23 Three Beauties, One Trip, Three Destinies

483 BC

The day had come for the girls to be sent to Wu.

That day, chariots and also soldiers were ready in front of Fan Li's house preparing to send those girls off to Wu. Along with them, carts full of wood, grains, and other things that were needed by Wu and had to be provided by Yue as a tribute.

Shi Yiguang had her eyes red and swollen. She didn't sleep the previous night. She looked sad when she walked into the main hall of Fan Li's house where her parents were waiting to see her off. Zheng Dan's parents and siblings also came to see her for the last time.

Ying didn't have anyone who would send her off. Deep inside her heart, she felt sad, yet she didn't show any facial expression at all. She gracefully walked as if she's an honorable princess who was returning home after a glorious triumph to go to the main hall where Goujian, his queen, and Fan Li were waiting for them.

Zheng Dan, with her cheerful manner, smiled charmingly to the queen and Fan Li, who was waiting for them at the hall.

The queen bid them goodbye and said, "My daughters, take good care! Our kingdom is small and weak. And we have to seek your help shamelessly!" The queen then kneeled to give respect to those three girls.

The three girls hurriedly kneeled in front of her and hugged the queen. In the past three years, the queen had been a mother for them. The queen herself, when she accompanied her husband Goujian when he was taken captive in Wu, had to endure a lot of hardship and humiliation.

And that day, she had to send those three girls to serve Fuchai, the King of Wu – the one who humiliated her, her husband, and her country. She was heartbroken. The girls were also sad. But they had to be strong and endure all the pain so that someday they would be able to take revenge.

After some ceremonies, the girls hopped into the chariot which will bring them to another country.

The girls rode the same chariot. None of them had the mood to talk. All of them were busy with their mind.

They didn't know what kind of life they would have in Wu. Would Fuchai like them and treat them well? Would they become his favorite concubines? What about if Goujian never attacked Wu again? Would they live in Wu forever?

Shi Yiguang, who sat in the middle in between Zheng Dan and Ying, often wiped her tears. Every time she remembered Fan Li, she couldn't help but cry.

Ying sat quietly and squeezed Shi Yiguang's hand and said, "You're a beautiful lovely girl. Everybody loves you. Fuchai will love you and treat you well! Don't worry too much!"

Xi Shi noticed Ying's soft hand clutching her hands. There are some marks on the back of Xi Shi's hand because of a cat attack three years earlier. If not because of Ying, the cat probably would also scratch her beautiful face. Xi Shi knew that Ying was sincere toward her although she liked Fan Li and she knew that Fan Li liked her. Xi Shi clutched Ying's hand back. "Thank you for your support!"

Zheng Dan laughed and said, "Hey Ying, then what about me? What about you? If Fuchai only loves Shi Yiguang, then both of us would be in trouble!"

Ying asked, "Why would we be in trouble? Would we be jealous and not happy if he only loves Shi Yiguang?"

Hearing that, the two girls laughed. Shi Yiguang wiped her tears and said, "Having you both here with me makes me feel much better. No matter what, we're sisters. We should be united!" The three of them clutched their hands and said, "We should be united, for the sake of Yue, and King Goujian!" The girls agreed and started to laugh and cheered on each other.

The chariot had traveled for hours.

It was passed noon at that time, and Ying was gazing at the view from the chariot window.

Ying felt sad and angry. Being a poor peasant who was brought into the palace, she's not much better than a slave.

Being taught to read and write, music, poems, dancing, didn't mean that she had a better life compared to the other girls outside the palace. Perhaps, her life and her two sisters who were in the chariot were even bitter compared to the girls outside.

Ying had heard the conversation between Shi Yiguang and Fan Li the night before. Deep inside her heart, she envied Shi Yiguang, who was loved by Fan Li and her parents. She also envied Zheng Dan, who had parents and siblings.

Her mother had a new family and didn't want to have anything to do with her again. Now she's sent to Wu. Although it's not her will, it might not be that bad. At least she would have food and clothes. She would be able to spend time to study and read books.

She sighed and thought, "And what's the point of my learning and studying? After all, what I have to do is only to please Fuchai!"

Zheng Dan heard her sigh, and asked, "Ying, why do you sigh?"

Ying laughed and said, "I'm just thinking. Is it luck or bad luck, being born as a girl?"

"Ying, you read too much!" said Zheng Dan. "You should learn to live day by day, and don't think too much and too far!"

Ying didn't continue. Zheng Dan was right. She should learn to live day by day. If she arrived in Wu and Fuchai mistreated her, she could just kill herself. She had nobody in this world and had nothing to lose.

As she's busy with her mind, she heard horses galloped from the east. She opened up her chariot curtain and saw a band of horsemen was approaching them.

"This is not a good sign!" shouted the captain, who led their troupe. "Be on guard!"

Just like what the captain was worried about, the band of horsemen was bandits who intended to rob the troupe, which brought woods, grains, and other valuable materials from Yue to be sent to Wu.

The fighting broke between the troupe and the bandits. Unexpectedly the bandits were pretty strong that the bandits managed to confiscate some carts.

The girl's chariot was galloped faster to avoid the bandits. But some of the bandits chased them. They knew that this chariot carried three beauties of Yue. What could be better for bandits than having beautiful women and money as plunder?

Ying, Shi Yiguang, and Zheng Dan were alarmed. They dare not to open up their mouth. They're just holding hands while the chariot galloped fast on the bumpy roads.

One of the bandits then used his spear blade to chop the horse's front legs. The horse was severely injured, and it fell on the ground. The chariot was crashed on the ground. The girls were so scared.

The chariot driver and some of the troupe fought the bandits with all their strength. But the bandits have outnumbered them. They managed to confiscate the chariot and killed the chariot driver and the soldiers who tried to stop them.

One of the bandits then opened up the chariot to see what's inside. Seeing the frightening girls, he laughed happily. Indeed, three rare beauties that he could never have imagined before. He then replaced the injured horse with his horse and raced the chariot toward the east direction.

"We have to do something," whispered Ying to Zheng Dan and Shi Yiguang.