The next day eunuch Kang comes with the jail cell to announce that the command of the emperor.
"The emperor have announce that the female prisoners will be heading to black leopard camp to rebuild the camp. The completion must be done within three months. After the completion, all fourteen ladies will be under one brigade. The name will be announce after rebuilding is completed. "
He walk to the head of the imperial jail cell.
"You need to taken down their real names, ages and which province they are from. Also who have they replace with. How is the person related to the prisoner. Is the person dead or alive. Hand over to me when you are done. Understand?!"
The head of jail cell take the document from the eunuch and bow. He send the eunuch off and walk back in to organise the work needed. They still treat the female soldiers with respect. Thus they are never rough with them. The officers enter each cell and take down all the information needed. They too arrange for the family members to meet up in the cell. One family at a time. The meeting takes up the whole day but to the jailers, this is all they can do.
Er Yin watch from behind her cell, her father and Meng Bao walk in. She is tearing to see them.
"My daughter, you have suffer."
"No. I have a good time here. See they give me three meals a day. There is rice, meat and vegetables! They feed me well. I have to exercise to maintain my body!"
"Sister... i am sorry i am not of ..."
"No, I need you to take care of the family back home. My brother and sister are still young and naive. They haven't seen the world and can't read nor write."
"Don't worry. I will take care of everyone. Brother-in-law is studying how to read and write after he finish with his work. While Si Bao is still the same. She is very health as is mother."
"Father..."
She only can see that her father is crying and she cannot do anything. He touch her fingers that is holding on the wooden bar. She release her hands and reach out the cell to hold his hand.
"Don't worry. The emperor is not allowing any more deaths. I have told him the reasoning. You have hear those words i said, am i correct?"
Her father nod his head and cry.
"So he is a good emperor. Just that i still need to serve a jail time. This is to return his pride as the girls and i have deceived him. He won't kill us. There is another job to do after this jail sentence. He still need us, father."
"Sister, if you continue to work as a solider, who will you marry?"
"I won't marry. I have my family! That is all i need in this life."
"This cannot!"
"Father... this is my fate. I have accept it. I will be strong and get stronger for everyone. I will not die because i know my family is waiting for me. You must accept my fate that is given to me. For i have accept mine."
Her father wipe his tears while her brother-in-law hold on to his father-in-law's arms and nod his head with tears in his eyes.
"The next time i go home, i can be myself. If there is no man accepting a wife from the military, so be it. The daughter of the Xie will never fall or fail as a person."
Two weeks later, the female soldiers are taken to the black leopard camp. It's a barren land. They are told to dig up all the rocks and flatten the ground. With just the fourteen of them it is proven that it is a slow progress. Thus the court have send in some more criminals to assist in the work. However those men are useless and always complaining and pretending to be sick. Er Yin and her female colleagues work hard under the scorching sun. It reminds her when the harvest is over, they have to prepare the land for the next crops to be growing on it. Thus she make herself believe it and work hard for her family. The female soldiers who work hard are rewarded with a hearty meals. Alcohol is included but they did not drink much as they discipline themselves. The criminals complain that they did not get what those female criminals are getting. They cause a chaos on the other side of the field and was beaten. Er Yin and the girls saw that but they did not interfere because there must be discipline and respect for the law to be at work. They sit quietly and enjoy what is given to them. The guards did not bother the female soldiers and are lax with them. Each of them knows that those women who are here are as tough as any man. They can bring down and kill any man. Thus they are respectful to them.
"Why are they not chain up like us!"
"Yeah this is not fair!"
"How can we work in this conditions!"
These criminals are yelling at the top of their voice and the guards stare down at them. They refused to pick up the shovels and shake their chains. Er Yin who is working from a distance is hearing those criminals yelling at the top of their voice. She shake her head as she work. Then she hear them cry.
At night, the girls sleep under the tree in three tents. While the criminals are outside sleeping on the other side without a tent. That night the guards who is saying up to keep watching goes off to take a dump. The criminals wake up and try to break free the chains with huge rocks. Er Yin sitting in her tent with her colleagues are hearing what they are doing outside. They hear the knocking. They hear the curses from them. They hear the grass sound. Without moving they stay alert. The four in the first tent that is nearest to the tree gets ready. They look at each other and put up a hand signs. Just then the flap of the tent is push up and the men comes in. The girls attack in silence from the bottom. The other fight from the top. Er Yin kick with her might and one of the criminals goes flying out. The other two tent soon collapse and most criminals are kick and lock down. The guards who are sleeping on the bench in a distance were struggle by the criminals. Er Yin hurry towards them and assist by pulling the two burry man off. They are thrown off and she hurry to hold one of them down. She doge but he hold her down with the chains that are holding his wrist. She call for assistance while struggling to breath. More of her colleagues rush to her. They use the spear of the soldiers to fight him off and finally hold down the burry man. The rest of the criminals are put together and tied tightly at their own feet with one and other.
"Let me go you woman!"
"Wait for the sun to come up and go back to where you belong."
"Ptui!!! You are just as bad as we are! Criminals!"
"We are never bad as you!"
"Hey let us go and we can go together! Criminals must stay together since you are strong like us..."
"Listen you puny man! We are not any criminals but soldiers of this great nation!"
"Soliders.... hahahahahaha"
They all laugh and the two guards walking back leisurely realise something is wrong come running. They see their colleagues are attended by some of the female soldiers. Er Yin told them what had happen. They both bow and feel embarrassed that this had happen. The female soldiers ensure them that it is the duty of them to assist in this case. The criminals who are quiet at this point. Look and hear with disbelieve.
"You know in this case. No man will want to marry you all!"
"Is that a problem? I think it is better you concern about yourself. If any woman want to marry you with a bad character you have."
The next day the head of the guards came and give the criminals five lashing per man. He cannot injured them as they are still needed to do the work. While he thank the female soldiers for assistance. In the next three months, the camp is dig out and ready to move in. The criminals are move back into the jail cells. While the female soldiers are already living in the camp. They are self discipline and practise their sword fight by themselves and prepare for the next to come. Most of the evening as the sun goes down, they will all sit on their own space and watch the sun. Some close their eyes in lotus siting position while others will look far away and hear the sound of nature. For Er Yin, she close her eyes and put her hands in prayer position. She is praying for a better days ahead for everyone she knows and for peace herself.