The Letter

Suyin stood in her room, staring down at the ground with a cold expression. Weizhe was doing his best to clear up the confusion, as everyone had been knocked unconscious during the attack.

Despite the chaos around her, Suyin's mind was focused on the last image she had of Zhenglan before leaving. She couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness and regret wash over her as she thought about the people of Tengzhi, whose fate was intertwined with that of Qin Fuhua. The situation was a tangled mess, and Suyin was unsure how to navigate it all.

Suyin was perplexed and needed to understand more about the incident to know what had happened. Despite Qin Fuhua being known to be the cold-hearted Prince of Qin, she was sure that he would never be capable of eradicating an entire village. She had known him for a long time and was aware that he had a heart deep down.

As Suyin was lost in thought, she heard the sound of the servants and maidens walking down the wooden hallway outside, which snapped her back to reality. She had been lost in her thoughts since her arrival back at the Orange Blossom courtyard. She looked around and her eyes settled on something important lying on the table - a letter. Curiosity got the best of her and she picked it up, wondering what the letter was about.

Suyin sat in the dimly lit room, her eyes fixed on the white envelope that lay on the table. She could see the beautiful character "Qin" imprinted on the wax seal that secured it shut. Weizhe, her close friend, had just handed her the letter, telling her that it was an important message from the Prince of Qin.

As Suyin reached out to take the envelope, she could feel her heart racing with excitement and anticipation. She slowly tore open the seal and unfolded the letter, carefully examining every word as the candle and sunlight from the window were the only sources of light in the room.

"Miss Han Suyin,

It's been a while since I've written a formal letter to someone. It's been cold these past few weeks. The weather has been quite harsh lately. The sun beats down relentlessly, leaving you feeling drained and exhausted like your very soul has been crushed under its weight. It's a struggle to move around in the heavy armor of the hot weather. On the other hand, the nights are bitterly cold, and the howling winds seem to echo with loneliness and despair.

It seems like war will be broken out soon. As a young soldier, the anticipation and excitement that coursed through my veins on the battlefield were palpable. Today, however, my heartbeat echoes with a different rhythm - not one of fervor for combat, but rather an ardent longing to return home.

-Qin Fuhua"

As she reached the end of the letter, Suyin couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She could feel her shoulders shaking as she tried to hold in her laughter. "Just tell me if you missed me," she whispered to herself, replying to Qin Fuhua as if he were there.

Suyin let out a deep sigh as she sat on the edge of her bed. She missed Qin Fuhua terribly; his absence was evident in his empty room and the sharp gaze that was always fixed on her eyes was now not here. Suyin felt safe when he was around, his tall posture and hands behind his back walking right next to her. But now, he was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the sliding door, and Suyin turned to see a silhouette of Weizhe outside. She allowed him to enter, and he came in, looking troubled and kneeling in front of her.

"My lady," he spoke hesitantly. "I know that I shouldn't get into your business, but from the conversation earlier, it seems like you have encountered the people of Tengzhi."

Suyin's eyes widened as she realized that Weizhe was always by Qin Fuhua's side. She stood up and nodded her head in acknowledgment.

"Weizhe," Suyin called him. "Do you think that Qin Fuhua eradicated the whole village when he was younger?"

Weizhe gazed up at Suyin, his face filled with uncertainty. After a brief moment of hesitation, he shook his head and said, "No, my Lady. I don't believe the Prince would do something like that at such a young age."

Suyin nodded her head in agreement with Weizhe. "I share your views, Weizhe. Were you with him before or after the war?" she asked.

Weizhe took a moment to think before answering. "I was with him after the war. He wasn't the same person as he was when I first met him. I heard rumors that his training up in the mountains by his Master transformed him into the person he is today. There's also another rumor that he used to be very cheerful and outgoing," he said.

Suyin rubbed her chin with her fingers, trying to figure out the connection between all this and Qin Fuhua, and if there was something off about it.

At that moment, Areum's voice called from outside Suyin's room, "Young Lady! It's Zhaoyun! The Prince...He's injured in the war! There aren't enough people in the army who can help him at the moment. He's currently under an ambush from both sides!"