The Unspoken Past (9)

(Narrator's pov)

(11 years ago)

Ling Hwa: "Chen'er, Ling'er be careful. Don't get hurt."

Young Zhi Chen and BaiLing: "We will, mom."

Ling Hwa sat in the courtyard, watching as her two kids practiced martial arts with each other.

Although one was five and the other one was three, they were both very skilled. Following their father to the barracks every day, and practicing with the soldiers there, then coming home and practicing more with each other or dragging their father to go and train with them.

Young BaiLing: "Ge, watch out, I'm coming!"

Young Zhi Chen: "Do you worst! I'm ready for you!"

Looking up from her embroidery, Ling Hwa saw that what was supposed to be a practice match between the two siblings turned out to be playtime. Launching random attacks at each other and pretending to be gravely injured.

Tackling each other and having a good laugh only lasted a while. Because as soon as they heard their father's footsteps coming towards them, they both hopped up, grabbed their swords, and went back to the proper practice match.

Jai Le went over to where Ling Hwa was sitting and placed a cloak over her shoulders. She looked up at him and smiled.

As Jia Le sat down, he said.

"It's windy today. Don't get sick."

Smiling, she responded.

"I won't, don't worry. By the way, how was work today? I'm surprised that you didn't take the kids with you today."

Jia Le: "No, everything is alright. The monthly evaluations were today, and I didn't want the kids to get hurt, so I left them home. They didn't cause too much trouble, right?"

Ling Hwa gave a whole-hearted laugh before saying.

"Do I look like a stranger to them? I'm their mom. Of course, whatever they do is never too much trouble for me."

Embarrassed by what he said, Jia Le looked at her sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

Jia Le: "I just don't want you to get too tired. The kids are full of energy."

Ling Hwa smiled and reached out to take Jia Le's hand.

Ling Hwa: "They're our children. No matter what they do, I will always be able to take care of them."

Together the young couple watched their children continue their practice match. As they watched them, Jia Le noticed how dirty their clothes were, so he turned back to his wife and asked.

"What happened to the kid's clothes?"

Ling Hwa looked at her husband and laughed.

Ling Hwa: "Don't you know what happened?"

He looked back at his kids and soon realized what had happened. Usually, they would always run over to him when he came home, but today they weren't. The two were so focused today, which wasn't normal, and including the dirty clothes, he came to a conclusion.

Jia Le: "They were playing around just before I came in, right?"

Ling Hwa nodded her head as Jia Le shook his head.

Just as he was about to call out to Zhi Chen and BaiLing, butler Su came running in.

Butler Su: "My lord."

Jia Le: "What's going on?"

Butler Su: "My lord, the emperor... the emperor is here to see you."

Jia Le looked at butler Su in surprise. He wasn't expecting the emperor to come to his residence. He stood up and went to greet the emperor while Ling Hwa went to prepare the tea.

As the emperor and Jia Le walked towards the main hall, the emperor saw BaiLing and Zhi Chen still practicing. Seeing the two of them display such perfect skills, he was very impressed, but what caught his eyes the most was BaiLing. She was such a small girl, yet her skills were no less than that of her brother. Along with her skills, she had striking beauty. Even though she was still young, the emperor could tell that she would grow up to be the most beautiful lady in the kingdom.

Jia Le saw that the emperor was looking at his two kids, so he called them over and had them greet the emperor.

Zhi Chen and BaiLing quickly came over and got down on their knees, and greeted the emperor.

Zhi Chen and BaiLing: "Greetings to the emperor. May your reign be everlasting."

Emperor: "Rise."

Zhi Chen stood up then helped his little sister stand up. The two stood aside, and the emperor and their father continued into the main hall.

BaiLing tucked at her brother's sleeve and asked.

"Gege, why is the emperor here?"

(Gege means older brother in Chinese.)

Zhi Chen: "I'm not sure. Let's go to the main hall and see."

BaiLing nodded her head and took her brother's hand, and together they headed to the main hall.

