The Court that Kills

The date was 186 AD Eastern Han Dynasty China 

The sun had just risen through the silk curtains that hung on the wall the paper sheet window had already been opened Hu Junjie laid on his bed , feeling nervous about going to court, to his right was his desk with his kneeling mat, on the table lied a bundle of rolled bamboo scrolls to the right, on the left was an ink pot with a pen, in the middle was a silk edict he had written he wanted to look away at the reform he had written but with all his might he just couldn’t look away, from the angle where he lied he couldn’t even see the characters but he knew what it said and it made him scared. 

His anxiety was killed by the gentle sliding of the paper sheet door to his room and from it a beautiful woman wearing an exquisite silk hanfu dress that reached to the floor, the silk dress was  white silk embroidered with lilies and purple flowers patterns , she wore a jade bead bracelet, the bracelet sat on a soft smooth hand that was delicate with everything it touched, carefully holding a tray of wood that housed a bowl of warm soup alongside  bowl of warm wine, still steaming, from the kitchen, when Hu Junjie eyes met the woman he smiled with a calmed exhale he spoke. 

“My beautiful Lihua..every day you always surprise me with your beauty, It makes me wonder how lucky I am to be within your presence”.  

He then returns his gaze towards the edict on the table. 

Hu Lihua, Hu Junjie’s wife smiles and calmly walks over to him with the tray and places it onto his desk where he works without saying a word she humbly joins Hu Junjie , kneeling next to where he lays on his bed, she carefully grabs his palm and stokes the centre of it with her thumb drawing symbols and playfully and curiously feeling his warm palm and her soft caring voice speaks 

“You’re never like this Jie I know you have a lot of work backed up but it has never gotten you this down before, im worried about you jie.”  

They both sit still until Hu Junjie replies softly. 

“I know everything will be alright my love, I just can’t bear to leave you here alone, it’s hard leaving such a pretty sight” 

His gaze changes from the edict to her beaming green eyes and he smiles and leans in towards her ear and with his lips barely parted he quietly speaks. 

“I love you my dearest Li.” 

Worried now Hu Lihua holds his hand tighter, strangling it with her iron grip , it hurts but Hu Junjie bats not an eye , Hu Lihua’s soft pale skin starts turning red and course as she starting crying, her jade green eyes vibrant and shining leak tears, salty tears that sting the eye when they fall, she panicked starts shaking his hand frantically as if he was dead or comatose saying 

“Can’t we just leave?” 

Hu Junjie scoffs at this remark and with his free arm brushes his fingers along the side of her head to try and bring her some comfort Hu Junjie softly replies. 

“Everyone can hear you dear”.  

Clearing his throat and speaking in a normal tone he replies a second time. 

“We will not leave for it is my duty to serve the court, now could you please fetch my court robe dear?” 

Hu Lihua looks towards the door she left open and slowly looks back at him, her eyes now red from crying sniffling and snorting breathing heavily out of her mouth she lets go of her iron grasp on his right hand and with his right hand now free brushes a free black strand of her beautiful soft hair back behind her ear  she smiles nervously and wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her robe and quickly stands up and exist the room Hu Junjie eyes her up and down while she exits the room and before leaving she turns around and loudly says  

“Jie court starts a soon you best eat your meal now.” 

With a wider smile she turns around wiping her eyes once more and marches to the right of the doorframe and leaves down the hall her footsteps getting quieter and quieter. 

Crawling out from under the covers Hu Junjie sits on the side of his bed looking at his work table seeing that his wine is no longer steaming and that the scroll pile is still there his neck loses it’s control and his head sinks down he groans saying to himself 

“The day that woman learns to stop worrying is the day I can work”. 

And with that he is animated like a puppet and springs into action, he kneels behind the desk, and it is an absolute mess, unorganised scrolls to the left, ink and unused silk to the right and in the middle is his edict there is also the tray of soup and wine but it is of less concern he picks up the large silk sheet  with both hands and stretches it out Infront of him and gives it one final read. 

