"Though top secrets were never leaked to anyone but I have heard that your father met with serious circ.u.mstances and currently is missing, no one knows exactly what happened to him and if you wanted to know where is he, you should prepare yourself well before rescuing him," "How can I prepare myself and what kind of preparation?" she asked stopping him."If I wanted to reach my master I needed master level practice so that I could rescue him," "that means I have to prepare to reach Master Level Archery in order to rescue my father?" he appreciated her again and said, "You are quite intelligent and if you really come high level Archery, your father will be proud of you as well."
She was soft and innocent, what he wanted to give her "direction" she would find ways to live as well. If she could not save her father she would be prepared to accept the fact by then.
He don"t want her waste her meaningful years in this situation, he wanted her to learn through thick and thin.
He himself wanted to know the real circ.u.mstances, it was clear that King was hiding something grave but he don"t know what was it?
Her lively robustness came back when she heard that she could help her father in this way. She came to her ring with new vehemence.
Three years later she was intermediate level Archer Master.
She was nine years old now, her practice was going well but she needed field practice which would improve and strengthen her also she would face world first in this way.
But it would be difficult for her to walk in the streets.
She prepared her special black robe and leather with iron rods; she made extra leather strips to hang Reflex Bow in front of her.
She learned martial arts from Wan Hu Shang, instead of walking in streets; she climbed on roofs to keep hidden herself from strangers.
It was peaceful night, she was jumping up and down in the city, and she reached market area, where all of shops were closed.
She was about to leave and jump next roof when she saw, four men were looking around and approached a close shop; it was big jeweler shop by the sign she read.
Four men were hiding their faces with handkerchiefs and were ready to commit robbery.
She thought she should wait, she could not predict their intentions by single glance.
They broke the iron door locks and two men stayed out to keep eye while two went in, now it was clear, city defense was nowhere.
She prepared and shot up arrow on the right shoulder of one man, as it hit the shoulder, he cried with blood curdling scream.
Two men were inside ran out with jewelry in their hands and big pouch, she shot up two arrows within this moment consecutively, they fell with thud one ran with fear, she let him ran in fact.
She stayed there if fourth one wanted to bring more people, they would face the same fate, they were ordinary thieves so they did not tried to move with one arrow afraid that the arrow shooter would be on guard, they were right indeed.
Just before the dawn she came from Palace back door which was not in use for many years and it was deserted too…
In the morning when first shop owner of the market came he was stunned to see the sight, after few minutes all shop owners were gathered there.
The owner of shop called inner defense soon. It came that no single ring was stolen of this shop while these robbers were injured by arrows, it seemed that the person injured them had not the intention to rob the shop.
Inner defense was point blank on this matter, it was not the member of security who injured them. After a day of talk many shut their mouths and many forgot the incident, after all it was small matter. It became her routine to survey the city in the night and practice in the ring in the day.
Only three hours sleep in the evening, she used to go when her caretaker went to sleep while came back before dawn.
Next night she went out as usual and peeping into dark to see the surrounding clearly.
She saw a family was about to cross the river and were constantly looking behind them.
They were seven in number, she was curious what made them fear and cross river in such dark night, she looked around, they have nothing to cross the river so they were standing on the bank of river.
Few men rushed toward them and forcefully brought them back from river bank.
She followed them from the roof tops.
They entered in a house, they stood in the courtyard and started argue with the old man of family. Pushed a girl on his back like hiding her from them, the man who was arguing put sharp cut on the chest of old man, she shoot her arrow and that man fell, she shooted three more and his three fellows also fell.
Old man saw up above and saw veiled shadow in the dim light of moon and bowed. She stayed there for a while, the family drag those men out of their courtyard.
..............................
After a month she was used to this routine she started her high Level Archery lessons too. In this she learned to shot two or three arrows at ones but she needed to change or modify her Reflex Bow, presently it could shot one at time.
She talked to Wan Hu about this.
He said he would accompany her to the shop where she bought this Reflex Bow, now they were good friends too.
Next day many chariots followed them to the market, it was evident that Prince was traveling through extravagant chariot; chariot itself was King"s ride.
They loomed the shop, she requested shop owner as she wanted to modify her bow he understood, and after all it was his creation.
He gladly promised to give back subsequently a week when he would be done with the alteration, would deliver to Palace personally…
Preparations and the Event of Queen"s Birthday
Though it was not tradition but because King loves his wife so much so he decided to celebrate her birthday like royal event, as it was grand event many respected members of royal city were invited.
Preparations started before one week.
Queen not only took interest to order a beautiful silk gown for herself but also for Henan. In this coming spring she would be ten years old, she was happy to see her lively again.
Henan was always busy in learning many things, she started to take interest in small pleasures too, her reticent nature was still there and always she would say something which Queen would praise. Henan felt grat.i.tude in the way Queen pay attention to her like mother.
Queen insisted and she selected deep blue silk gown with white decorated lace strips.
King prepared for the special prediction ritual.
In this ritual King would predict next year happenings in her life through Oracle Bone Prediction.