When they got to the main hall, they saw their mother and father sitting there talking to the emperor. They stepped inside and went to their mother's sides.

Ling Hwa looked down at her two kids and gently said to them.

"Why don't you two go to the kitchen and get something to eat. I'll come to get you guys when things are done here."

Although the two were reluctant to leave their mother's side, they nodded their heads.Ling Hwa patted their head and said to Zhi Chen.

"Keep an eye on your sister, okay? And be careful, you two."

After nodding their heads, the two went to the kitchen hand in hand.

While the two were having some snacks in the kitchen, the parents talked to the emperor.

Jia Le: "Your majesty, did something happened?"

Emperor: "(laughs)... must there be something for me to come visit my old friend?"

Jia Le: "No, there's nothing wrong with that. However, you are the ruler of this kingdom. You can't just pick up and leave the palace like that."

Emperor: "I know, I know. I just wanted a quick break. By the way, how old is your daughter?"

Jia Le: "She's three years old."

Emperor: "Very young indeed. Yet very skilled. She doesn't seem to be any less than her brother."

Jia Le: "Thank you, your majesty."

Emperor: "How has the ghost army been doing?"

Jia Le and Ling Hwa looked at the emperor. Although nothing showed on their faces, they had a vague idea where the emperor was headed with this question.

Jia Le: "Everything is going alright."

Emperor: "It seems as if you've been busier, lately though. Why don't you hand the ghost army over to your daughter for her to take care of? Your son will soon be a general like you in the imperial army. Neither of you will have time to train the ghost army."

Upon hearing this, neither Ling Hwa nor Jia Le was happy. But they couldn't protest in such an obvious way.

Jia Le: "Your majesty, BaiLing is just a little girl. Although she is learning martial arts, I do not wish for her to bear such a burden. I wish for my little girl to live a peaceful life."

Emperor: "Think about it, my friend. She's very talented. It would be sad to let her talents go to waste."

Jia Le: "I understand."

As much as the young couple wanted to refuse, they couldn't. At least not right then.

Just then, BaiLing came into the main hall, Zhi Chen following right behind. Surprising everyone in the hall, BaiLing went up to the emperor and said.

"I'll do it. So, your majesty, please stop giving my father and mother a hard time."

A three-year-old girl stood up against the emperor. This made the emperor laugh and leaving her parents in shock.

Emperor: "Jia Le, look, even your daughter agrees with me."

The emperor then looked at BaiLing and said.

"Little girl, I'm not giving your parents a hard time. I'm just asking them to reconsider."

Although BaiLing was young, she knew what was going on. She didn't want to see her parents in a tough spot, so she excepted the emperor's request.

Emperor: "Since you've agreed, then I'll write an edict for you and send it over. Also, since you will be the new general, you won't be able to attend the academy like everyone else, so I'll send over some good tutors to teach all you need to know. Oh, and don't worry. I'll keep her identity a secret. It's been like that since the beginning anyway."

BaiLing thanked the emperor, and her family did the same as well. After that, the emperor left and headed back to the palace.

When the emperor was finally out of sit, BaiLing looked back at her parents to see that her mother was crying and her father was worried and angry. BaiLing walked over to her mother and rested her head on her mother's lap, and smiled at her.

BaiLing: "Mommy, why are you crying? Did the emperor make you sad? Should I go and teach him a lesson?"

Ling Hwa dropped down onto the floor and hugged BaiLing tightly while saying.

"No, the emperor didn't make me sad. I'm alright. It's just my little baby girl is growing up so fast."

Jia Le soon kneeled on the floor next to the two and hugged them as well, not long after Zhi Chen made his way into the group hug. When the group hug was over, Jia Le asked BaiLing.

"Ling'er, do you know what will happen if you become the general of the ghost army?"

BaiLing nodded her head and said.

"I do, daddy. Becoming the general means that I will have to train the soldiers and go out to war with them. I will have to do whatever it takes to protect this kingdom and its people."

