Chapter 5: The Decision of Yan Sanqi

    Yan Sanqi dressed in casual attire, his light armor looking formidable and intimidating. His face was sharp and powerful, as strong as the rest of his body. He arrived with the first rays of the sun, and with just a few firm steps, he stood with his arms crossed in front of the goat pen.

    "Hua’er, you should not speak with the Li Region's spy. It's too risky of exposing secrets."

    He nodded slightly as a command, and the soldiers immediately unbound Monnapha from the tree. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her weak body collapsed, unable to stand, and she fell to the ground. The soldiers, fully armed, quickly covered her head with a cloth sack and dragged Monnapha away in another direction. However, the princess called out just in time.

    "Where are they taking her... um, him, Second Brother?"

    "To the underground prison for interrogation. The spy we caught the other day bit his tongue and died. There's now a spot open for him on the confession stand. You need not worry about it," Yan Sanqi brought out the keys and unlocked the cage door, giving the princess her freedom. She rushed toward Monnapha but couldn't escape her brother's grasp.

    "Where are you going? I've summoned the doctor to check on your delusions. Let's go now." He grabbed the young girl by her collar and lifted her, walked away just like that.

    "He is not a spy from the Li Region. You are mistaken."

    "And what do you think he is? Claiming that the broken-waist boy there is my wife. Come on, let's go to the doctor," Yan Sanqi was utterly disinterested in his sister's words. The princess internally screamed. If she didn't act, Xiao Zhen would surely end up being beaten, got her nails yanked off, tortured to death.

    The young girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted with all her might, "My dear brother..."

    Everyone paused.

    "Why do you call me?" Yan Sanqi raised his eyebrows.

    "I didn't call you, Second Brother. I was calling him, Brother Xiao Zhen," the princess feigned ignorance and continued, "Brother Xiao Zhen... he used to take care of me when I was little."

    The excuse did not hold up at all. Yan Sanqi squinted, looked at Monnapha from the corner of his eye. Since he was born, and raising this little sibling, she had never once called any brother with the term of ‘dear brother’. Yan Sanqi, who had been nurturing his seven-year-old sister more than anyone, immediately scrunched his nose in annoyance. Dear brother, really?

    "Hua’er, Second Brother is jealous. You calling him 'dear brother' means he must be very important to you."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "How important?"

    "I... um... I would like him to be my sister-in-law."

    "But he is a man," Yan Sanqi raised his eyebrows, flicking his sister's forehead sharply. "Look closely, I do not indulge in such tastes."

    "Wouldn't you want to try it for once?"

    "Absolutely not." While the princess argued with her brother, Monnapha was still being held by the soldiers waiting for orders. Suddenly, someone pulled off the sack over her head.

    Blinded by the sudden influx of light, Monnapha couldn't open her eyes and had to duck her head down, squinting for a moment before she could see her surroundings clearly again. When Monnapha looked up, she saw him again. Though he was dressed plainly, perhaps because he stood amidst the strong sunlight or for some other reason, Monnapha felt he shimmered more than anyone else. His piercing, powerful black eyes seemed to see through everything. From his perspective, it was both terrifying and hilarious that suddenly, this strangely dressed, awkward boy was declared his wife. If he didn't kill him, it was already a miracle.

    His gaze shimmered with an intensity hotter than fire. Every pair of eyes was on Monnapha.

    Yan Sanqi detected a curious scent wafting around Monnapha. Something about this young man piqued his interest, prompting him to scrutinize this slender young man for answers. There was nothing particularly remarkable about him; he appeared unkempt and scrawny, wearing the most bizarrely tailored clothes he had ever encountered. The colors were glaringly pink against his delicate white skin, and the fabric was light and flowing, resembling women's attire more than anything else.

    "What is your name?"

    "Monn... uh... Zhen. My name is Xiao Zhen," Monnapha answered without much thought.

    "And who are you, where are you from?"

    The princess quickly interjected, "She... uh, he comes from a very, very distant place."

    "Distant? How distant?" Yan Sanqi counted to ten internally to calm his anger. "Is this brother of yours better than me?"

    "He's a vet... er... um…" The princess remembered something Monnapha had said but struggled with the unfamiliar terminology. She glanced at Monnapha, prompting her to continue.

    "A veterinarian, meaning an animal doctor, sir, uh, Your Highness."

    "Right, a veterinarian. Isn't Second Brother's horse currently ill with an epidemic? I'm confident that Brother Xiao Zhen can treat your horse."

    "I... I'm not yet a doctor; I'm still studying."

    "You never know unless you try," the princess glanced at him, signaling him not to be too naive!

    "That's interesting, but I have enough trusted people to care for my horses, and I'm not so desperate for women that I need to employ men," Yan Sanqi pulled out his gleaming sword, running it across his palm. He knew his sister was fiercely protecting this frail young man, which was quite surprising given her usually cold demeanor. Xiao Zhen seemed carefree, or to put it plainly, he seemed like someone who didn't worry much, but to be more accurate, he seemed like someone who did not even know how to think. Yan Sanqi observed him indifferently.

    "Send him to the front lines."

