Jealous Heart

   Fu Huai'an had a serious expression on his face has he examined the papers laid in front of him,he exuded an air of calm sophistication and srtrong sense of power.

   A knock came through the door,''Enter'' hearing the response to come in,Ji Yan came in closing the door behind him; ''My lord'' he said bowing his slightly.

 Fu Huai'an gently sipping his tea looking over the stack of papers in front of him ''Speak''

  ''A message came in, the carriages by bandits, i think they got an information you left town last night'' 

  Dropping the tea cup Fu Huai'an raises his head ''Prepare the horses, we will take the route then to the capital''.

  Bowing his head slightly he leaves the room to the men and horses ready.

  ''Are we leaving, i thought lord Fu is having tea with Lord Han this afternoon'' Chu Xun cleaning of the sweat from her body after just training with the soldiers.

  ''well,changed of plans'' Ji Yan said strapping his horse .

 ''Why?''

 ''Bandits''

  ''My Lord '' Chu Xun bow seeing Fu Huai'an stepping out soldier behind him, the rest of the soldiers along Ji Yan bows too.

  ''Inform Lord Han about the changed of plans '' 

 ''Yes my Lord '' bowing her head Chu Xun takes of with her horse to relay the message

  Li Guang was the stall since her father had gone out distributing materials to earn more leaving Li Guang all by her self. 

 ''where is your father?'' came the question from a man with bald head in his late fifties.

 '' He is not around, what do you want tp buy sir, i can make the sales for you'' came her reply.

 ''What nonsense! your father owes me a big amount of money and i am here to collect my money'' the bald man said with his face twisted in anger.

 Li Guang looks at the man speaking loudly and rudely in anger '' My father didn't tell me of such,come back tomorrow then you can speak to him when he is around'' came her controlled reply.

  It was obvious to Li Guang that the man was bodly lying because she knew the people her father had owed and hed paid and the only man he is in debth with, he was just clearly trying to embrass the Li's fully knowing that her father had stepped out.

 ''Dont tell me that, i came here for my money and i am not leaving without it'' the bald man raises his voice higher to attract the marketers.

 With a small crowd forming he speaks loudly '' This man and his daughter owe a lot of money but won't pay,i have been generous and patient enough, even his late wife owe me too and i was generous to let that one go, but they dont want to pay me the rest of my money'' the bald man praises himself speaking loudly to the crowd that had gathered.

  The villagers began to speak and snicker in disdain ; '' Yes they are bunch of debtors i heard from one man how he owes a lot of people even outside the town'' one man spoke out codeming Li lanbei, men and women joined in talking what they heard which were mostly lies.

 Most of them were mostly jealous of the fact that after his daughter had come of age and smart business wise, that he sold a good amount everyday at the market.

 ''Sir, my father didn't tell me of him owing you and since he is not around at the moment,you dont need to get angry, i will inform him when he gets back''Li Guang said trying to keep her calm but they were evident anger at the moment in her eyes after her was brought up and lied against even still after her death.

 ''Are you saying i am lying? if you are not giving me my money, then i am taking my payment this way'' the bald man said packing various peieces of fabrics forcefully knocking the counter in the process.

  ''Sir no!! You can't do that'' Li Guang shouts '' trying to take back the fabrics but got slapped hard in the face instead by the bald man '' YOU BRAT! get away from me '' the man shouted pushing Li Guang hard on the floor, which got her knees bruised in the process.

  The villagers didn't bother intervening liking what was happening ''Sir please stop wha..

  The sound of hooves of horses running with force ''Is that not the prime ministers soldiers'' one man speaks up, hearing this the crowd started dispersing to their businesses so as not to get into trouble.

  The bald man hearing this,wanting to use the opportunity to get back at the Li's the more runs to the road laying flat on the floor.

     The horses came to an abrupt stop because the of the bald man blocking the road with the now little crowd and side on lookers ''Move out of the way'' the soldier in front shouts at the bald man,seeing this the bald man shouts loudly ''My lord'' relaying how the Li's owes him one breath.

  Smiling internally in his heart ' i will show Li lanbei today always showing off how he sells better, today let me see how he would be humilated and punished'.

 With the crowd bowing their head not daring to take a glance at his face,Li Guang raises her head to get a glimpse of the prime minister but was caught right in the act, because he was staring right at her with his deep black eyes.

  Shocked she bowed back her head with a racing heart,and unbeknownst to her Fu Huai'an was staring at the red hand imprint on her cheeks,and seeing this he signalled Ji Yan to take over.

  One of the soldiers comes down from his horse to forcefully drags the bald man away from the road,without waiting for a second Fu Huai'an and his men raced on thier journey with looking back.

  Ji Yan who stayed back on orders which was suprising to him,after hearing Li Guang explain her side of the story, he then decides 

  ''when the father comes you can talk to him about your money to his face and settle it between yourselves, now leave the place and dont come back till the father comes back,nothing like this should happen from you again,i have the patrol officer watching you''.

  ''Yes sir'' the man having cold sweats bows repeatedly, running away with how fast his two feets could carry him without looking back.

  ''Thank you sir'' Li Guang bows thanking Ji Yan for his help.

 ''Sure, and if you would excuse me i have a lord to catch'' he says giving Li Guang a wink climbing his horse.

 Suprised Li Guang bows a again even when he had rode off to a distance.Putting back the stall in order, she puts on her best smile to attend to customers not letting what happened moments ago get in the way of making money.

  Getting home,Li Guang makes dinner before her father gets back,on Li lanbei getting home and having his meal, Li Guang narrates what had happened at the market including the prime minister's intervention.Li lanbei couldn't help but get angry and cuss at the man for lying balantly against him '' WHAT NONSENSE, lies! i owe him no such'' Li lanbei exclaimed loudly getting angry.

  ''i am glad the prime minister was passing at the time'' Li Guang added.

 ''Yes Yes true'' her father said nodding his head.

  Leaving her father's room so he will get some rest after delivering goods all day,she goes outside the house she lays outside the door looking at the starless sky 'No stars tonight i guess you feel the same way i feel tonight'

  Even though she was calm on the outside,today's event at the market had hurt her,after seven years of losing her mother,her father hadn't gotten any rest with debths knocking at their doorstep and she could do nothing about it.

  She had come of age a long time ago,and even though she had gotten a good amount of suitors,she couldn't just leave her father all to himself when he had a huge pile of debths to pay,she had ended up rejecting and doing all sorts of unlady like things to keep the suitors away to stay beside her father because her father had gotten all sad seeing this and knowing the reason was all because of him.

Under the starless night, she applied the available ointment they had at home, even though it stung she heated it, the night had a show glow on the bent figure with a sad heart she did well to hide.

  Morning came with the sun up in the sky,and the villagers up about with their daily work, Li Guang's father had caught a cold from yesterday with his body heat higher than usual,Li Guang had gone to the village physician to bring him to check on her father.

 ''He will be fine after taking the medication i give him,just let him rest and he will be fine by the next sunrise'' the physician said closing his box.

 ''Okay thank you sir, here is your money''Li Guang says handing him his payment for the treatment.