Jia Le and Ling Hwa couldn't say anything. All they could do was look at BaiLing with pain in their eyes. It was true that Jia Le started to train his kids at a young age, but he didn't expect that his little girl would be thrown into a world full of blood and pain at such a young age. He never wanted her to be brought into any of this in the first place.

Zhi Chen: "Mom, Dad, don't worry. I'll work hard and whenever Ling'er needs help in the future. I'll be there to protect her."

Seeing how both of their kids were so determined and strong. Ling Hwa and Jia Le felt a little bit more ease. Although they weren't happy with the decision, they thought that at least when the next war happened, the two of them would be grown and ready for battle.

And so, for the next year, BaiLing trained and studied hard. Waking up early every morning to go to work, trying her best to get everyone's approval and leading them the best she could. And when she came home, she would study late into the night. Learning everything from history to politics to etiquette from the royal tutors and from her mom, she would learn dance, calligraphy, music, and embroidery.

Seeing how hard she was working every day made her parents worried that she wouldn't be able to stand the stress and exhaustion. But still, they were thankful for the peaceful days that they had.

However, not long after, a war broke out. A kingdom from the north had launched an attack against the kingdom of Ming. Jia Le and Zhi Chen were forced to leave for battle alongside the ninth prince. Although Zhi Chen had yet to receive a title or position, he was called to war for his skills.

Ling Hwa and BaiLing stayed home, praying every day that their Jia Le and Zhi Chen would come back safely, but soon news came to their door. When Ling Hwa heard the news, she was shocked. BaiLing was called out to war. The enemy was attacking from two sides, and they needed support, so she was deployed.

Although Ling Hwa was unwilling, she couldn't disobey the imperial edict. And so, the next day, BaiLing headed out for battle.

After five months of being on the battlefield, the war was finally over, and the kingdom of Ming came out victorious.

Although BaiLing came back victorious, she and her men did not go through the parade. Instead, they headed back to the barracks, and she let everyone go home and celebrate with their families. She then went into the palace to report to the emperor. Knowing that her father and brother would arrive soon, she waited for them, and together they headed home.

When they arrived home, Ling Hwa was so happy that she was shedding tears of joy, but there were also tears of sadness. Her little girl did not come back from the battlefield unscathed. But nonetheless, she was thankful that they made it home safely.

The following day was the celebration banquet, but that night at the Ming residence, the family of four had their own little party. Everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves. They all thought that now that the war was over, their peaceful days would come again, but the idea soon became a short-lived one.

Midway through dinner, four assassins suddenly came flying down and started to attack them. In the dining area, there were no guards, just the family, so without a choice, Jia Le, Zhi Chen, and BaiLing all got up and went to fight off the assassins.

Each one of them took on one of the assassins. When BaiLing took care of hers, she remembered that there was one more person, but he was nowhere to be seen. It suddenly hit her then that her mother was left defenseless. She quickly turned around, only to see that her mother had gotten stabbed. BaiLing ran over there as fast as she could and killed the assassin. And right before his last breath, the man said.

"This is all your fault."

BaiLing dropped her sword and ran over to her mother, who was lying on the ground with blood soaking her clothes.

BaiLing: "Mom! Mom, are you alright? Please... hang on. I'll treat you okay?"

Tears were running down her face, and Ling Hwa reached up and wiped them and told her.

"Ling'er, I'm okay. So don't cry, okay?"

BaiLing nodded her head, yet tears were still running. From her magical dimension, she pulled out a set of acupuncture needles. BaiLing did everything that she could, tried everything that she was taught, to save her mom. But all was in vain. A poison that she had never learned about before was running through her mother's system.

Jia Le carried Ling Hwa to their bedroom, while Zhi Chen turned into a bird and flew to his grandpa's house for help. When Li Qiang arrived, he headed towards the room immediately. He checked on his daughter and tried everything he could think of, but it was also in vain. The divine doctor who has saved hundreds of lives couldn't save the one he wanted to most.

Seeing the expression on her grandpa's face, BaiLing started to cry even harder. She begged her grandpa to figure out a way to save her mom, but all he could do was give her a sad face.