    "Second Brother, please reconsider, don't use a good iron for a nail, don't use a good person as a mere soldier."

    "A good person? Why are you so quickly convinced of that?"

    "He's important... to me... and to you," the princess hinted desperately. Meanwhile, the sharp sword in the young man's hand now rested against the prisoner's thin neck. Monnapha's face showed panic, unlike the young princess who controlled her emotions much better, her demeanor cool and composed. "Do I seem delusional to you, Your Highness?"

    "Yes, you're delusional, Hua’er. Seriously now, what's wrong with you?" Yan Sanqi tapped his sister's skull, concern etched on his face. Perhaps the brutalities of war had affected the young princess. "Hua’er, Second Brother warned you not to come. You didn't listen, and now it seems I'll have to make you ill. Sigh, Father will choke me to death."

    "Second Brother, please believe me this once. I'm not ill; I'm perfectly sane. At least, um... at least let him follow you for now."

    "Follow me?" Yan Sanqi bent down to meet his little sister's eye level, resting the sword casually on his shoulder. "This dear brother of yours must be quite skilled."

    "Exactly, Second Brother, people aren't animals that need good lineage to be considered good. You haven't even seen Brother Xiao Zhen's skills, and Second Brother already dislike him, this is too much," the princess looked at Monnapha. "I think you will like him. Trust me, Second Brother. I've seen it; he's the person you've been looking for."

    "I refuse. Even my toilet cleaner is more useful than your 'dear brother'," he scoffed as if he had just heard a joke. The young man shifted his piercing gaze to scrutinize Xiao Zhen again, the friendly smile disappearing. "Ivory does not sprout from a dog's mouth, but since my sister insists, I will give you a chance to prove her words. By sunset, you must tell me why I should spare your life."

    "Second Brother..."

    "Quiet. I'm speaking to him," Yan Sanqi was a caring elder brother to his sister, but he couldn't indulge her in this matter. "What can you do, exactly?"

    "Uh..." Monnapha fidgeted uncertainly.

    "Stand straight and look at me when I'm asking you!" The shout from the towering figure made her jump and immediately stand at attention, followed the order.

    "Sir..."

    "Your Highness," the princess corrected.

    "Your...Highness... uh..."

    "Speak clearly and stop beating around the bush, it's irritating," he then thumped his fist lightly on her stomach, not too hard but enough to make her innards scream. Monnapha choked, eyes bulging, nearly collapsing, but she knew if she fell, this man would stomp on her without hesitation. She still stood, even though she visibly struggled.

    "What's your answer!"

    Monnapha flinched and looked around the town, which had turned into a fortress against external enemies. There was no electricity, no plumbing, no internet, nothing but ancient structures and horrifying war. She remembered survival skills from her Girl Scout days. What could she do?

    As he awaited an answer, the general's sword lifted slightly.

    "Your Highness, I can't do anything!"

    Monnapha shouted loudly and clearly, tears streaming down her face. Everyone around fell silent, then a mocking voice floated on the wind calling her a sack of hay[1]. Monnapha clenched her eyes tight, her heart pounding. From childhood to adulthood, she never appreciated Girl Scout skills. The most she remembered was rolling a scout scarf into a roll and using it to smack each other playfully. When it came to lighting a fire, navigating with a compass in a forest, or tying knots, ah, she was clueless. During university days, she mostly stayed in her air-conditioned dorm, tapping on her phone, playing farming games, or watching celebrity. Just being able to make a trip from her dorm to the 7-Eleven at the entrance of the street and back without being lost was enough to thank the heavens.

    "Come on! Answer already what can you do," the princess helped as much as she could. "Working in the kitchen could be good, or maybe staying at the health facility. You can treat horses, right?"

    "I… am just a student," Monnapha sobbed, tears falling freely. "I can't do anything; I even need friends to pick me up for class because I always get lost. Sob…"

    "What a mess," Yan Sanqi crossed his arms. "Take the princess away, then summon every doctor in the town to check her head; it must have been affected."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "Second Brother, listen to me first. Don't kill him."

    The princess was led away in one direction, leaving Monnapha alone to fend for herself. She breathed cautiously, daring not to make any sudden movements as if facing a dire monster.

    "Look up like a man!"

    I am a woman... Monnapha gathered her courage, her eyes slowly meeting his. Her delicate face was full of pleading, but his sharp, tense face grabbed the young man's collar and dragged him to a side where they kept old or injured horses no longer fit for work. He thrust a wooden bucket into her hands and then kicked Monnapha into the stable before slamming the door shut with a loud crash.

    "Two dying horses are here. If they survive, you survive. If they die, you die."

    His face showed complete annoyance, seeing Monnapha as just another pretty-faced, useless young man, fragile as a nobleman raised on his mother's lap. Anything slight would make him pale and tremble. "Find your worth before I run out of patience. And... if I find out you've tricked my sister again, I'll chop you into pieces."

    As he stomped away, Monnapha's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, realizing she had been holding her breath until she turned pale. Does he expect everyone else to be as tough and resilient as him? I am a woman!

[1] It means a fool.