Henan Zhong

Henan was worried over her health.

Queen got batter next day.

She was happy to see Henan after long time.

Henan was thirteen this year and she looked more adorable.

Queen thought that if her father was alive he would have more pleased to see her growing up but unfortunately he was nowhere to see her developed disposition.

Ying Jun was stunned to see the beautiful mammoth Palace, she also take hold of Henan responsibility and care and willingly look after her previous caretaker.

She was growing weaker by days and breathed her last after one month of their arrival at Palace in the afternoon of bright day.

Henan cried when she saw her caretaker death, her caretaker was with her from her childhood and there was indescribable relation and sentiments between these two. She cried out loud but her caretaker did not wake up even after her heart wrenching screams.

Her beautiful light gray eyes were endlessly pouring tears.

Queen was equally sad and to look at the condition of Henan, she was more worried than ever. There were no words to console already riddled heart, Queen was helpless to see all this. She personally visited her room many times and tried to soothe her with different ways.

Ying Jun had recently faced so many things after her forceful widowhood, she came to Henan bed and sat on the chair, "Henan, you are brave girl; you should not take it to heart so long, it will damage your health and it will make me worried and anxious more that my days in forceful widowhood," saying this she started crying to remember her days, she thought that her days would never change and she would always in these conditions yet this girl bravely brought her from that h.e.l.l.

She was grateful and don"t want to see Henan suffer anything.

When she looked Ying Jun crying and remembering her previous days, she had personally witnessed her plight, how could she remain neutral then and now to look her weeping? She rose up from her bed and wiped her tears, "I am sorry I did not meant to hurt you, it"s that my caretaker was close to me from my childhood, then my father got missing, she took care of me all these years, I am unable to change my heart," Ying Jun heard her and said, "I once heard the lessons of my brother"s tutor, he related a philosopher saying that only wisest and stupidest people never change, you are wise you should return back to your composed disposition and face life with more courage," Ying Jun used to sneak in the lessons of tutor, she also wanted to learn but her parents said that girls don"t need to learn, they just need to seek household.

Henan blinked her eyes to hear her explanation.

Her father used to tell the sayings of great philosopher to explain her meaning of life. She came out of her room with Ying Jun.

Everything was as usual except her heart, she asked Ying Jun that she would visit garden in the evening and she should accompany her too.

She washed herself up and changed clothes then went to meet queen.

Queen got pleasantly surprised to see her in her good mood. "Henan I am pleased to see you lively again," Henan bowed and said, "I am embarra.s.sed to make Queen worried for my condition," "Henan you are treasure for this Queen that General Zhong left behind in the Palace."

"I see Queen have another treasure and I thought that King was treasure for Queen," a crisp sad sound came from west entrance of the hall.

Henan moved to see the source of voice, unlike her voice her expression were that someone mocking over something.

Henan saw that expressions of Queen turned gloomy to hear that voice but did not move to see the visitor.

After her arrival back to Palace she did notice many things but did not asked Queen about it, "Oh you don"t know despite being favored girl of Queen, I am favored concubine of King Shang," she proudly waved her hands and looked at Queen with side glance.

Henan could see she was beautiful and young and this was reason to become favored concubine of King that made Queen sad all the time she looked older than her age.

"Treasures always remain treasures even if they are stolen," Henan bowed and said without any hint of surprise.

"I am the daughter of General Zhong and no one has bravery to steal me from Queen," concubine was taken aback to hear her straight and fearless words, also her status was thousands time higher than a mere concubine.

......

In the evening Henan went in the garden with her new caretaker, Ying Jun. Henan was engrossed in her thoughts.

Ying Jun had got batter by health and stature; she was looking harmless eighteen years old girl just like Henan saw her on day of her wedding.

Despite the warm day evening was pleasant in the west garden because so many plants and vines of flowers were got watered in the evening and air lightly got clammy by the time.

Today incharge Chen was on forte to watch and guard west side of Palace, he was keeping eye on the outer edges very well when he saw that two ladies were walking in the west garden, it was just before the sun set.

He soon recognized both; he accompanied them to Palace from north border and he can"t forget the farmer girl whose name was Ying Jun.

She was innocent yet blamed, he saw with his own eyes.

He thought that after trying his best he was unable to forget the incident because he felt sympathy for her.

He never knew that he would see her again after reaching Palace, the daughter of General bought her from her family, she would be in same condition but to see her, he was astounded and his view toward the daughter of General took opposite turn now. It seemed that the daughter of General was generous; he saw she was talking with Ying Jun pleasantly without any hint of Status difference.

He felt happiness to see smile on her face, "but why I am feeling happy" he shook his head. She was under batter hands perhaps this was satisfaction, he thought to himself. He sidetracked his eyes toward outer pavilion just to stop his gaze over her, but he was still keeping his side glance over her.

Ying Jun walked toward flower vine and pluck a flower and came to Henan and gave to her but to him it was the most wonderful phenomena of nature when she walked toward flower vine and stayed to choose the best flower, though he was far away from her but he clearly felt her pleasure to touch the flower and moved her hand on different flowers and felt their soft texture and then thought to take this one or that one for brief moments.

After tumbling over her thoughts she decided to take the freshest one.

Then she moved but her open hair touched and kissed the flowers randomly.

He saw every tiny detail of her movement.

He remembered the girl who came running to tell the camp that village was being raided, how much courage she had collected to decide this turn.

He patted his head that he was over thinking the whole kit and caboodle.

.............

Henan decided to make a.s.sessment in the city.

She wore her black hunter dress and went out in the night.

She needed to be more careful because in this previous year she was not here in the Royal State and was heedless of the changes that took place here.

She saw some soldiers dragging a man from his house, why soldiers were dragging the man, but from their appearance they were soldiers of Palace, she was inept to grasp the situation.