The sun hung low, casting golden light across the tiled roofs of the Han residence. In the courtyard, Madam Han stood with a glow on her face, hands smoothing down her outer robe for the third time in a minute. Her earrings swayed as she turned her head toward the gates for the hundredth time.
"Did you hear that?" she said, half-laughing, turning to her husband. "They said Xiao Hua led the vanguard herself—her first battle! And she didn't just hold her ground—she pushed the demons back!"
She was radiant.
General Han, standing beside his wife with arms folded, gave a quiet but proud smile. He didn't speak much, but the slight tilt of his chin, the flicker of pride in his eyes — it was all there.
"She's like her sister," Madam Han murmured, eyes crinkling with emotion. "Strong, steady… Maybe even steadier." Madam Han was practically bouncing with joy.
"Can you believe it? Our little Hua, commanding troops at fifteen. Oh my baby…"
General Han chuckled softly. "With Jiutian and Yueming at her side, I can believe anything."
"Mmm… She must be starving, my little one. Fighting is fine, but not without a full belly," she continued with her rant.
General Han chuckled, standing beside her, arms crossed with quite pride. "Our daughter is growing. She's not the little one who clung to your robes anymore."
Hearing her husband, madam Han swatted his arm. " Whatever— she will always be my baby"
Madam Han sighed contentedly, glancing at the dishes being laid out nearby. "I told the cooks to make sweet plum soup1. Xiao Hua said she missed it last time. But A-Yan…"
Her voice softened, "She's always so distant, but maybe today, just for once, she'll sit and eat something sweet." Madam Han felt a sudden heaviness in her heart.
" But I knows she loves us. She just needs to learn how to show it—"
Madam Han's trumpet was halted abruptly. She slowly turned to her husband as she though of something.
" And that's, YOUR fault. Why did you had to let her enlist at that age? She was just 7— oh my" madam Han said, smacking her husband's arm loudly.
" She is a daughter of Han. You should have expected that, marshal2…" general reasoned, touching his hand where his wife hit him. Yet his head was titling upward, as his pride over flowed.
" All of my kids are in the battle field , fighting for our pride. Can't believe how fast they grew up" There was a kind of peace on madam Han's face. The kind of joy that only a mother knows — the kind built over years, carried through sleepless nights, fevered childhoods, quiet victories, and unspoken love.
"Madam! General!" a servant called breathlessly, bowing low. "They've arrived — the carriage just reached the main gate!"
Madam Han's eyes lit up. " Oh my…"
Excitement surged. She wiped her hands on her apron, tossed it aside, and without another word, she turned and ran toward the front steps — not fast enough to be wild, but fast enough that her shawl slipped from her shoulder. She didn't wait for formality, didn't let her maidens catch up. Her eyes were gleaming with joy.
General Han followed behind, a little slower, more composed — but his eyes were just as bright, smiling at the running figure of his beloved wife.
The main gate loomed ahead, and beyond it, the dust was still settling.
Han Jiutian and Han Yueming dismounted quickly — both of them dirty, bruised, but walking. Alive. She gasped in relief and clapped her hands together.
"You two! My warriors! Look at you!" she called out, grinning from ear to ear. "Come, come—are you hungry? Injured? Tell me everything!"
But Jiutian couldn't meet his mother's eyes. Yueming's smile was thin, shaky.
Madam Han blinked, her grin faltering ever so slightly. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
No answer.
And then she saw Han JiLan, her oldest daughter, already off the carriage, standing beside it in her bloodstained robes, stiff as stone. Her face was unreadable. Her eyes… weren't looking anywhere.
Madam Han stepped forward and wrapped her arms around JiLan, ignoring the blood, the armor, the silent storm in her posture.
"A-Yan," she whispered, clutching her close, "you are safe… You all came back. Thank heavens…"
But JiLan— she hugged her back.
Tightly. Desperately.
For a second, Madam Han's breath caught in her throat.
