A month after Lunar New Year, Er Yin in her armour kneel down in front of the tablet of her ancestors and her brother. The room that only contains tablets and Meng Bao's sister tablet is allow to put in there. Er Yin put the joss sticks in the urn and pray earnestly to her ancestors and her brother. She also put a joss tick for her friend. She stands up and pick up her brother's name tag before she walks out. Her family members are all gloomy looking. Meng Bao who is standing there with a sad look slowly walks to her.
"Sister Yin ..."
"Meng Bao, i am leaving this family in your hands. Since you are older, please guide my siblings. I will write frequently. "
"Sister Yin it is too dangerous."
"No it is now a chance. Since i am not going to war but to go as a trainer for the new recruits.It will be safe. The camp only close during that month of Lunar New Year. I will be back. I promise."
"Your illness..."
"No i don't have. I am fine now. I...I am not going to war. I will be fine."
She walk out to her war horse and hop on it. She see her little sister tearing and sobbing. She smile and look at her parents.
"I promise if i am unwell i will see the physician in the training center. It's free there, you know!"
She laugh but her family members did not. Her father wipe his tears with the back of his hand.
"Back back home if anything is wrong. We will pay for the contract. Don't worry."
"No. There will not be any problem. Eldest brother will protect me. In his name, Xie Yi Jin, he will continue to protect and bless me. After all we are very close and grow up together. He loved and care for me this life.. Don't worry. Just like i use his name to go to war, he must have protect me all the time till i come home. This time will be the same. So don't worry."
"In this case, i will put a joss stick to Yi Jin everyday."
"Please do mother. I will be back for Lunar New Year. That is my promise as Xie Er Yin and i will bring the name Xie Yi Jin, home again."
Her family sob as they watch the horse ride away in a leisure speed. As the horse ride off, they watch her figure gets smaller and smaller. Further and further away.
She takes nearly two weeks to reach the capital. Wearing the armour, she met a few men on the way. They become close friends since they are all survivals of the last war. They all sleep together in little inns on the way to the capital. When they arrive at the capital with the armour and name tag that only the army have, they enter without much hassles. They are directed to the mansion of Duke Yan Sheng. The butler, show them in and walk with them along the long corridor. The cold wind blows as they walk in the mansion. She see a man in a distance practicing his sword in an open space. His long dark hair in a pony tail swings with every turn that he makes. His shirtless top is glaze with sweat beads despite the cold wind. His body is lean not particularly muscular. His arms and legs are long and lean. Strangely for an officer, he is not dark skin but rather pale. He stop only when his sword is pointing at the direction of the new officers standing at the corridor. They all bow to him. He retrench his sword and bow to them. His servant hurry to provide him a towel to wipe himself. He hand over his sword to his assistant who is standing at the side. He walk towards the corridor. His new officers are still bowing.
"Please raise. Come my men, follow me. Liao Ming, please get hot tea for all of us."
The butler bow and walk off. While the Duke signal the rest to follow him. They all enter a study room. He remove a shirt hanging on the folding screen and wear it. He tie it at the waist and sit at the chair he look at every face in the room. The Duke takes the contracts that were sign long ago.
"Please, introduce yourself. Each of you. Starting with you."
Er Yin look at the left side where the men are standing. From the count, she will be the last one.Finally her turn, she clear her throat.
"Xie Yi Jin! YangTze province! Age 25!"
The Duke nod his head. He tap his finger on the table as they introduce themselves. When Yin Jin speak, he stand up and walk up to them. His assistance ask them to stand in a line. The Duke look at each one. He speak slowly and softly.
"My name is Yan Sheng. I have two titles, Duke Yan and General Yan. I have my own army and as well as the military that serves the imperial family. For now, you will all be under my army. Since you all have survival the last war, you are given the chance to move up in rankings. My men are recruiting new soldiers from all over the country. I am not sure how many will be recruited but i am sure that there will be new blood. I am preparing for the future. We are living in a dangerous times. Now at present we have win a war but what will happen if another war comes, can we win it? Thus i send my men to look for all those who lived through the slaughtering and seen the blood that flows like a river. I will revised the styles we fight. There must be someway that we can have an upper hand when there is a war. There must be something that we can do to protect ourselves in the battle fields."
Suddenly he stop and he walk to Yi Jin, they are the same height thus they look at each other face to face. They are the tallest among the men in the room.
"You are the oldest among these men. Yet, you are the younger looking one. Can't you grow a beard?"
"Report to Duke Yan, I cannot grow a beard. The men in my family doesn't have any facial hair. "
"What does your family do?"
"Report to Duke Yan, we are farmers."
"Show me your hands."
She raise her hand to show her dirty hand. Nails are fill with soil and she have chew her nails when she is uneasy. He turn over the hand to see calluses. He notice her hands are long and strangely smooth. He narrow his small phoenix eyes and stare at her. She gets uncomfortable with all the men staring at her. He suddenly raise his hand and touch her chest. Everyone in the room is shock. Er Yin nearly slap him but she maintain her position. She have thick wrap on her chest.
"Why are you having so thick cloth wrap inside?"
"Report to Duke Yan, the last war i was stabbed and took a long time to recover. Now i am on the recovery and need to change my wrap once awhile."
"Report to Duke Yan, we stayed in the inn together, we all saw the wrap. He is in pain but he is holding it. We all saw the medicine bottle."
The Duke clear his throat and walk away. The warm tea comes in just in time and the Duke ask everyone to drink up the tea. He look at Yi Jin as he drink the tea. Yi Jin is tall and dark just like what he remember long ago. The man who drag him out of hell is now standing in the same room as him. He will repay the favour that this young man have given him but there is something off about the man who saved him. What is it? He ask himself in his mind as he stare at Xie Yi Jin as he drink his tea.