Preparation for war

Clouds drifting gently across the long stretch of horizon. Ray of sunlight slanted down towards a city surrounded by misty mountain and crystal clear rivers.

A corporal and imperial troops showed up with their horses. Villagers stared at them in awe as they dismounted from the horses. The imperial troop unrolled the scroll and attached them to the notice board. Just as they left, the villagers move closer towards the notice board to check out the announcement.

"By royal command, all men above 16 years old must participate in the military." A villager read out the announcement. His eyes bulged and collapsed to the ground.

They looked at one another and sighed in exasperation.

A young lady turned her head down to look at her baby bump. Her husband embraced her. "My dear wife, please don't cry. It's our duty to protect the country.."

She looked at her husband with her watery eyes. "Is there a war coming?"

He nodded slowly, "Most likely. That's probably why they need all the men to enlist in the military."

His mother was fighting her tears as she watched them from the side. Standing next to him is her grandson. The little boy is wondering what makes her parents cried.

The young lady grabbed her husband's hand and implored her husband. "Please come back safe and sound.".

Her husband responded to her, "You gave me a reason to breathe. While I am away, please look after my mother and our children."

Not far from the village, approximately a hundred women marching towards the border. One woman walked toward the troops for verification. She passed to him a manuscript. "We work for Jamal. This is the permit to leave the country."

The troop took the manuscript and glanced through it. He shifted his gaze at the women. "The permit is authentic. But why so many of you are leaving the country?"

The woman giggled and responded, "Jamal gave us a secret mission. How can we reveal our secret mission to you? Can we leave now?"

The troop nodded and raised his hand to instruct the troops to allow the women to cross the border.

Other troops saw his hand signal, he quickly removed the barricades.

After several steps away from the border, they have reached Guangxi. The leader, Patricia took out several manuscripts from her messenger bag and gave instruction to the ladies "Everyone, please pay attention." She stared out over the ladies awaiting her speech.

"We will need to split into three groups. The first group will follow me to the main military camp. The second group will follow Rosie and the third group will follow Maria."

She walked toward Rosie to give her a scroll and then walked toward Maria to give her another scroll. "These are the map of the military camps in Guangxi."

Maria and Rosie grabbed the scroll containing maps from the leader, "Thank you, Patricia."

They begin their journey to the military camp in Guangxi. Not long after, they arrived at the military camps. They looking seductively at the troops at the camp. When the Guangxi troops looked at the beautiful ladies standing at the reception, they drooled, over the beauties.

Standing at the reception, the guards asked, "What are you all doing here?"

Patricia flashed a beautiful smile and responded, "Sir, we came from Ningbo. We came to visit the country to tour around but we got lost."

The guard responded, "This is a military camp, not a leisure site."

Couldn't resist the beauties, the captain responded, "You can come into the camp to rest if you want!"

Patricia smiled, "If you don't mind."

Captain shook his head and said, "No! No! I am the captain here. Our general is friendly. I am sure he will welcome all of you too."

Guards could not argue back since the captain surpassed them in the ranking.

A beautiful moon glowing brightly in the dark sky. The Marshall arranged to organize a dinner for the ladies. Flames of fire-camp blazing and shone in the darkness. Several men grilling meat and pouring wines into the bowl to serve the guests.

While a man is grilling the meat, he sighed. "The troops must be very happy today. All these money they spent to buy meat and drinks just to serve these courtesans."

The man standing next to him overheard his complaint, "Well, you are being sentimental. The troops are enjoying the meals too! But, how do you know they are courtesans?"

"A noble ladies usually wear elegantly, a villager will wear a plain simple plain robe. You can tell they are courtesans from the way they dressed up, elegant and seductive gauze. On top of that, the fragrance pouches they were wearing."

Patricia and the ladies stood up to dance the troops. The ladies and the troops holding hand and dancing around the fire-camp. In the midst of the jubilant dancing, the Grand Marshall make an announcement, "We have a rule in a grassland. A woman will offer a bowl of drink to a man they love, if the man accepts their drink, he must be her lover."

Patricia took a bowl of alcohol to offer the grand Marshall. "Marshall, I would like to take this opportunity to serve you a bowl of alcohol, from the bottom of my heart."

Everyone in the camp looking at them, they clapped their hands and cheered loudly when the grand Marshall accepted the drink. Patricia winked at the ladies to give them a signal.

Grand Marshall bent down to carry Patricia, he took her to his tent.

The other women offering drinks to other men to look for their partner.

In the grand Marshall tent, he gently put her down on the bed and removes her clothes. She removed his clothes and be intimate with each other. Looking at the grand Marshall, she took out a rolled tobacco. Walking towards the oil lamp to burn the rolled tobacco slightly. "Try this, It will bring you to the heavenly realm. You will love it!" Patricia told the grand Marshall. She demonstrated to him how to puff the rolled tobacco by putting it to her mouth. Inhaled the smoke released from the tobacco rolled and exhaled to puff slightly a bit of smoke from her mouth.

He got curious and tasted a bit. It gives him a spacey feeling. Loves the feeling, he took another puff and continued to finish smoking the rolled tobacco.

The other women also offering the captains and other troops rolled tobacco. Now the troops became addicted to the rolled tobacco and wanted more.

Another batch of ladies travelled to Huanghe military camp to do the same. Making the troops from Huanghe become addicted to the rolled tobacco.

The servants rattled down a carriage in front of the Guangxi Imperial Palace, panting along through the blazing sun. Jamal step down from the carriage and walked toward the grand hall. King Lee is the ruler of Guangxi, he awaits Jamal. Jamal bowed at the king to give his respect.

"This is a gift from Queen Aliyah. 5000 years old ginseng roots." he lifted the box containing ginseng. "It can boost your health and prolong your precious life."

King Lee smiled happily, "The oldest ginseng root I have is 100 years old but you have a 5000 years old ginseng?" The attendant grabbed the ginseng from Jamal and showed it to the king.

The king looked at the ginseng, his eyes protruded. "This is indeed a great ginseng."

They continued by discussing political alliance. Jamal took this opportunity to cast a magic spell on the courtiers.

After he left the Guangxi Imperial palace, he begins to travel to Huanghe Palace.

A snake appeared in the carriage.

Jamal smiled when he saw the snake. "Thank you for helping me to find out the location of Guangxi and Huanghe military camps."

The snake responded, "As always, you are welcome."

Jamal instructed the snake, "When the snakes are in the camps, please use your magical power to make the weapons blunt."

The snake nodded, "You know I will always do whatever you ask me to. But make sure you support me when Rachel will bombard me later."

Jamal chuckled, "You must not let her know I have sneak out from the jungle! Otherwise, she will lock me with chain in the treehouse forever."

In Guangxi palace, the physician brewed the ginseng gifted from Queen Aliyah to make a tonic for King Lee. Royal chef making dishes made of the ginseng. King Lee has always dreamed of eternal life, he can't wait to taste the 5000 years old ginseng. In the ginseng, Jamal had put an untraceable poison made of snake venom.

When Jamal arrives in the Huanghe palace, he presented a 5000 years old ginseng to King Chao, the ruler of Huanghe. Just like King Lee, King Chao has always wanted eternal life. He immediately requests the physician to brew the ginseng to make a tonic for him after Jamal left the Huanghe palace.