Honour | WINWIN

Prologue

It was anything but a peaceful day.

Outside the palace, warriors fought against the invaders, breathing their last breaths before falling to the ground. The Jade Kingdom was under attack.

Inside the palace, the Emperor of the Jade Kingdom stood in front of his most trusted warrior, General Zhang and his pregnant wife beside him. The Emperor's son, the prince who was so young, he could barely walk, was in the Empress's hands.

"General Zhang." The Emperor said. The General bowed down, a sign of respect to his ruler.

"Yes, your majesty." The General said.

The Emperor nodded to his wife and the Empress stepped forward, giving her son General Zhang's wife.

"Take my son far away, past the edges of the Jade Kingdom, to our neighbours that are much stronger, the Amber Kingdom." The Emperor instructed. "Tell their Emperor what has happened here and begin a new life there."

"Please take care of him." The Empress whispered to General Zhang's wife, giving her son a small kiss on the forehead before stepping back. "His name is Dong Sicheng."

"Of course." General Zhang replied, glancing at the small boy now in his wife's arms.

"I have assigned some of our strongest warriors to join you, but ultimately you will take the lead." The Emperor said, just as a loud bang sounded from outside.

The Emperor exchanged looks with his wife and signal his servants. The servants brought over the General's armour and weapons, quickly equipping him with them. The General quickly noticed a weapon being given to him that he had never seen before.

It was a golden sword in a red and gold silk sheath, a golden dragon engraved onto it. A round piece of jade was located on the sword's handle. When General Zhang took a closer look, he also saw more words engraved into it.

Dong Sicheng. It was for the prince.

"You should get going." The Emperor said, adjusting his golden robes.

General Zhang nodded, giving the Emperor and Empress a bow before turning away. As he began to walk away with his wife, the Emperor called out his name one more time.

"General Zhang."

"Yes, your majesty?" General Zhang said, motioning for his wife to continue while he waited for the Emperor to finish.

"Do not forget to teach the children Chi." The Emperor reminded. General Zhang gave him a small smirk.

"I would never. That is our strongest weapon." General Zhang said.

The Emperor smiled back before taking a deep breath, turning back to the remaining guards while General Zhang made his way out of the palace, through a secret path.

As General Zhang got onto his horse, his pregnant wife in one of the carriages housing the children and wives of the warriors joining him, he gave the palace one more glance before leaving, forever.

...

"General Zhang, your wife is going into labour."

Curse this day.

General Zhang looked up at the sky, seeing that there was still a few hours of the day left. He motioned to one of the soldiers.

"Commander Li, lead the others to set up camp for the night." General Zhang instructed.

"Here?" Commander Li asked, glancing to the warrior that had informed General Zhang of his wife's condition, Commander Qian.

"Yes, here." General said, hopping off his horse and passing the reigns to Commander Wong as he walked by, heading straight towards the carriage where his wife's screams could be heard.

As he opened the door, General Zhang saw his wife splayed out, Commander Qian's wife by her side. The other ladies quickly exited with their children.

"Come, hold your wife's hand." Commander Qian's wife directed. General Zhang nodded, quickly taking his wife's side.

"It will hurt a lot, but it will be over soon." Qian's wife warned the couple.

And she was right.

General Zhang held his wife's hand the entire time as she gave birth to their first child, and soon, the baby's cries were heard.

"She's beautiful." Qian's wife said, passing the newborn girl to the Zhang's. "What will you name her?"

"Zhang Lihua." General Zhang's wife whispered out before her eyes fluttered and then closed.

General Zhang immediately began to panic, holding his daughter in one arm while shaking his wife with the other. "What happened?"

Commander Qian's wife immediately grabbed the woman's hand. "Her pulse is weak." She put the back of her hand to Zhang's wife's forehead. "And she has a fever."

"No, no. This can't be happening." General Zhang said, tears beginning to pool in his eyes as he bent down, trying to hear his wife's breaths. But the breaths were short and faint, barely audible.

Commander Qian's wife immediately threw the door of the carriage open, begging for someone to help them, someone that had a medical background. But it was no use, they were all only warriors, wives, and children.

As if she had began to sense the passing of her mother, Zhang Lihua began to cry as General Zhang could no longer feel his wife's pulse.

General Zhang bowed his head, the tears falling down his face. His daughter's screams drowned out his own sobs.

With the carriage door open, the other soon were aware of what had happened inside.

It was anything but a peaceful day.

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Wow is it just me or is it hot in here? My eyes are kind of sweating...