Three days after general Peng leaves with men, the Duke comes out of the gate. He looks haggard and his beard have grown longer. His men all stands up with Luo ming and Er Yin in front. The imperial guards soon left after the eunuch comes with a token. They walk into the city while the Duke watch them. After that he turn around and look at his men.
"Let's go back to camp."
They all did not make noise but smile broadly. The Duke order the eunuch standing behind him to hand them each their name tags. While Er Yin look at him and wonder how did he talk to the emperor. The Duke understands what his assistant is thinking.
"Tell you later. Go take your tag."
In camp, everyone register with the registration who have return to camp and who is dead. Er Yin hand over the tags with the owners hair tie to it to the registration officials. They bow and receive it with care. She look at her own name tag and feel sad. Her brother and her only friend who died in the battle was never recognised and honour in public. Only her family have quietly pray to both all these years.
One of the night, Er Yin help to shave the beard for the Duke. He looks at the mirror feeling satisfy. Luo Ming who is watching ask for a shave too. Er Yin agree happily and chase the Duke off the chair. He look at Er Yin who is taking the same steps to shave Luo Ming begins to feel unhappy. He walk up and down and stare at Er Yin who is putting her body close to Luo Ming. He look for a towel and drape it around the upper body. Er Yin look up to the Duke.
"The towel is there so that you can wipe the cream off faster than you rise it repeatedly."
She did not argue and turn back to continue shaving. He watch her shave the chin closely. He touch his newly shave chin and smile. Luo Ming at that time sit up and look at the mirror he got happy.
"My handsome face is back!"
"Yes handsome indeed."
When Er Yin said that the Duke's smile drop. He stand up and walk to his table.
"Can someone go prepare my dinner. Getting hungry."
"I go! Er Yin you clean up your things here."
The duke watch Luo Ming bow and walk out of his tent. While his assistance is clearing up the mess. He pick up his book and ask for a hair wash after dinner. Er Yin look at him and sigh. She bow and agree. She walk out with her stuff and complaint under her breath. She walk to her tent and keep her bag. This new tent is only for Luo Ming and her. Since they both work on different time of the day, they are unlikely to sleep together in the tent. Their beds are bigger than the and more spacious. Besides that L uo Ming is a neat person. He did not like to throw his things everywhere and he seems to respect privacy so Er Yin did not worry so much unlike the previous tent she worry about the other soldiers seeing her private things.
After having dinner in peace, she walks over to the tent to find the Duke reading his book again with his legs swinging over the arms of the chair and his long hair undone. He look up to see his assistant holding a bag in her hands. He knows that inside is all her items for washing hair.
"Let's go to the lake. I want to wash my hair there."
Before Er Yin can protest, he walks off in his white inner shirt and his black pants and boots. She follow him behind with her dragging her feet. How is she going to wash his hair when everywhere is water is there a place for her to sit on? They reach the lake within a ten minutes walk. It is the same lake that she wanted to swim in long ago. The Duke remove his garments and boots. With his Zhong Ku, he step into the water and swim for awhile. He look at hi s assistant to find her looking at the plants. He smile and playfully spray some water in her direction. She did not scream but she doge each time he keep spraying with his two hands press together.
"Your highness!"
"Hahaha fine i will stop. Go sit there. I will swim over there when you are ready."
He point to a flat stone which sometimes the soldiers sit on. She hurry over and remove her boots. Rolling up her pants, she sit down on the dry stone. Her legs wiggle in the water. It feels so comfortable. The Duke swim up to her slowly and turn his back to her.
"You can start washing my hair anytime."
She look at her clothes, the way he wants to wash his hair, she will get herself wet and soapy. She takes out the items in her bag and lay a few towels on her lap. She knows that she will still get wet but she is hoping that she will not be very wet that she walks around in those soapy outfit. She start to comb his hair gently. The water is still and the place is quiet. It is strangely making him feel very relax. Later he smell lavender in the air as she starts to rub his hair scalp. He start to move back and lean onto the wall of the rocks. Er Yin is started to have his arm rested on her knees however she did not move.
"Continue."
He says it in a lazy tone while his eyes shut and his head back. Er Yin slowly scrub his scalp. They keep the silence between them and the air is only fill with lavender. Finally she decided to say something to kill the silence.
"What did the emperor say to you that day we arrive in the city?"
"He... what else. Punishment."
"WHAT?"
"Yeah but it's nothing. Grandmother come to save me after that."
"What kind of punishment?"
"Later i will tell you. Continue to wash my hair well."
Er Yin continue to wash his long hair and after a long time, she towel dry his hair after he comes up from the water. Sitting in front of her, she comb his long hair again.
"Who's comb does it belongs to"
"Mine..."
He smile with his eyes close but soon he frowns when he hears the next line.
"I share it with anyone who needs it. I swear that i wash the comb every time i use it! Won't pass any hair conditions to the next person."
"Next time go get my comb... and your comb should be use by you only."
"I share my comb with my siblings back home."
"That is different. They are your family. It's different."
"You are like family too. Extended... including the rest of the soldiers."
He frown and quickly get up. Er Yin who is trying to dry his hair find the Duke stand up. His Zhong Ku is rather transparent and she look down to see his feet instead. He turn around to see his assistant looking down.
"My feet that nice to look at?"
"I've never seen hairy toes before..."
He frown again and squad down to grab her feet. Er Yin panic and struggle to maintain her seating position but the Duke managed to pull one of her feet up. He look at it and say quietly.
"Your feet is alike mine. Long and slim. There is nothing different about us."
"There is! And let my feet go!"
She struggle and he maintain holding onto her feet. Finally he let it go and stand up.
"Go take a bath... i will be in my tent, reading my book. When you are done make me something to munch on."
She watch the tall figure walk off to get his white garments on the ground and walk away towards the camp. Tonite maybe she can swim for awhile in peace.