“our auspicious emperor” 

“Our beloved empire is under attack, rebels talk of corruption and destroying the empire” 

“the rebels speak that the yellow sky is rising, we send our armies and stop them but they always” 

“come back again, they expand their forces double that of our armies ,yet we keep our army size the same” 

“this is wh-“ 

Hu Junjie’s reading is interrupted by his wife.  

“Jie..” 

 she softly continues. 

“your robe is ready and steamed, do you want me to put it on you now?” 

Hu Junjie always like his robes steamed, it felt as his wife was hugging him for hours, the warmth was comforting even on hot days it reminded him of why he worked so much, to provide for her. 

Thinking for a moment he looks at the edict for a moment, And replies. 

“One moment darling I need to finish some work, just put it on the end of my bed”. 

Without a word she nods and shuffles over to his bed and places it neatly folded onto the end of his bed, she looks at him inspecting his silk sheet and lets out a sorrowful sigh, she turns to leave when her ears stop her. 

“My dearest Li, if you are not attending to urgent matters, you could perhaps play one of your beautiful songs? You know I love to hear your music when I need to work”. 

She gets a child like excitement this request and enthusiastically shuffles over to her seat and kneels placing the Guzheng on her knees, she delicately plucks a single string, it sounds melodic, and with that she starts playing. 

Hu Junjie closes his eyes and just listens for a while, he pictures himself standing in a field of wheat, standing under a tree escaping the heat, when all of a sudden a cool breeze is the relief he needs, although he imagines it in his head it feels all so real. It gives him goosebumps and he opens his eyes again and behind his silk he says. 

“You play so wonderfully dear”.  

Although he can’t see it, he hears it, her face hosts a satisfied smile. 

“Where was I?” 

He thinks. 

He searches through inspecting the lines meticulously. His eyes playing a game of cat and mouse vertically searching the lines, atlas he has found it, a wave of relief washes over him as he begins reading again. 

“This is why the rebels have captured majority of the north, it is no fault our commanders, loyal to the Han till their death they fought with what they had.” 

“Be wise o emperor and grant the army the funds it so desperately needs , why should we build yet another palace for pleasure or another bronze pavilion?, this is a turbulent time.” 

“I Hu Junjie minister of the country’s tax have been coordinating with my fellow court members and we believe that a economic restructure is necessary to win the war” 

“We need to increase the tax by yet another 1 dan (editing note 60 kg = 1 dan in ancient china)of grain if we wish to supply thee armies, but we only apply this to the fertile commanderies.” 

“the men from the south are far from the north and are not loyal, do not recruit these men, I suggest make conscription mandatory for men who have children in the 4 most populated commandries under our control, I also suggest we recruit mercenaries from the xianbei tribes to assist in the war, we pacified them in the past and we have authority over them, if they decline we can look westward to the mountains, the xiliang are excellent cavalry soldiers who are proficient in mercenary work.”  

“Inspecting tax records over the last 15 years there is a unexplained and missing funds, my searches over the years have been difficult and I have been hindered by many forces.” 

“O emperor be Auspicious and sever the head of the snake that is sure to bite you, Be wise and brave and serve justice where justice is needed, if you wait emperor the armies will be here and all of your hoarding would have been for naught.” 

“Long live the Han, long live the emperor”. 

Reading it satisfied he rolled the top half of the soft silk into a scroll leaving the bottom half of the scroll unrolled on what little room was left on his desk. 

He quickly rose his head. 

“Li where did you put my stamp?” 

She stopped playing the tune, the room was quiet, she replied. 

“W-w-what stamp?” 

Hiding an anger deep within he smiled at Hu Lihua and exhaled saying. 

“try to find it while I am gone darling, I will just have to hand sign it.”  

she solemnly nod while Hu Junjie signed the edict at the bottom, he quickly rolled the edict up and fastened it into the hard cold stand of bamboo, he tapped it twice and tucked it deep within his shirt and stood up. 

