(Bai YuLan and Ji LanBai)