Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The sound of drums could be heard from a little courtyard, surrounded by high trees and bushes dued to unmanagement. Yan Qi, the seventh prince held up two sticks and struck the huge drum below him in an enchanting battle rhythm. He spun around and struck another drum on his left. Then he twirled and struck another on his right. He struck the top, sides and all the drums surrounding him in a wonderful mesmerising rhythm, this forming a fearful war drum dance choreography.

  Yan Wu Ming walked along a path near the unmanaged courtyard. He was talking with his two advisors about the battle at Long Zhao gate. Some rebels have tried to takeover the Long Zhao city and conquer the gate. It was a very hard battle for the rebels were cunning and smart. It seems the mastermind behind these rebels was no ordinary man. "Fourth highness, we can't take this route," Liu Qing whined," there are too many risks. I cannot let your highness take such dangerous risk!"

  "Your highness, Liu Qing is right. It's too dangerous," Li Shu said, holding the battle reports and the map of Long Zhao city.

  The fourth prince Yan Wu Ming sighed, irritated and angry. "If this cannot and that cannot, then what is acceptable to win this battle?!"

  "Your highness...... I .....," His two advisors began to say but they were cut off by loud drum beats. Yan Wu Ming stopped to listen to them. They were full of energy, vigor and enthusiasm. He could feel the power of each and every beat. He could feel the beauty and pride of his country from every beat. This new feeling got him interested. "Amazing! Wonderful!" He praised. "I wonder who's the genius behind these beautifully designed drum beats," he turned to his advisors.

  "Your highness, I don't know. It's coming from inside this rotten courtyard." Liu Qing said. "Your highness, I suggest you don't bother with whoever's behind these walls. If you make a mistake, even if it's a slight one, the other princes won't wait to take the chance to report it to the emperor as a misdeed that shouldn't go unpunished," advised Li Shu. "Those princes, hah! I'm sick and tired of them already,"

  A maid sweeping the floor passed by.

  Yan Wu Ming quickly stopped her and asked about the inhabitants of the rundown courtyard. "Your highness, the seventh prince lives here." She answered as she bowed to Yan Wu Ming.

  "Here? Why does he lives in such a place?" Yan Wu Ming has gotten more and more curious about this seventh prince.

  "The seventh prince has been living here since his mother passed away. His mother is a very lowly concubine."

  Yan Wu Ming dismissed the maid with a wave of his hand. The maid bowed once again and hurried on her way. "I heard the seventh prince's mother was a maid whom the emperor took a liking to. But sooner or later after she gave birth, he abandoned her," Liu Qing said. "Yes, your highness, the seventh prince is the lowest prince is this kingdom. I heard getting acquainted with him is like asking for bad luck,' Li Shu whispered to them. "Hmmmm," Yan Wu Ming rubbed his chin,"but the sound of the drums, I would like to personally watch him play on front of me." Yan Wu Ming approached the courtyard. The outer walls were mouldy and the small stream nearby was filled with filth. He saw an elderly woman, presumply a senior maid, holding a tray and walking towards the courtyard. She seemed familiar with this place. Yan Wu Ming called out to her. She stopped in her tracks and bowed.

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  "The prince living in this courtyard........ What's his name?" "Replying to your Highness, it's the seventh prince, Yan Qi."

  "Tell me more about this prince. Anything,"

  The old maid looked at him hesitantly and not sure if she should tell.

  Yan Wu Ming immediately knew what she was thinking. So he said,"I didn't know there's such an amazing man who can rhythms like he's a god!"

  The woman's facial features and body relaxed. Boldness took over as she step close to the fourth prince and pulled him in for a whisper. "Your highness, that's the seventh prince Yan Qi. Since childhood, he'd been neglected and abandoned. So no one knows about him." "Ah!" Yan Wu Ming faked a surprised expression. He'd already know that fact. "Why did they treat him so?" He probed some more.

  "Your highness, let me tell you, his mother was a lowly maid serving the emperor in his bed chambers. Then one day the emperor took a liking for that maid. She gave birth to Yan Qi. But all the concubines and the empress herself became so jealous. They thought the emperor would let the seventh prince become the heir of the throne. I heard she was plotted against. But those didn't caused her death," the old maid seem to take joy in telling stories and tales, though none would know if she was exaggerating.

  "Then what caused her death?" Liu Qing asked. The old maid put a finger to her lips and hushed them," It was a mystery. But it seems like the seventh prince knew who the killer but he didn't want to reveal."

  "This seventh prince...... What can he do?" Yan Wu Ming asked.

  "Oh! He can do many things," the old maid was full of praises of him. The old maid revealed that she served the seventh prince since he was 5 years old. Yan Wu Ming excused himself politely as the time was late.

  The old maid was quite pleased to have met the fourth prince. In her eyes, the fourth prince was gentle, kind, reasonable, humble, and understanding.

  On the way back to his palace, they passed by the first prince's palace. Yan Wu Ming saw the first prince sitting all alone outside. He approached Yan Dan. "Big brother," he greeted the man sitting in a wooden wheelchair. The wheelchair was decorated with jewels and fine carvings made only for the royals. The sky was getting dark and Yan Wu Ming wondered what Yan Dan was doing out here. "Fourth brother," Yan Dan greeted back. "I wonder what is bothering you, to have kept you up at this late time? Where's Su Lan?" Yan Wu Ming looked around for Yan Dan's guard. But Su Lan was nowhere to be seen. "Just admiring the moon. When can I ever feel the warmth glow of the bright full moon?"

  Yan Wu Ming observed his elder brother's eyes. He saw loneliness and sadness in them. He knew what he meant. Yan Wu Ming looked away, unable to face his brother. Tears began to fall silently from his eyes but he quickly wiped them away with his sleeve. Then turning back to face Yan Dan, he looked up at the moon. Indeed, it was full and bright. He patted Yan Dan's shoulder. "Don't worry, the warmth glow will soon be by your side." And upon saying, he turned and left.

  Yan Dan stared as Yan Wu Ming disappeared from sight. He couldn't help but wonder about that year. The year it happened.