He calmly walked towards the end of his bed and stood there, his wife slowly and respectfully approached him and slowly dressed him, first the undershirt, she caringly and delicately put on his ornate dress shirt, it was soft silk that was hand sown by her, it was his favourite, it depicted one of his poems. the poem depicts a fisherman talking to a dragon in the Yangtze and after talking to the dragon he becomes the dragons student and dives under the water to never be seen again. On top of that shirt a thin silk under robe is threaded through his arms and with every layer his long hair needing to be pulled out from underneath, she wrapped this thin silk robe around his stomach and tied it, the robes sleeves hung low, very low almost to his knees when he laid his hands out straight then his cloth court robe, black with red lining heavy but durable it sat on his shoulder and arms , it needed to be tied with a tight sash to stay up, since it would drag on the floor if it wasn’t done properly, however she had done this a million times before, she was an expert. 3 big bows on the front and his robes were fitted, this robes sleeves also drooped low, probably even lower than the silk under robe she stood back, giving him a good eye down than quickly rushed back and fixed up the bottom of his robe, she stood up and looked him in the face and her grin grew wide as she kissed him on the neck and rushed to grab his hair tie. 

She grabbed his hair and tying it into a bun she pierced the clump of hair with a gold metallic pin with a jade bead on the inside of the end of the pin, next his court hat. 

She tightened it around his head and threaded the two long tassels over his shoulders and down over his chest, now all that was left was his slippers, they were quite self-explanatory, slip them on and tie from the back to the front and back again up his lower leg. That was it. he was ready to die. 

Hu Junjie walked out dressed in his court attire through the garden with his wives armed locked with his they slowly held each other as he walked to the exit of the manor, her soft head rested on his shoulder despite all the layers he could still feel her breathing through her head on his shoulder, he tried to be as steady as possible for her, each step leading closer to the court that kills. Before he knew it, he was at the exit and the two guards greeted both lady Hu and Hu Junjie and waiting for half an our outside the manor was Lai Ling, Lai Ling was Hu Junjie’s only ally in court, Hu Junjie saved Lai Lings life from thieves on the way back from arresting tax dodgers in the capital, Hu Junjie’s Guards cut a bandit down and retrieved his purse, ever since they grew close friends seemingly having a lot in common, they both agreed on strategy and on politics, they both worked together to try get rid of corruption and Lai Ling served as a mentor to Hu Junjie. 

Lai Ling was also dressed in a very similar attire, Lai Ling grasped his fist and bowed low and long, out of respect Hu Junjie follow suite and they both bowed for a good minute or so, they both raised, and Lai Ling spoke his voice sounding like it had just been the victim to a scolding hot tea 

“I trust you have been well friend” he leaned in closely to Hu Junjies ear and whispered. 

” Do you, have it?” 

A single nod was the reply to Hu Junjie gave and with that he laughed vibrantly and then turned to Hu Lihua and respectfully bowed to her as well. 

“I trust you have been well lady Hu?” 

He stood idly and gave him a kind smile and nodded. 

A moment passed before Lai Ling spoke. 

“My wife wanted your help to pick flowers for our garden lady Hu, would it be possible you could help her?” 

Hu Lihua turned to her husband and lowered her head. 

He called her over and when she got close, he whispered into her ear. 

“Go, have fun Li, I will be fine.” 

She didn’t move a muscle for a good what must have been 6 or 7 seconds before she replied. 

“Just be careful Jie” 

And with that she took off down the street seeing her go hurt Hu Junjie’s heart, he snapped to one of the guards. 

“Shou” 

“aye” 

 the guard replied. 

Hu Junjie followed up firmly saying.  

“Make sure she gets there safely, if anything happens to her, I’m making you responsible.” 

“Aye, aye!” 

The guard replied as he hurried off after the woman with his Ji (editor note: Ji is a polearm in ancient China) in hand shouting. 

“Lady Hu! Lady Hu!” 

