Within two weeks, the skirmishes between the two armies happened and their army lost three times.   On the fourth skirmish, the enemy army came marching to their gates, just like Linqin predicted.

While most of the armies fought at their gates, the two units had those past two weeks to get onto enemy territory and make their way to the enemy’s base camp.  It took two days after the enemy army marched to their gates that the units reached the enemy’s base.

After that, victory was theirs after half a day.  They were able to kill the enemy’s General and capture the foreign Prince, the remaining enemy soldiers surrendered.  

The whole army base was celebrating as General Shen drank wine with his aides.  After the next steps were planned, General Shen would ride back to the city with the captured Prince to be held captive until his King Father paid for his release and with a peace treaty agreement.  

“Linqin, we will be riding to the capital city soon.”  General Shen told her. “I will place you within my household and you can live a peaceful life with my family.”  

Linqin quickly knelt down and kowtowed.  

“Please General, this servant has a request.”  Linqin pleaded.

“What is it child, quickly stand up.  Just tell me what is on your mind and I’ll do my best to help you.  No need to kowtow to me. I have always treated you like my daughter.”  

General Shen helped Linqin to stand up first before she spoke.  

“This servant has a request that only General Shen can give.”  

“What is it?  If it is within my powers I can do it.”  

“I wish to be free from my slave contract.”  Linqin asked. “My mother and sister is somewhere out there.  I need to be free to earn money to buy their slave contract and set them free.  Please let this servant go. That is my only request.”

“Linqin…”  General Shen said as he sighed heavily.  “What will you do to earn money?”

“Will you really let this servant go?”  Linqin asked with a hopeful look.

“You have done so much for me and for this country.  And the Emperor will never know about it. Of course I will grant your wish and let you be free from your slave contract.”  General Shen said as he went to his work table and took out her slave contract and gave it to her.

He had hope to take her back home, give her a place to stay and raise her as his daughter for the rest of his life.  Even though she would not be his daughter-in-law, he was willing to adopt her and raise her like a daughter.

General Shen wrote down his address and gave it to her.  

“Should you need my help one day, come to my home in the capital and we will welcome you anytime.”  He told her. He then reached into his wooden chest, behind his work table and took out two bags filled with gold coins and handed it to her.  “For your journey. And take one of the enemy horses. Do not trust others so easily, for you may be tricked. Do not travel at night, for robbers may target you.  Do not reveal your riches, for your pockets may be picked. Do not skip your meals and do take care of yourself.”

Linqin nodded her head and went to bed, knowing that it will be some time before she would be able to see General Shen again.  Before the sun could rise, Linqin got ready to leave. She took with her the gold that was given to her, an extra dress, and the zither that she had grown to love.  Before she left the tent, she kowtowed towards General Shen in respect.

The horse was saddled and ready for her by the time she reached the makeshift stable they made.  Linqin got on the horse and road out of the army camp without looking back.

2 years later, word of a mysterious Master Zither player spread throughout the land.  It is said that the Zither Master came and go at her whim and there was no one who could make her stay at one city for too long.  The list of admirers could reach from coast to coast as she showed up without a word and began playing her zither.

Her music called at the listener’s soul and brought them to different places.  Word had gotten out that the zither store that was recently built in the capital, belonged to the mysterious Zither Master.  And the Zither Master would be placing her roots in the capital.

The excitement for her performance made ladies send their servant to go wait at the front of the zither store for the first glance of the Zither Master and invite her to play at their banquets.  

When the zither store opened, there were no signs of the Zither Master, only finely made zithers that the Master made with her own hands from materials she collected all over the country.  

Each zither cost just as much as a noble’s courtyard, and each zither had a serial number on it.  The clerks told the maids that the Zither Master will only make 50 zithers from the best materials.  In the store, there was 20, to be sold that very day, the rest of the 30 zithers would be made to order, per the customer’s taste.  

Within two hours, all 20 zithers were sold, with the first 30 stacks of paper of the customer’s name and address.

Raine sat behind a silk screen and watched as the chests of gold came through her courtyard and into her receiving room.   Once she was all alone with all 200 chests full of gold, Raine stands up and touches each chest and deposits them into her Space Ring.  

She had long sent Scam to monitor Li Na’s sister and mother.  Although their lives were not as bad as Li Na’s, they still were considered slaves and treated as such.  

The new home she bought was right next to General Shen’s estate, although a bit smaller, it was more than enough for three people.  Raine had her new home relandscaped into a more feminine aesthetic, with several flower gardens, cherry and peach blossom trees, a man made pond, filled with koi fish and a pavillion in the middle of the pond with a zig zag bridge connecting the pavillion to land.  

There were three different houses, two in the front, one for her mother and one for her sister, while her home was towards the back, where there was hardly any noise from the street.

She had one of her servants, Kei, disguised as a merchant and had several dealings with the two families who had the slave contracts for her sister and mother for the past year.  Kei complained about not having loyal servants to the head of the household and they offered him his choice of any of their servants. With his choice to choose at hand, he chose Li Na’s sister, Li Mei from one household and Li Na’s mother, Yan Mi from another household.  

When Yan Mi and Li Mei saw each other for the first time in three years, they cried happy tears, however they did not hug each other.  They were now property of their new master and followed him without a word. Giving thanks to their blessings and hoping their new master was nice.  

Upon seeing the new master’s home, they were surprised at the beauty of the home, they followed their new master through the beautiful landscaped gardens and passed the pond to the courtyard in the back where blossoms fell down from its tree like rain and covered the ground like snow.  

Kei opens the door and waits to the side while Li Mei and Yan Mi look at each other in doubt.  

“Go in.”  Kei tells them.  “I am not your Master, I only bought you for my Master.  My Master is inside.”