Banou spend her days helping wherever she can. However she realised that she is not welcome by everyone. They are nice in front of her face but behind her back, they talk.
"why didn't she go and die?"
"Yeah if i am her... i will be too ashamed to return back."
"To think she is still able to give birth to a bastard."
"Shameless. She just want to sleep with different men."
"Don't talk so loud! She might be at a corner."
"Well if she is so shameless, why can't she hear this? Those women along with her should go and die! Lost of honour for the family! If i am one of them, there is no point living when one honour is gone!"
""I heard that she is from Persian and her family expel her. She cheated on her fiancee with her brother."
"Who tell you that?"
"I have my sources. I can't tell you. I bet she is a whore and my poor Li Cheng have to marry an unclean woman who give birth to other men's children."
"Yes the most honourable Prince of this dynasty! What a waste!"
Banou stands behind the dweller listening to those who are still gossiping. They are the assiant of the Physicians. The women who are gentle and sweet to the soldiers. Banou is disappointed. Why are women always the ones who hurt her emotionally. Quietly she walk away there is nothing she can do or say. Only in the end of her life, God is the one who will judge her not them.
However, what they said weight on her mind a lot. Her new born son cries a lot. She is not as kind as how she treat Li Xing when he is a baby. That is beacuse she never wanted this child yet he is her flesh and blood. She have to take care of him no matter how. She look at the chubby child who have small green eyes like his father. He doesn't have a name yet, she don't know what she should name him. Banou walk around the camp with the child on her back. In the distance, she see Li Cheng talking happily to one of those ladies who are assisting the physicians. Seeing how happy he is, she walk away feeling sad. The baby who feel the sadness starts to cry too. Banou try her best to play with the baby since he is not hungry. Time goes by and he is still crying, this makes her upset. She cry and leave her baby in a corner who is crying really loud. Li Xing walk in to find his baby brother crying in one corner and his mother crying in the other corner. He walk up to pick up the baby and carry him. He walk out to find Min Min to ask for help.
That night, the physician gives her a mid medication so that she can sleep. Li Xing take care of his little brother while watching his mother. With a limping leg, it is not easy to walk around with him. Since the baby doesn't have a name yet, he starts call him Ah Nan, meaning boy. The baby brother who seems to be responding to that name. He smile whenever Li Xing plays with him. Min Min who is taking care of Xin shows Li Xing the other baby. Li Xing look at that child who looks bit like his mother.
"Are they my mother's children?"
Min Min who can't understand, only can shake her head. The little girl look at him and continue to suck her thumb. Somehow he feels the familiar features on her face. He reach out to poke her chubby cheeks. She laugh with her thumb in her mouth. Li Xing makes a note to ask his mother about all the children who have been calling her mother.
Banou takes a few days to recover. However when she face with her own baby boy, she gets depress again. Li Cheng who is busy never once step into the tent where she is hiding in. While the other children are constantly coming over to play with Banou and they cheer her up.
Three months pass, most of the soldiers have recover. Only Banou's emotion wounds are never heal. Meanwhile some Chinese and Uyghur woman suicided in camp. They either stab themselves or they secretly consume large amount of medicine that can cause death. No one knows why they did this but Min Min knows why. She saw that some of the ladies who assist the physicians are not being nice to them. In front of the soldiers, they are the saints behind they choose to bully them. The Chinese captives listen in the poison words. They believe that their families will not receive them when they return back to the capital. Thus to die is the only way out for them. While the Uyghur women are not treated properly their wounds are never healing. The pain is unbearable for some of them. Min Min who can't speak on behalf of the women can only watch in pain what they are suffering. In the end, she have no choice but drag Li Xing behind the tent to listen to the them belittle a Chinese captive. Li Xing hearing it cannot believe that those women can speak such words to another. He limp away to Li Cheng's tent. That evening, Li Cheng organise a dinner for everyone. He thank everyone who are in camp especially to those who managed to stay alive.
"It have bought me to my attention on something rather important. I know many of us are waiting and wanting to return home soon. The next routine shift of men are arriving from the capital soon. We just have to bear a bit for another two more days. The unfortunate ladies who did not wait for that day to come, i feel sad that i did not do enough to help them. Everyone of us have the right to live. Everyone here have the right to breath. If someone is spreading poison in this camp, i suggest that those people should leave now without the escort of the Tang army. Since their mouth is powerful enough to take life away from others, they can protect themselves in time of danger. Personally, i would not like to see them here in my camp again." He glare at the ladies. Uncomfortable they sip their tea and look away. Some of them display an unhappy face.
"I have heard about people talking about my wife. I don't like it. She is the woman i am going to marry soon. I will marry her because she hold my heart in her hands. I know she is upset now but i can't do anything. I believe she is strong enough to overcome this issue."
Li Cheng continue to talk and raise his cup for other topics. Banou who is hiding in a corner with her two sons listen with tears in her eyes. She look at Li Xing who have his arm around her and his baby brother strap on his chest.
"Mother, Third prince uncle, is serious about marry you. He is just a shy man who don't know how to talk about anything else beside military work. You hear the words he said. In time, he will marry you."
Banou feels the rock on her heart is lift up. She smile and nod her head. She feel sorry for the other son the way she negated him.