Until he couldn’t be heard anymore. 

“After you?” 

Lai Ling said. 

And so, they both took off to the court. 

After about 10 minutes of walking nobody said a word to each other until Lai Ling broke the unspoken silence vow his lips parted and he questioned. 

“jie your edict is dangerous, we both know this but with this edict you gain allies, and allies save lives jie, allies save lives.” 

He taps his shoulder three times allowing room for Jie to think and respond. 
Hu Junjie replied with an exhale. 

“But it also gains me many, many powerful enemies.” 

They walked for a while before. Lai Ling looked around frantically and quickly leapt close and said into Hu Junjie’s ear. 

“You and I both know what these scums are like, they will try to kill you like they did me, but i will help you, we already went over its days ago just don’t panic”. 

He returned to where he once was walking with Hu Junjie. 

All Junjie could think about was what he told him earlier. 

“don’t accept free food from the eunuchs if you must mark it with a red x”. 

“If you go to banquets with the eunuchs keep in mind what jug they drink from and what jug you get served from, usually they are all the same so you need to focus.”  

“The maids always relay information back to the eunuchs”. 

“Keep your tracks covered and sleep in different houses to confuse assassins”. 

The last and worst of all 

“they will hold your wife captive by sending you to war you may die and she will live a widow but you will have weakened their grasp” 

“she will live a widow” rang through his mind and it made his heart feel as if it was being ripped out of his ribcage. 

Before he even knew it, there he was, the two golden dragons stood before him, the imperial palace. 

All the court members like to go early like they did, that’s where the gossip is at, all in their small groups except the eunuchs,  they had around 57 58 people all huddled together gossiping , planning and scheming. 

“Makes me sick”  

Groaned Ling 

Jie nodded gawking viciously at the pack of vultures that fly over the dying body of the empire. 

 

“Court is in session” 

A boy shouts before retreating to the shade of the palace. 

Frozen still Jie can barely move his feet as everyone it’s their head down and shuffles to their seat. 

Ling taps him of the back 3 times and gestures for him to go but nothing, he is frozen with fear Ling pushes him rather roughly and it does the trick without thinking his legs just go, without control they submit and accept fate. The kneels on the mat everyone is looking at the floor for a solid 10 minutes or so until. 

Click clack click clack click clack click clack , it’s him the emperor? No, his head eunuch has gotten rather ambitious recently and he exits the palace quarters first, that mongrel needs to be cut down. 

Jie raises his head quickly to get a sneak peek at him, 

 “Anyone could point him out, a large man with robes more vibrant than the emperor, he even carries a sword on his hip, the audacity, I could kill Dong Ma myself.” 

He thinks to himself.  

The head eunuch catches him and gives him a stern look, one that says. 

“Are you defying my rule?”  

Without moment’s notice his head snaps and locks looking towards the ground, the emperor trails behind eunuch and sits on this throne, the hall is silent for a few minutes before Dong Ma steps out Infront of the emperor and speaks. 

“Court is in session, please rise.”  

Everybody unanimously raises their head and shuffles Infront of the steps to the emperor everyone kneels once again and all bow 10 times repeating. 

“Long live the Han, Long live the emperor”.  

They stay bowed on the 10th final bow until the emperor unenthusiastically.  

“You may rise servants.”  

Everybody shuffles back to their place. 

A long 3 hours take place discussing the progress of the war which the emperor has no care for, he is more interested in the new palace of pleasure and the new pavilion being erected in the emperors name. 

Finally, it’s time. Dong Ma walks down the steps slowly eyeing up everyone. And slowly but meticulously speaks in a tone befit of a rat. 

“does anyone here wish to keep the emperor busy or shall we conclude court?” 

Jie trying to say “I do” says a bunch of jargon, Dong ma raises his eyebrow and leans in and says 

“Hu Junjie you wish to use up the emperors time?” 

