Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 | Page 107

“I’m sorry. It’s just that we’re leaving soon, and I don’t want you to come with us in case we get into a
fight.” Zheng-He shook his head.
“Don’t you dare be sorry. I’m happy you’ve found a replacement for me, got it?” Zheng-He chuckled. It
reminded him of Yuan-Su before he had gotten sick. Funny, selfless and kind. Well, he still was funny,
selfless and kind, but it just wasn’t the same. Then Yuan-Su spoke, snapping Zheng-He out of his
thoughts.
“So, when am I going to meet this ‘Bu-Liang’? No offence Zheng-He, but his name sounds like ‘bad’,
‘stupid’ and ‘dangerous’ all in one”. Zheng-He snorted, then looked out the window.“Well, I have to go
now, duties call.”
“Okay. Write to me whenever you can.”
“I will.” The two friends shared a warm hug. Then Zheng-He walked out the door.
The water around them churned with waves. Today was a windy day, and convienient as they were sailing
today and they needed the momentum to push them forward. It was a stark difference from a few days ago.
The crew was relishing in the soft breeze as it tickled their cheeks. Bu-Liang walked up next to Zheng-He
and Zheng-He immediatdely remembered the conversation he had with Yuan-Su. He burst out laughing,
which was unusual for him. Bu-Liang looked at him suspiciously, “Commander, is there something
wrong?” to which Zheng-He composed himself and relpied “No, thanks for checking.” Zheng-He then
walked away, smiling inwardly.
It was the middle of the night, when a shout woke Zheng-He up with a start. Alarmed, he ran up the steps
and saw Bu-Liang trying desperatly to wake everyone up. “What’s happening?”
“I-I just saw a Mongolian ship. I-I’m sure of it!” Shocked, Zheng-He told him “Go prepare for battle,
then go and steer the ship, I’ll go wake the others up.” As he finished his response, he thought he saw a look
of dismay flash across Bu-Liang’s face, but Zheng-He ignored it. It was dark, and he probably just imagined
it. As he ran down below the deck, trying to wake the crew, he remembered how Bu-Liang always wore
black robes. Could he be the emperor’s assassin? Zheng-He shook the suspicious thoughts out of his mind.
Bu-Liang could be trusted. Or could he?
An hour later, Zheng-He had extinguished all the dark thoughts and his heart was thundering as his fleet
prepared for battle.Just as Zheng-He considered calling a false alarm, the Mongolian flag came into view.
Adrenaline surged through him as he yelled out a battle cry. “ATTAAAAACK!”
Ships on both sids sped towards each other as smaller fleets sliced through the water swiftly. The quiet sea
had become an ocean of conflict, roaring like the monsters that lurked within. There was blood everywhere,
corpses of dead heroes floating across the water. There were cries of despair and vengeful screams and
golden arrows slicing through the air. Ones just like the one that took the emperors life. Drowing in the
overwhelming scene, Zheng-He roared and became a killing machine. Everything around him was either
an ally, or dead. In the midst of all this, one arrow flew through the battlefield, clear as day. Slicing through
the air, it impaled Zheng-He in the thigh. “ARRRRGGGHHHH!” The cry of pain echoed around the
battlefield, as Zheng-He desperately looked around for help. Then he spotted Bu-Liang. “Bu-Liang, help
me!” cried Zheng-He. Their supplies had already been either used or raided, including the gifts for Xushan.
Bu-Liang wouldn’t be able to help much anyways. Bu-Liang glanced over at him, and a feeling of relief
coursed through him. But that feeling was quickly diminished when Bu-Liang glared at him when he
walked over. “You’re not very observant, are you?” Dread and confusion filled Zheng-He. He could sense
that something was obviously wrong, yet, he couldn’t put his finger on it. What did he mean? “ I killed the
emperor.” Those words rang around his head. “Wha-but…how-?” He stammered. Then it clicked.
Yuan-Su vomiting. Black robes. Trying to wake the crew from above the cabins. “This was your plan all
along.”He said angrily. “Yes,” sneered Bu-Liang, “and it worked perfectly .” How could he have fallen into
his trap? “Got any last words?”
“Huh?”
“You didn’t think I was just going to tell you all my secrets, and then just let you walk away, did you?”
His heart stopped.
And it never beat again.
“We gather today to commemorate the great Zheng-He, along with our recently dead emperor Xuan-De.
Our kingdom has now been left grief-stricken and mourning. We are forever in their debt and their legacy
continues to live on. May the heavenly gods bless them forever. Thank you.”