Siang Hwi exchanged glances with Tiong Li, when suddenly the clap of hands rang out. They turned to see it was Princess Sung Hiang Bwee. This meant that the princess had recovered, or at least her shoulder no longer hurt from clapping.
"Kiong-hi, kiong-hi (congratulations)! Ah, I must congratulate you on your engagement," she said, approaching Siang Hwi. She took off a gold necklace adorned with precious stones and put it around Siang Hwi's neck. "This is my gift to you, Enci Siang Hwi."
"Thank you, Your Highness. You are too kind."
"Oh, what's kind about it? If it weren't for you two, who knows what might have become of me? Probably crow food," the princess laughed. In a very short time, she had been freed from the threat of Ban-tok-ciam poison.
They then continued their journey after gathering their horses. Midway, Tiong Li asked, "Hwi-moi, are you also skilled in using Ban-tok-ciam?"
"Subo once taught me. The fine needle can be hidden in a fist and released while punching. But Subo never gave me its antidote or how to make it, so I never wanted to use such a poisonous needle. It would be too cruel if I did not know the antidote."
"You're right, Hwi-moi. If you can't neutralize the poison, there's no need to use such a secret weapon. I suppose if the victim has strong sin-kang, they can prevent the poison from spreading into the blood and only poison the local area, which can be easily cured by surgery on the spot and extraction of the poison."
"You're right, koko."
Now that they had arrived in Sung territory, their journey went smoothly without obstacles. Before long, they encountered a Sung troop led by a royal officer. Seeing Tiong Li, deemed a fugitive and kidnapper of the princess, the officer was of course shocked. Even more so seeing the princess riding with the fugitive.
"Surround them! Capture the rebel!" "Capture the kidnapper!"
"Save the princess!"
They shouted while encircling and brandishing their weapons. Upon seeing this encirclement threat, Sung Hiang Bwee spurred her horse forward and barked, "What are you trying to do? Tan-tai hiap and Miss The are my saviours from the kidnappers. Don't make baseless accusations! Now prepare a carriage for me so I can return to the palace!"
The officer was taken aback and puzzled, then ordered his troops to step back and prepare a carriage. They escorted the princess, who sat in the carriage with Siang Hwi, and Tiong Li also rode his horse near the carriage.
When they were presented to the Emperor, the Emperor was overjoyed to see his daughter returned safe and sound and listened to her report of how she was kidnapped by villains and handed over to the Kin Nation Commander, then rescued by Tiong Li and Siang Hwi. Upon hearing this, the Emperor was grateful to Tiong Li.
Although Tiong Li had a strong suspicion that the princess's kidnapping was engineered by Prime Minister Jin Kui, without evidence, he dared not make baseless accusations.
"Tiong Li, you have rendered great services twice over. Now we wish to confer upon you the rank of palace guard to protect the royal family."
"A thousand pardons, Your Majesty. It is not that I refuse your generous reward, but I have another important duty, which is to reclaim the lost Mestika Golok Naga, stolen by thieves from the treasure house."
"Ah, that heirloom has long been stolen, and until now our guards have been unable to find it."
"I know who took it, Your Majesty. And I promise to retrieve it for you."
"Father, actually the Mestika Golok Naga was also taken by Commander Wu Chu and has been successfully reclaimed by Tan-taihiap. However, on the way, I was injured and the person forced Tan-tai hiap to hand over the heirloom sword in exchange for the antidote that would save my life. Tan-tai hiap had no choice but to exchange the sword for the antidote to the poison that injured me."
"Damn it! Who was this person?" "A female martial artist, Your Majesty," Tiong Li said without mentioning the name out of respect for Siang Hwi, who was a student of the sword thief.
"Alright, then go reclaim that sword, Tiong Li," he said afterwards.
"However, Your Majesty, my image is everywhere as a rebel and kidnapper of the princess. This will hinder my journey and even obstruct me. I beg Your Majesty to issue a command to revoke the charges against me. With your royal decree, I will undoubtedly be able to clear my name and move freely."
The Emperor heaved a long sigh. "We regret making that hasty proclamation, Tiong Li, making you a fugitive. Who knew you'd actually be the one to twice save our daughter from her kidnappers. Fine, we will issue a decree and proclamation to clear your name."
The Emperor then ordered his servant to write the decree, then signed it and stamped it with the royal seal. Tiong Li received it with relief.
"I have one more request, Your Majesty. To my understanding, these so-called rebels are in fact not rebels. They are fighters, patriots striving to free our homeland from the Kin occupation. They are even loyal to the Sung Dynasty and wish to restore its glory to regain control of the northern region. Therefore, they should not be pursued like rebels, Your Majesty."
The Emperor furrowed his brows. "We established a truce with the Kin to prevent them from invading the south and causing casualties among our people. We prevent war for the sake of the people. If they attack the Kin Kingdom, and if we just let it be, the Kin will surely treat us as enemies. However, we will observe the situation. If they do not disturb the Sung Kingdom's governance, they will not be regarded as rebels."
"Tan-taihiap, you have served us repeatedly, and my father the Emperor wants to confer a rank on you, why do you refuse? It's only right that you receive some recompense for your service," the princess said to Tiong Li.
"Thank you, Your Highness. But what I did was my duty to uphold truth and justice and oppose evil. If I were to expect a reward, it would not be a noble act. Moreover, I still have a duty to reclaim the Mestika Golok Naga. I hope Your Highness will understand."
Glossary
- Siang Hwi: A character's name in the story.
- Tiong Li: Another character's name.
- Sung Hiang Bwee: The name of the princess in the story.
- Kiong-hi: A term used in Chinese culture to congratulate or celebrate something.
- Enci: An Indonesian honorific typically used for women.
- Ban-tok-ciam: A form of poison mentioned in the story.
- Subo: A term of address for elderly women, equivalent to 'grandmother'.
- Sin-kang: A term for internal power or vital energy in martial arts.
- Koko: A term of address for elder brothers or respected men.
- Tan-tai hiap: An honorific or title for a character in the story.
- Jin Kui: The name of the Prime Minister in the story.
- Mestika Golok Naga: The name of a lost heirloom in the story.
- Wu Chu: The name of a commander in the story.
- Kang-ouw: A term referring to the martial world in Chinese culture.