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The 235th year to commemorate the crown glory of the Caiwong Empire.  Such blessing that such a long lasting country could continue to exist in amiss the changes that were brought among the hands of various rulers who wore the crown.  However, the once strong country had crumbled slowly over the centuries to become a shadow of its former glorious self with the progression of men who refused to really take a care to the common folk.  There were constant wars raging in the borderlands as the vanity of the rulers had fought for farther land to add to the glory.  The old trade routes were robbed with bandits causing the large city markets to be empty of quality goods.  Towns were raided constantly such that the farmers had little to sell other than the meager that they could keep to survive for their own self.  Even the city folk feared to venture out after dark behind the safety of the shadow of their city wall.  It was an age thirsty for change. 

Adjoining Caiwong were three border states arranged like a tower on top of each other: Jungpi, Wei, and Yan.  Jungpi was ruled by a dynasty of queens whose antics where curbed by a shrewd consort.  Wei was overrun with corrupt generals who ran the country like a warzone.  And Yan, though small, had some stability with a royal family that knew how to beg and dance on strings for larger state to keep both what they had and maintain their border to a degree without much concession.  Much character across the boundary rivers did not serve the Caiwong Empire much in its want for a successful war and conquest.

Caiwong's Emperor was a tired man whose battle torn body did not like to sit for hours listening to courtiers argue and complain.  He longed for the ease of open war where he could place a final flag after all the sacrifices of his stories career.  An active man in his youth, he did not take to intellectual maneuvering well.  His main wife had bore him a son and a daughter.  His various concubines adding sons, but no daughters to his royal descendants.  It was not much in terms of having a descendings whom could help him succeed.  Most of his sons were lazy after growing up in luxury.  They did not understand the sacrifices of the previous dynasties to garner the golder platters of which the children were so fond to eat upon.  It sickened him often as he tried to make his descendents understand.  

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The cell had small roughly made wooden furniture.  Simply made and simple to put away when the prison cell needed to be vacated after an execution.  It would be washed to wipe away the stains of the previous.  Every prisoner here had a clean slate of which to start his new life.  There was only a small dining table and a trundle bed with a small nightstand like a tiny friend standing beside it shivering on unsteady legs.

The woman prisoner bowed deeply before the man who had been escorted into her cell.  Head on the ground and arms raised above her, she spoke with true reverence.  "I'm not worthy of your presence, your highness.  It is cold here, as it's an unholy place.  I plead that your majesty return quickly to your holy palace where your worthy self can continue to make accomplishments to further the empire.  This servant is unworthy to have you here.  Do not turn your eyes downwards and keep it upwards towards your goal, my prince."

The prince in his richly embroidered robes contrasted sharply with the rough burlap cloth the woman wore.  His cheeks were warm with a healthy color while her whole body exhibited a deathly pallor of one whom had given up on her life as it had become more and more apparent to her.  It was a hard won peace that seemed simple in her elegant bearing.  He stomped around and wrinkled his nose, "So this is a prison cell.  I'd always thought you were too crafty to get yourself caught in this kind of a trap.  It's a surprise to me that I would ever have to come down down here for someone I thought was smarter than I am."

There was a loud scoff from the floor as the woman had raised her head.  "But, after I am executed, I promise I'll choose to come back as a ghost so I can still make your life hell, Ning Ren.  I always have plans even if I am no longer alive to do them.  I can possess someone else to make sure that I bring hell to whom I would like to bring justice to." 

Hearing her huff of speech made the prince laugh softly, "There you are my furious cat.  I will look forward to being haunted.  But, not by you.  My dear, have you forgotten that cats have nine-lives."  The prince tapped her shoulders, "Get up quickly, the ground here is cold.  You're already not eating well, if you get sick it will not be easy to get well again in a place like this.  You condition is already one where your health has always been poor."

The woman stood slowly and lifted her head up.  Her arms were joined in a gentle manner befitting her lowly status.  But her words were intended to bite.  "I never decided that I wanted to be a cat or to be apart of any of this.  All of these courtly games have no purpose orther than changing which part of the wheel is pointed upwards.  It's so silly to me that a person would want to be a part of this with full consent.  People are dying for worse reasons than whom get's the silk embroidered with the silver peony border."  The girl sat in a huff on her bed, her hair was coiled into a limp snake on her head which she took down.  She took a comb from her wet side table and began to run it through.

Ning Ren joined her on the bed.  He took the comb out of her hand.  He made a move to touch her hair, but she moved away.  "Your highness, I do not wish to tarnish your holy reputation."

The prince signed and returned the comb to her hands.  His eyes closed in exasperation.  "If you had stalled for time maybe we could have prevented this.  I could have protected you from all of this.  I was trying to get you away from  the palace after all, little cat.  But you have a tendency to run away from me.  You were always good at wiggling out of tight places my little one."  He touched the woman's nose teasingly, "Bingquing, if I don't get you out of this one, who will tease me?"