4 The Jiang family.

" This is where I will have to stop princess.Please take care of yourself." Shoiming said with tears in her eyes.

" No! I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me too" Princess Xiao Ai cries and holds her hand.

" I have served the Empress from a long time ago.I am really honoured to have come across a person like her on this lifetime.Now that she is dead,I would like to accompany her in the netherworld.General Song please protect the princess." Shoiming said and stepped backwards.

" Goodbye." Princess Xiao Ai said teary eyed and left with General Song and Bai Xi.

" Oh,candle light shining in the room.With whom did you part?" Shoiming looked at the approaching soldiers who were eager to kill.

She smiled and continued to recite her poem." You shed tears without the burn within,yet no one noticed.We part with our Lord on a long journey and burn like thee."

As she finished saying her last words,she was slaughtered by one of the approaching soldiers.

The soldiers followed Princess Xiao Ai with their horses to the forest.

"Princess, let's hide here." General Song said, pointing behind a huge stone.

"General Song!" Princess Xiao Ai shouted as a soldier approached them.

Princess Xiao Ai dodges the attack by performing a flip stunt but the soldier's sword leaves a cut on General Song's arm.

General Song kills the soldier by swiftly swaying his sword at the soldier's neck.

"Princess,you have to go now.Other soldiers are approaching." General Song said, narrowing his eyes to look at the approaching soldiers.

No! I won't leave you here by yourself.You are the only military commander left in Western Xia."

" And you are the only remaining Royal family of Western Xia." General Song said.He turns to Bai Xi.

" Protect the princess".

" I will protect her with my life." Bai Xi said holding Princess Xiao Ai's hand and ran.

"Madam,Lord, I think we should stop here to refresh before we continue our journey." A'lan said, slightly bending her head towards the slow moving horse carriage.

The horse carriage stopped and madam Jiang slowly came out of the carriage.Her eyes were already swollen from crying.

A'lan prepared a small stood for Madam Jiang to sit beside the horse carriage.

"Madam water." A'lan put forward her hand to give Madam Jiang water.

Madam Jiang just sat there numb and stared into space.

"Drink water, wife." Lord Jiang said but it was like the woman was not in this world again..

Princess Xiao Ai and Bai Xi kept on running along the forest path.

"Bai Xi!" Princess Xiao Ai shouted as she heard a shot of an arrow behind her.She looked back to see Bai Xi already shot to death .

Princess Xiao Ai ran to meet her and put her head on her lap." Bai Xi wake up.Please do not leave me here alone.Please wake up" Princess Xiao Ai shouted crying continuously. The soldiers had already approached Princess Xiao Ai on the scene.

Madam Jiang is jolted to reality by the rustling sounds of the leaves.

"A'lan,did you hear that? Madam Jiang said and abruptly stood up.

"No madam" A'lan answered suspiciously looking at Madam Jiang.

"Is it possible that this woman has started losing her mind due to her daughter's death?" A'lan thought to herself.

"I can also hear some voices," Lord Jiang said, paying more attention to the sounds." He immediately got down from his horse.

The sounds were becoming clearer and clearer.Every one fixed their gaze on the forest path  in front of them.

Lord Jiang's guards were already on standby to attack any intruder.

"Go now!Go!" Bai Xi shouted at Princess Xiao Ai with blood in her mouth.

"Ba Xi " Princess Xiao Ai said, still crying.She looked in front of her and realised the soldiers were standing in front of her.

She slowly takes a few steps backwards trembling in fear with tears in her eyes.She makes an attempt to run but is shot by an arrow which pierced through her chest.

"Arrgh!" She slips and falls down the forest path.

"She is dead now.Let's go!" The soldiers went away on their horses.

Madam Jiang's eyes widened by what she saw rolling down in front of her.

"A lady's  body?" Madam Jiang rushed to see the lady while Lord Jiang also followed to inspect the environment.

" She is still breathing." Madam said happily as though she was her own daughter.

"Madam,do you think it is appropriate to take this young lady with us? We don't even….." 

"Guards! quickly come and help me put this lady in the carriage.She needs to be treated immediately." Madam Jiang said not paying attention to her maid's words.

" Hurry!'' Lord Jiang shouted and quickly sat on his horse.Madam Jiang sat in the carriage with the injured lady.

"Second Prince,it is me Huan". Second Prince's bodyguard announced.

"Come in," the Second Prince replied.

"Second Prince,Marshal Feng is back from Western Xia." Huan bowed and said.

"How is Western Xia?" the Second Prince inquired.

" From the rumours I heard,Western Xia is now entirely burnt to ashes while the fight was going on." Huan replied.

"Looks like someone is desperate to hide something." The Second Prince said and smirked.

"Where is Marshal Feng now? I should congratulate him on suppressing the rebellion." 

"He is in the Imperial court," Huan replied.

"Let us stop at this inn so we can treat this injured lady" Lord Jiang said and alighted from his horse.

He goes inside the inn and meets a middle aged man.

"Hello,please I need three rooms."

"Welcome sir,Please follow me." The middle aged man shows Lord Jiang the way to the rooms.

"Please feel at ease and call me if you need anything else." The middle aged man goes back to the counter.

"Can we go in now?" Madam Jiang asked.

"Yes,follow me." Lord Jiang carried the injured lady to one of the rooms and laid her on the bed.

"A'lan,go and call a doctor"

"Yes madam" A'lan said and left.