Er Yin is busy helping the repair work in the day time. At night, she stands guard at the tower. Watching and hoping that there is no surprise attack. The eagles cry in a distance is loud. Sometime she hears the wolf howl. She begin to miss home. She wonder how is everyone. She try not to allow her mind to drift away and stay alert but it is not possible.
The Duke walks around inspecting the gates while waiting for the metal smith to break down the metal joins. His long hair is tied loosely at near the ends. While he keep using his hands to comb back his fringe. He walk over to the jail cell. Luo Ming is having an argument with the inmates. The Duke take him away leaving others to be in-charge.
Four days later, the metal smiths are able to melt down the gate's metals. The additional wood that was hammered in are remove. Finally the gate is open and the civilians rejoice. The next day in the late afternoon, the civilians packed up and move out of the fortress. They follow the imperial guards who are escorting the imperial metal smith workers back into the capital. Every civilians bow to Duke Yan before leaving. Duke Yan watch the whole group walk with the imperial guards surrounding them as they walk slowly back to the city. After awhile, he asked the guards to close the gate. Now the fortress are only left with two hundred soldiers and four monks. Besides them are four poultry in the stables with their war horses. .
The Duke gather his men at the center square. He walk up and down thinking what to say. He finally stop walking and ask them to follow up with the repair works on the gates. After dismissing them, he walk towards the jail cell. He see Er Yin engaging a conversation with Mongke Khan. He did not feel happy as he see the two of them are talking as if they know each other for a long time. He walk up and Mongke Khan look at the Duke.
"That commander, your husband?"
She turn around to see Duke Yan looking at her with an unhappy look on his face.
She got up and stand beside him.
"Duke Yan..."
"A Duke ... it's an honour to spar with you that day. However, it is unfair fight. We should do it again."
"I am not a young man anymore. I don't have the energy."
"Still you managed to throw me over your shoulder. Not many can do that. My own men finds it hard to do so. Even the fittest and strongest is not able to win a match with me."
"You sure talk big ... "
"My name is Mongker Khan. The fifth son of the Khan empire."
"A Prince ... no wonder... All prince have this ego ..."
"What about those who are royal blood? Don't they have an ego?"
"For what i see, we are a humble group of men. Who stands with the believe of god."
"God is nature and we Khan live with nature."
"Your believe in nature is cruel."
"I don't think so DUKE. We respect ..."
Er Yin watch the two men suddenly have a hot topic of god and nature. She slowly move her feet back and walk away quietly. Leaving them to have a heated argument of believes. She walk out into the sunny walk way. It is a good day but the streets are quiet. There is not a soul around not mentioning ghost. It's so quiet that she can hear her soldiers talking in the nest alley. The fortress is only them and no one. Not even dogs not cats are running around.
That night, it rain. Under the cold shivering weather, she watch the night goes by at the tower. Below her, the soldiers and the apprentices of the metal smiths are working on repairing and making adjustments on the gate. She hear them talk while she watch over the dark night. The wolves are hounding n a distance. While the horses are neighing in the stables loudly. It is noisy but she is enjoying the sound.
Three days later, an eunuch came with a message from the emperor. Everyone is gather at the square. They watch and hear.
"Our Emperor Wang Ju have made the decision that General Peng and Marquis Xiao Jiang Jun will be arriving at the fortress within three days to replace General An and Duke Yan. Thus please make preparation to leave and handover the prisoners. Addition, as Prince MongKer Khan who is one of the captive is to be escorted back into the capital. "
There is silence after he said that line. The eunuch look at Duke Yan. He bow and said softy.
"Duke Yan, the dowager also request that you should go immediately to see her when arrive into the capital."
"Is there something wrong with her?"
"She haven't been in the best health lately. Thus it will be good if you see her. She always gets better when she see you. However, please mind what you say to her. She is after all, older and not in the best health."
He look at Er Yin.
"Guan shao, Xiao Er Yin, the emperor wishes to see you thus please prepare yourself."
Er Yin bow and the eunuch is satisfy. He walk to his carriage while talking to the Duke softy. They bow to each other and the Duke watch the carriage move away slowly. He turn around and look at Er Yin. Her long pony tail is flying in the air. Suddenly in his eyes, he see the same young girl that he had mistaken as a boy long ago. He smile as he walks near to her.
"Come let's take a short walk."
Together they walk to the east gate towards the bamboo forest. They walk in silence. The air around the bamboo forest is light and breezy. There is a sweet sense in the air. As they walk, he turn around to look at her occasionally.
"We haven't have this kind of quietness in our life."
"Yes... we haven't..."
"We had been fighting to protect this nation. We haven't have the time to look around."
She nod her head as she listen to the birds calling.
"After this, Er Yin, will you still stay with me?"
She stop walking and after a few steps, he turn around to look at her.
"I ... I am not young anymore...'
"Well... i am thinking of the same thing. Maybe we can take a leave and go travelling together to see the world."
She look at him sadly without a word. He walk back to her and reach out for her hands.
"I never tell you this but i like you. It takes me a long time to say this but i like you. I ..."
"Duke, i... we... are not a couple and we have married different people. We... cannot go against the social decorum..."
"Do you like me, Yin'er?"
"It doesn't matter if i like you or not..."
"It matters to me. I don't care what others might think or say. I live by my rules. If i need to leave my titles, my society, my ... "
"Please!"
Er Yin kneel down with her hands place together and one of her knees bend over. She look at the ground with her head lower.
"You are the Duke, a member of the royal family. You shouldn't say things that are not proper!"
At That moment the wind blows strongly and their caps begin to lift up. A sense of sadness sweep over them. She have reminded him the reality that they are in now. Married to different people, having different social status, they are never a match from the start. They continue to stay in the same position. He whisper softy.
"Er Yin ... if we are not a different social status, will you ever look at me?"
He reach out and lift her up. She look at him as she stand up and realised that they have aged after many years. His face is now very tan and winkles have appear. His eyes are even smaller but his handsome features are never those that show on his face. It is his attitude and his kindness. His sincere and shy smile makes him even more attractive.
"In many ways, we grow old together, my Duke. That is enough for me to stand beside you. I hope in many years to come, i will stand beside you as my master in this life."
"Er Yin, even i married another. My heart and my mind says that my soul have followed a brave woman who love her country. She is willing to march with me to death and walk back together to life. That is what i want from this life... with you. It doesn't matter what social status we are standing in this hierarchy ranking. Even i don't marry you, does it matter? As long as i know i stand a corner in your heart. I am happy."