Smoke. Crackling, red hot flames.

Tang Daiyu awoke to the smell of burning wood. She looked around and saw her little brother, Tang Bao, who was still just a toddler, whimpering in his bed over in the addition. After climbing out of her own, she ran over to him and picked him up just as hot embers fell onto the bedding.

"Where's Mama?" he coughed.

"I don't know."

"Mother! Father!"

Suddenly, a roof beam cracked and fell into the room. Tang Daiyu jumped out of the way just as the smoking wood hit the floor. Tang Bao began to cry, loudly. She covered her brother's nose and mouth with her nightgown's sleeve as she started to cough. Tang Daiyu whipped around and ran from their room out into the courtyard. When fresh air invaded her lungs, Tang Daiyu removed her sleeve from Tang Bao's face. She headed towards their parents' room, but suddenly stopped when she heard unfamiliar voices.

"Chancellor Ru, you are under arrest for government misconduct and lying to the Emperor."

No, Father, would never do something like that! Tang Daiyu thought hurriedly. He serves Chang loyally.

She hid behind a column when three of the Emperor's elite soldiers dragged out her father and mother. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched them being led away. Tang Daiyu suddenly heard a rustling behind her. She spun around just in time to see a soldier wrap a cloth around her mouth. Tang Bao, too, was silenced. Then, they were dragged out of the Tang residence.

~~~

At Weiyang Palace, just outside of Chang'an, the entire Tang family was brought before Emperor Jianyuan of Chang, the founder of Meng Dynasty. They were forced to their knees by soldiers. The gags were removed from Chancellor Ru and his legal wife, Bi Mingyu. Standing off to the side, watching, were Li Xun, Emperor Jianyuan's Head Eunuch, and Xue Longxian, Emperor Jianyuan's most trusted advisor.

"Your Majesty, there's been some mistake! I would never go against you!" he exclaimed. "I'm being framed! I must be! I

swear, Your Majesty, I serve you and Chang!"

"Silence!" Emperor Jianyuan roared. Tang Daiyu flinched and watched as her father started to quickly kowtow three times. The soldiers stopped him though and held him up. Her mother whimpered quietly. The Emperor glared at her father. "For your crimes, Chancellor Ru, you will be executed."

Tang Daiyu's eyes widened in horror. She looked out of the corner of her eye as her father's resolve crumbled. Still holding her brother, she began to shake with fear.

A soldier walked forward and raised his sword. Tang Daiyu quickly covered Tang Bao's eyes to shield him from the horror about to happen. The soldier sliced his sword across her father's throat. Blood appeared and began to trickle down his neck. Her mother cried out, and tears streamed down Tang Daiyu's face. Her scream was muffled by her gag. She kept her hand over her brother's eyes.

"Bi Mingyu, you are also sentenced to execution."

Her mother wept, and Tang Daiyu dreaded her own sentence. She watched, horrified, as soldiers swiped at her mother with their swords. Her body fell to the ground, blood seeping into the pristine, red and gold, silk rug. Once they were done, the Emperor turned his sights on Tang Daiyu and Tang Bao. A soldier roughly removed the gag from her mouth, and she wrapped her arms tighter around her brother.

"Are you Tang Ru and Bi Mingyu's daughter?"

She removed her hand from her brother's eyes and set him down before kowtowing to the Emperor. He was smart enough to kowtow alongside her.

"Yes, Your Majesty. My name is Tang Daiyu, and this is Tang Bao, my brother."

"How old are you this year, Tang Daiyu?"

"Thirteen, Your Majesty."

"And your brother?"

"Baobao is three, Your Majesty."

"Hmm," the Emperor sighed. Tang Daiyu kept her head bowed respectfully. "Guards!"

Fear flashed across her face. Her eyes flitted uneasily.

Three soldiers came forward and hauled Tang Daiyu to her feet. She snatched up her brother before looking back at the Emperor.

"Take her to an inn. She and her brother can be left there."

As Tang Daiyu was getting pulled out of the Front Hall,

she looked at the Emperor. The last thing she saw was Li Xun and Xue Longxian turning towards the Emperor and bowing.

~~~

Back in Chang'an, Tang Daiyu and Tang Bao were brought in front of Peace Tree Inn. She walked inside with the soldiers, and one of them went over to talk with the innkeeper.

He came back and told her, "You will stay in the Cherry Blossom suite here. If you attempt to leave, there will be an immediate decree out for your arrest."

She swallowed with a stifling fear and nodded. The soldiers left, and Tang Daiyu finally set her brother down and followed the innkeeper up to her room. Inside, she sat down on the modest and creaky, cot-like, bamboo and silk bed. Tang Bao waddled over to her and tugged on her sleeve.

She looked down at him, weary. "Yes, Baobao?"

"Where's Mama?" he asked, confused.

"She's not here. We won't see Mother again. Or Father."

Tang Daiyu leaned over and picked up her brother. She set him down on the bed next to her and turned to look at him.

"It's just the two of us now, Little Brother. I promise you, I'll do my best. I'll take care of us."

Tang Daiyu closed her eyes and sighed. She opened her eyes and laid back on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, she thought, Guanyin, please take pity on us. Help us. What did my family do to deserve this? How am Baobao and I going to survive?