This daughter of her had never done this before. Not like this. Not with both arms, and not with shaking fingers. The girl's arms tightened — as if afraid to let go — and her head dipped forward, face hidden in Madam Han's shoulder.
Madam Han smiled, tenderly brushing her fingers through JiLan's hair.
"You did well. You all did so well…" she murmured. "And where is your sister, hmm? Where's my little general? She promised she'd tell me about the battle herself."
JiLan didn't answer. But her arms tightened again.
Madam Han blinked. Slowly, her smile began to fade.
"A-Yan?" she asked, pulling back slightly to see her face. "Where is Xiao Hua? Is she still inside the carriage? Is she planning on pranking me?, like before"
No reply.
Just a low, barely audible whimper.
Her heart dropped. She looked at her sons. Both of them avoided meeting her gaze.
"No… no no, don't—don't you dare look away from me—where is my baby?"
She stepped away from JiLan and rushed to the carriage, her hands already trembling. She slammed her palm against the door.
"XIAO HUA?!" she called out. "Sweetheart, I'm here! It's Mama—come out, tell me what mischief your brothers let you into this time!"
" If you aren't coming out, I'm coming in!"
The door creaked as two guards stepped out, carrying a veiled stretcher.
White cloth. Still. No movement.
Her breath left her body like a blow.
"No."
Her knees gave way.
"No, no—what are you doing? Who is that? WHO IS THAT?!"
Jiutian stepped forward, trying to catch his mother, but she shoved him aside, stumbling forward as the cloth fell back from the girl's face.
And there she was.
Her sweet, radiant Xiao Hua.
Still. Pale. Eyes closed. Like she was sleeping, just waiting to be shaken awake.
A keening wail shattered the courtyard.
Madam Han threw herself forward, grabbing her daughter's face, stroking her cheeks.
"Xiao Hua—my baby, wake up. You're home now, darling. Mama made your favorite food you asked for, remember? Get up and tell me how brave you were-"
"Just call me 'Mama' once, just once, please—"
No answer. Only silence.
She held her daughter tighter, sobbing violently, her words breaking into gasps.
"Please! Please don't do this again! Don't take my daughter away again! I'm begging you. Please-"
"No," she whispered. "No… this isn't—its her birthday. She—she was supposed to come home—"
Behind her, General Han had walked out in time to hear the scream. He stood frozen as he saw the guards, the shroud, and the crumpled form of his wife weeping over their youngest girl. The tray of food dropped from the servant's hand nearby, splattering forgotten on the stone floor.
And for a moment — just a moment — his knees gave out.
"…My daughter?" he asked hoarsely. "No—no, not… again—"
He collapsed beside his daughter's still form as Madam Han let out breaking sobs— a sound that came from the depth of a soul already once shattered.
Beside them, JiLan stood like a statue, unable to speak. Her jaw was tight, her fists clenched till her knuckles turned white. But her shoulders wouldn't stop shaking.
She hadn't spoken a word since they returned. Not a word about what had happened. Because no words could carry the weight of that battlefield.
Jiutian and Yueming finally approached her from either side.
" A-Yan…." They didn't knew what to say. It was their little ball of happiness.
JiLan didn't resist when they wrapped their arms around her, Yueming hugged her pressing his forehead to her shoulder while Jiutian stroke her head. She didn't cry. But her brothers' tears fell against her shoulders. And her hands—finally—lifted to hold her brothers back.
No one spoke for a long time.
The courtyard was silent now. The Han residence had once glowed with joy, full of laughter, full of family.
Now it stood in mourning.
The sun was still shining. But in this moment, it felt like the world had lost all its light.
Author's note:
1. SWEET PLUM SOUP: A SOUP LIKE PUDDING MADE WITH RULANG (SEMOLINA), JAGGERY AND PLUMS.
2. MARSHAL : SECOND IN COMMAND OF THE ARMY. GENERAL HAN IS THE FIRST IN COMMAND.