Swallowing his fears Hu Junjie raises his head and looks him in the eye and what he see’s looking back at him is far worse than he could have imagined. The look of greed and gluttony starting back at him, they both know that jie has no power but Jie will be dammed if he doesn’t give it a shot, this is the empire his forefathers helped establish. 

Shooting straight up jie unravels an edict stashed in his robe saying. 

“I have a report of the emperor and I wish to read it to the emperor”. 
jie than bows to Dong Ma with the edict in his hands, Dong Ma disrespectfully paces over and snatches the edict walking away saying.  

“I will read it to him”. 

He stands next to the emperor unamused and reads aloud. 

“Our auspicious emperor” 

“Our beloved empire is Thriving; rebels talk is all but gone”. 

“The rebels speak that the yellow sky is rising, we send our armies, and we crushed them”. 

“We are living in a time of prosperity and your benevolence shines on us all” 

Dong Ma rolls up the scroll and tucks it away not moving his gaze from the emperor laughing. 

The emperor laughs hysterically and joyfully and calls Jie up to speak to him. 

He beckons. 

“Hu Junjie who knew you had such poetic talent! Your writing was the medicine I so desperately needed! A feast! we should host a feast in your name! here! Now!” 

Dong ma cheerfully and politely reminds him saying. 

“Now Auspicious emperor you are right about his poetic talent however Hu Junjie is a busy man, the head of the tax registry, he has a lot of work to attend to, I will host a smaller feast on your behalf to spare the man missing out on work.”  

His head slowly turns and meets Jie with a friendly smile, however deceiving the eyes speak a different story.one of anger and jealousy the “I want to have your head cut off and paraded in the streets” look. 

He repeated. 

“You will attend my feast right Hu Junjie?” 

Frozen with fear Jie couldn’t mutter a word before Dong Ma cut him off cheerfully 

“Excellent! I will see you later tonight!” 

“Dismissed!” 

 
it was noon the eunuchs were eating rice and wine all conversing women were singing and dancing, Dong Ma ate but did not speak a single word, he just listened to what the other eunuchs said. 

“Hu Junjie is a really talent writer! A toast!” 

“Good!” 

“Aye!” 

Everybody was celebrating however Dong Ma ate ,a fellow eunuch pushed a cup of wine into his face and after that Dong Ma slapped it out of his hand and threw the edict on the table 

“Are you all stupid?! Read the Edict, they no longer fear us”. 

They all looked puzzled and like curious kittens they slowly crawl towards the edict and unravel it, with each line their face changed from joy to pure hatred. 

“I’ll stab him myself!” 

“that’s too good for him, I say we kill him in his sleep! Burn his pretty house to the ground”. 

“Send him to fight the rebels!” 

“Not hat’s too obvious we need to save that for bigger threats just imprison him!” 

After bickering with each other pathetically they all turn to Dong Ma and beg. 

“How do we rid the country of this menace!” 

He stands with his bowl of wine and scoffs it down in seconds wiping his mouth and growling like a tiger. 

“We won’t” he replies. 

He pads his mouth with his sleeve, the eunuchs all look puzzled, and he continues. 

“if he has good, true intentions, he will eat our food and drink our wine not suspecting we are hostile, if he dares not to touch a grain of rice, that’s when we plan to kill him. 

 

The walk back from court was a grim one, Ling and Jie said not a word till they got into their home. 

“You got me into this mess you fix it!” 

“How can I you are the one who gave him the edict!” 

“I didn’t give it he snatched it!”  

“Brother Ling” 

“Aye Jie” 

“I’m dead aren’t I”. 

There was silence in the air.  

“Jie!” he scrambles across the floor on his hands and knees and whispers into his ear. 

“Go to the feast but don’t eat a single bit of food or wine, I will light your stables alight and send a man to fetch you from the dinner. 

“Good!” 

Jie replies. 

“Good!” 

The feast is prepared, everybody is drinking and laughing the room is vibrant with friendly faces and friendly food, than across the table 3 knocks. 