Ling Hwa: "Ling'er, please don't cry. I'm okay, really. You don't have to worry about me."

BaiLing: "(crying)... Mom, please... please don't leave me. I'm begging you. I'll be a good

daughter, I promise. So, please don't leave me."

Ling Hwa: "Ling'er, listen to me. You and your grandpa gave tried your best. Don't forget, I'm also a doctor. I know my condition. So, don't blame yourself, okay?"

BaiLing: "No... it's my fault. If I didn't let those four men getaway in the first place, they wouldn't have sneaked onto the capital, and they wouldn't have come here for revenge. It's all my fault."

Ling Hwa reached out to pat BaiLing's head. She smiled at her and said.

"None of this is your fault. You wanted to show them mercy. You wanted to give them a second chance. It was their choice. So this isn't your fault."

Ling Hwa then looked at her dad and said.

"Dad, I know you did your best. So please, don't blame yourself. At least now, I get to go see mom."

Li Qiang: "Hwa'er... I'm sorry."

Ling Hwa shook her head and smiled.

Ling Hwa: "I'm okay, dad. Really. Also, I'm sorry that I can't be by your side anymore. Please forgive me."

She then looked over to her husband and said.

"Jia Le, please promise me you'll look after the kids. Promise me you'll love them in my place as well."

Jia Le: "I will. I promise."

Although he was trying to keep up a strong front, tears slowly flowed down his face.

Ling Hwa: "Thank you. Meeting you and marrying you was the best thing that happened in my life. I'll never forget the memories that we shared."

She then looked towards Zhi Chen and called him forward. He went to his mother's side, his face a wet and grimy.

Ling Hwa: "Chen'er, you're a big boy now. I'm sorry, I can't be there to watch you or your sister getting married. But know that I will always be watching you guys from above. So, promise that you will listen to your dad and grandpa and grow up to be the best person you possibly can be, okay? And please take care of your little sister."

Zhi Chen: "(crying)... I promise... I promise, mom. I'll protect Ling'er for the rest of my life and will grow up to be the best I can."

Hearing all the promised put Ling Hwa at ease. But there was still one person who she couldn't put her worries aside for. Using the last of her strengths, she held BaiLing's hand tightly and told her.

"Ling'er, I love you very much. Don't you ever forget that. And know that I will and have never blamed you for anything. So please be happy. This is my last request to you."

And with that, Ling Hwa closed her eyes and left the world. BaiLing, who couldn't accept the fact, kept shaking her mother's arm while crying and begging her to wake up. She stayed by her mother's side the entire night, and no one could pull her away. BaiLing guarded her mother's body, not letting anyone take her away, but soon she gave out and fainted.

The news made its way to the palace, and the next day, they held a funeral for her mother. All of the generals and their friends went to the funeral instead of the banquet that day. Everyone who came could see how heartbroken BaiLing was. She rushed to the funeral hall the moment she came to, staying there all day, not caring what others told her.

Late into the night, the emperor came to pay his respects. He gave the whole family some time off so that everyone could rest and heal.

Once the funeral was over and Ling Hwa was buried, BaiLing locked herself in her room, not letting anyone in and not eating or drinking anything either. She spent her days crying. Everyone in the mansion was worried about her health, but they knew they couldn't force her into anything either, so they let her have her own time.

When she finally came out a week later, everyone thought she was better now, but no one excepted that she would break every instrument in sight. The only ones that she couldn't bear to destroy were those owned by her mother. This went on for half a year. From that day forward, no music was played in the residents, and BaiLing never danced again.

She withdrew herself from the social world, so she was rarely seen. She only left the house to go visit her grandpa and help him at the clinic. People of nobility didn't know what she looked like, but the commoners were more familiar with her appearance.

And every time there was a war, she would make sure that no enemy would survive. She also wore a mask that made her look like a demon. Earning her the title of the Demon General. A general who was thought to be a man. A general who was both feared and respected by his people and made his enemies tremble.