The Killing of Three Thousand Crows Prologue

Prologue: Stained Gla.s.s Fire

There was no moonlight on the night they left; it was dark to the point of making one feel despair.

The fierce wind beat against the window without restrain, and tore a hole in the paper screen over it. There hadn’t been time to fix it, and there may not be anyone left to fix it in the future. The wind travelled back and forth through the hole, and it sounded as if someone was weeping.

The palace maid A’Man placed the last piece of clothing inside the bundle, and anxiously raised her head to look out the doorway. Di Ji was standing in the yard, long hair whirling wildly in the wind, and her flowery embroidered long sleeves like a pair of wings that were waiting to be broken.

A’Man walked out hesitantly, and placing a thick and heavy cloak over Di Ji’s frail shoulders, she said in a low voice: “Princess, the time has come. Let’s go.”

Di Ji nodded her head, her fair white hand reaching out from inside her long sleeves, and pointed at the yard full of powdery whites and pale reds. Her voice very soft, she asked: “A’Man, look, the flowering apples[1] have bloomed. But my Imperial Father and Mother[2] will never be able to see them again.”

A’man said gently: “Princess, you’re still young, don’t think too much. Let’s leave quickly.”

Di Ji gazed silently at the pale red petals all over the ground; the wind swept them up, as if pulling it into its embrace like the fluttering snow. It was clearly the weather of the fifth month, but but it suddenly became cold. The flowering apples which had just bloomed, unable to withstand the wind and rain, drooped down, miserably leaving the branch, submitting itself to the mud.

“A’Man, the country has been destroyed. Tell me why I can’t stay with my Imperial Father and rest to protect it until my dying breath? Shouldn’t I stay behind?”

A’Man was almost crying, but forced herself to show a smile: “Princess, you’re only fourteen, and have a long life ahead of you. The Emperor and Empress only hope for you to live in peace, and to have a smooth and stable life.”

Di Ji slowly shook her head, turning to cup an almost withered flowering apple blossom in her palms. With the greatest care, she placed inside her pouch.

“A’Man, can I look for a little longer?” Di Ji asked in a low voice.

A’Man secretly wiped away her tears, and said in a quivering voice: “Alright… Look for a little longer…”

Before she finished speaking, flames suddenly blazed across the sky like a meteor, bringing with it piercing screams, and the Imperial Palace came cras.h.i.+ng down. With a bang, the glazed tiles on the roof of Di Ji’s Jin Fang House shattered. The fire streamed down like rain, mingling the tiles with dust.

A’Man started screaming: “They’ve set fire to the Imperial City! Princess, if we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late!”

Without waiting for Di Ji to answer, A’man grasped her arm and dragged her desperately out through a secret path behind the Imperial Palace.

Di Ji’s body was frail and delicate, and running against the wind, she stumbled and almost fell down. Th.o.r.n.y branches on the small mountain path stretched out, and left b.l.o.o.d.y marks where they hit her face. Sweat all over her face, she suddenly could not resist looking back. In the sky, there were countless magnificent meteor-like flames, raining down in the Imperial City.

Like a flame burning inside stained gla.s.s, the Imperial City became translucent, almost destroyed.

Following the meteor-like flames, countless strange birds that were tall as about two or three people flocked into the Imperial City. Their heads were crimson, like a pool of coagulated blood. The sad and shrill cries from inside the Imperial City was carried to their ears by the wind. A’Man couldn’t take it anymore, and fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands and crying bitter tears.

Those were crimson-headed sprites; demon creatures that, by nature, ate humans.

A thin line of fresh blood slid down from the corner of Di Ji’s mouth as she firmly bit down on her lips. The suffering inside of her was all but about to grind her into fine powder. As if she could stand it no longer, she suddenly threw off A’Man’s hand and dashed down the mountain.

Before she ran more than a few steps, A’Man flung herself at her from behind, embracing her. Broken branches all over the ground, Di Ji struggled desperately like a small wounded animal, mud all over her body and face.

She didn’t know how long she struggled for, but slowly, she was left with no energy. A feeling of emptiness and dread spread from the depths of her soul. She thought that would die, but against expectations, she had not died; She opened her mouth, wanting to wail, but could only brokenly gasp for air.

That night, she had to watch with her own eyes the destruction of everything in her possession. Her soul felt as if it had been cut a thousand times in a lingering death. She could not be weak, and could not look back.

A’Man thought that the struggling in her arms gradually became weaker, and then Di Ji was in her arms, not moving. She used all her strength to wipe away tears, then pulled out a handkerchief, brus.h.i.+ng aside Di Ji’s hair to wipe clean the mud on her face.

In the light of the fire, Di Ji’s face was pale without even a thread of blood. Her once dainty and energetic gaze was left with only absented-minded gloom. She closed her eyes tightly, her thick eyelashes quivering. It was only after a long time did a single large tear fall.

Di Ji woke when the sky was almost light.

“A’Man, lets go.” She was no longer crying, and her tone was calm, but her eyes were bloodshot.

A’Man looked at her worriedly: “Princess, it’d be better to let me carry you. You can rest a little more.”

Di Ji shook her head and drew out two pieces of white paper from within her sleeve. She bit her fingertip and let the blood drip onto it, then tossed it to the ground. In a flash, the two pieces of white paper became two fine horses.

She mounted and took the reins, and at once the horse let out a loud and clear neigh.

“Let’s descend the mountain, and find a place to stay for a while.”

A’Man saw that her expression was serene, and began to secretly worry. She said hesitantly in a low voice: “Princess… You… What are you thinking?”

Di Ji turned her head to smile at her, a dimple appearing at her cheek. Against the dawn light, she seemed to become the gentle and charming princess that she used to be.

“A’Man, don’t worry. I’ll live on.” Live until the day she was to die.

The horse let loose its four hooves, and began descending the mountain.

“Princess, where are we going?”

“To a place without the flames of war.”