“Is that Hu Junjie?” 

A voice shouts behind the door 

A boy scoots past Hu Junjie and peers inside the hall and replies 

“Master Ma it is Hu Junjie” 

“Bring him in then boy do not keep our guest outside!” he snaps 

Junjie enters the feast hall. And across from him is a large table filled will all kinds of delicacies sits at the end of the table and is greeted by Dong Ma, Friendly as his face appears, his eyes, yet again speak of violence and malice. 

Jie is held captive for what felt like days not much happens as he feigns friendship and friendliness, so do they, they both know it. 

After 2 hours of beating around the bush Dong Ma who this entire time has been watching Jie calls upon him 

“Hu Junjie! My Friend who goes to their own feast and doesn’t touch a morsel of food?” 
“are you unwell”?” 

He continues. 

Jie nods 

Dong Ma replies 

“Well, you should have said so?! I wouldn’t have forced you here I deeply apologize!” 

Quickly calling his guards to usher him outside before Jie knew it he was outside on the street, he sees a boy running for his life up to him asking for Dong Ma’s palace, Jie takes the note from the boy and tells him to go home. 

When the doors shut, he calls over a maid into a private room and says at his banquet. 

“I have kitchen matters to attend to keep eating my good friends in honour of our good, unwell friend Hu Junjie!” 

Sneaking off into the private room the young woman is seated drinking some of the special wine from the emperors brewery he roars when he catches her 

“Who said you could have some wine madam?” 

Panicked she replies. 

“I didn’t know it was wine! I thought it was water was just thirst!” 

Infuriated Dong Ma screams at her 

“if your filthy whore lips touch that jug again I’ll have you and your family killed for stealing the emperors wine do you understand me?” 

Shaking in fear she nods repeatedly pleading for forgiveness. 

He looks at her and softly asks her. 

“You work for the Hu family, correct? 
she slowly looks up at him barely being able to see his face over his belly. 

“yes I do, hu Junjie, the Guest you mean?” 
an evil grin fills his face , he grabs the maids cheek and squeezes it  
“yes exactly madam, now, who does he live with?” 

Uncomfortable she tries to escape his grasp but it’s impossible she waits for him to stop tugging her skin and when he stops, she says. 
“Just his wife, and us, the maids and the stable boys, along with the guards.” 

Somehow that grin has taken up his entire face, he gets on his knees right Infront of her face and looks her in the eyes and says. 
“does he love her?” 

She looks away from his freakish face and nods 
he grabs her face and drags her eyes to meet his 

He snaps 
“how much?” 

Muffled by her face being squished she says 
“more than anything in the world?” 
he throws her face away and stands up shaking his robe. 

He calmy says 
“Very good madam, keep using your pretty ears and report to me if you hear anything.” 

She nods and hurries off, Dong Ma strokes his chin and rubs his belly heading to the pleasure room in his manor, he knows exactly what to do. 

Walking towards the orange inferno in the distance Jei’s mind is a mess. 
by the time he reaches his home the rather small fire has been put out.  

He gets home and his wife clutches interrogating on his whereabouts, he holds he arms and firmly to her 
“Dong Ma will surely give me his favourite punishment, and so tomorrow I ride to die, let’s spend this last night together darling.” 

Another routine day at the court until Dong Ma walked out Infront of everyone and clearing his throat he said. 

“Hu Junjie you have been summoned to serve the court!” 

Jie didn’t not stand, in fact he was not there at all he was nowhere to be seen, not even Ling knew where he was at. 

Jie was at home, feigning injury and sickness while he held his wives hand, together they sat until a maid called over Hu Lihua, she broke down into tears and pounded the floor ,Jie knew exactly what was going on and called the maid in to fetch his sword. 

Ling sitting in court almost coughed his heart up when he heard what Dong Ma had declared 

“Hu Junjie a loyal servant of the Han will be sent with 3000 Retainers to the north to reinforce Lu Zhi, he will be sent off earlier this noon with his army” 

Ling looked up at Dong Ma, his grin was wide, his tongue coating his fat oily lips in saliva. Snickering at the thought of another threat gone from his court. 

