THE SECOND EXILE 5

"We can, Fu Wang. We will be able to get out of here."

It was Zhu Youdun who suddenly answered the pessimistic questions Zhu Su asked to himself.

"Passing through our path of life, we must become the person who is always full of hope. Long ago, King Wen of Zhou * was also jailed unfairly by King Zhou of Shang, and he finally stepped out of the prison. We must be positive, that we have the same fate as King Wen of Zhou had!" Zhu Youdun said in a fiery voice. "And again, Fu Wang. We must believe that Heaven will help us. Because we never make mistakes. It is they who have wronged us! How can Heaven protect them instead? Then it's useless to pray to Heaven, right? But we still pray, still believe. What does it mean? It means, Heaven does exist, and will help the righteous men. Heaven will help us! We must continue our prayers and hopes, even more determined than before!"

Zhu Youdun's voice was loud, excited, and fiery. Zhu Su stunned. The young prince was the contrary to him who was easily discouraged, and even more mature than him, by advising him to never tire of praying.

But it was really different this time. Especially since then, he never heard Feng Ruina's voice again. Only Zhu Youdun and he who always chatted. After a long time, Zhu Su became suspicious of his wife's condition.

"Ruina... Ruina... are you okay?"

No reply from Feng Ruina.

"Ruina... Ruina?!"

Silence.

"Ruina! Answer me! Don't make me worried?!" Terror began to overtake Zhu Su's mind. He then called Zhu Youdun. "Youdun! Call your mother!"

"Mu Fei? Can you hear me?" Zhu Youdun also asked.

No one replied.

"Ruina... can she be..." A chill swept down his back. He shivered. "No! No! It can't be! It can't be! Ruina! Answer me Ruina! Don't keep silent! Ruina!!!"

"Mu Fei! Please, Mu Fei, answer us!" Zhu Youdun also screamed.

They kept screaming, and still, no one replied to them. Zhu Su soon panicked. He now stood up, then banged on the wall. "Ruina! Answer me Ruina! Answer me!"

So frustrating he was when banging on the wall, he did not realize that the cell door had been opened.

Zhu Su felt that his shoulders were being pulled by sturdy arms forcefully. Shocked, he turned behind. Two soldiers were now dragging him out of the dungeon.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zhu Su stretched furiously. One problem had not yet been resolved, yet another problem which was no less terrible appeared.

"You must get out of here, to endure the death sentence."

Zhu Su felt the blood drained from his face. His face immediately turned pale. Finally, the day had arrived. The day when he must die! His neck limped heavily, and he almost fell down.

"Go out!" Rudely, the soldiers pulled Zhu Su who almost lost his footing. From the corner of his eyes, he saw other soldiers pulled Zhu Youdun out of his cell. But his wife was unseen, and her voice was unheard, too.

Zhu Su suddenly got his energy again. He shouted, "Wait a minute... where is my wife?! What are you doing with her?!"

"Your wife? She has passed away."

"W... what?!?" Zhu Su choked up. On the other hand, Zhu Youdun shrieked, "What do you say?! Mu Fei... has passed away?!"

The soldiers ignored them. They wanted to quickly finish their assignment, hence they continued to drag those poor father and son along the corridor.

"Dear Sir Soldiers... I will die soon... So, can you fulfill my last wish, to have a look with my wife?..."

The soldier who was pulling Zhu Su looked at him sharply. He found Zhu Su's eyes glowing strangely, as if they were saying that, to know his wife's news would truly be his last wish in his life.

...

* King Wen of Zhou = was count of Zhou during the late Shang dynasty in ancient China. Although it was his son Wu who conquered the Shang following the Battle of Muye, Count Wen was posthumously honored as the founder of the Zhou dynasty and titled King. Many of the hymns of the Classic of Poetry are praises to the legacy of King Wen. Some consider him the first epic hero of Chinese history. (Wikipedia)