Jie was soothing his wife’s heavy heart as he adorned his military garb, he put on his oval scale vest and fastened the leather straps around his hips, nice and tightly next his helmet first he needed to tie his hair in a bun and quickly he did so with the head cloth, than his military cap, than his helmet on top of all of that, He fastened his scabbard and slowly put his sword in it’s place, he knelt to his wife and grabbed her soft face he looked her in the eyes and she kept forcing her head away, he had to force her to look at him with both hands , he looked her in the eyes and gave her a peck on the forehead saying  

“I wanted to say something before I go”. 

She cried even heavier barely able to stand, Jie rushed to catch and support her weight looking at her red face he gave her a reassuring smile and with the charm that first caught her in his net he said. 

“Darling, remember the night we got married.” 

Li smiles  

And nods still snorting and sniffling. 

Jie continues. 

“remember how we danced and embraced all those years ago in our vibrant red?” 

Holding him she smiles wider. 

“Can you fetch me my wedding robe?” 

She replies. 

“W-w-why?” 

Jie scoffs a tiny bit looking away and shooing the maid away. 

He leans in and whispers. 

“I’m going to wear it to battle, if I am to be killed by Dong Ma, I’m Going on my own terms”. 

He holds her closely for a while, he starts to cry, her smile has all but faded now. 

She whimpers into his ear like a sad dog. 

“You won’t die, you can’t die, they said you are being stationed, you will be safe in a city?” 

Embraced, they say nothing after that. 

“Maybe I will.” 

Replies Jie 

he knows full well that he will be stationed but too far away from help, too far away from home, helpless destined to die, he just tries to comfort her. 

“What will I do without my Jie? Who will listen to my music? Who will i make food for?” 

She asks. 

“If I had it my way, you would remarry a nice, charming man, a hardworking man, but you will more than likely become one of the emperors’ concubines or Dong Ma’s concubine with enough time, when everyone has all but forgotten my existence.” 

She gasps furious she responds. 

“I will never remarry! I will never be anyone’s common whore!” 

Jie caught off guard and laughs louder than she has heard him laugh before with his friend Ling. 
He speaks. 

“that’s my girl.” 

They stand there after a while just looking at each other admiring each other and this short window of time they have. 

After a good while Jie speaks up  

“So?” 
she replies 
“So what?” 

 she replies 
“can you get my wedding robe?” 
he solemnly said.  

It’s like a spark is ignited in her brain and she hurries off to where she kept them. 

Jie has his wife fasten the robe around his neck by the sleeves like a cape and marches off to his horse, the saddles are already fastened and with one last hug he climbs upon his mighty steed and is led out onto the city. 

 

It’s parade time and Ling Rides up to Jie’s horse, Puzzled Jie interrogates him, why are you joining me? I’ve gone to die. Do you wish the same? Ling performs a military salute by clutching his fist saying 
“If you were to march to hell, I would join you Grand Commander!” 

“Good!” 

Replies Jie 

He continues. 

“With a man like you we can fight 1000 no 2000 men alone!” 

“Good!” 

And so, Hu Lihua waves goodbye to her husband, riding off in his shining armour, his bright red wedding garb fastened around his scaled around tied around his neck. 

The 3000 soldiers trailing behind him, marching to their grave, they knew it, everyone knew it but all they could do was wave their sons, and husbands goodbye. 

During the Fall of the Han Dynasty, the Eunuch faction in the court was at it strongest. Sending enemies to war with too little troops and supplies, many fled and became bandits or left and took government supplies many generals heeded the call sacrificing themselves for their family’s safety, later in 190AD a coalition was made against a regent who held the eunuchs and the emperor hostage, the coalition of warlords. In 220AD the Han empire fell leaving 3 kingdoms. 

Wei,Shu-han & Wu