The loud pounding on the wooden door, awoke everyone in the house. Weiwei emerged from her room, afraid who ever was pounding would break it. She held a shawl around her shoulders, tightly, trying to keep out the cold. Xiao Nai emerged from the study first, his shirt slightly open and loose. He quickly grabbed his gun, holding it close to him, stopping Weiwei from going to the door.

"They could be armed." Weiwei shook his arm off.

"Weiwei?" Called her friend Zhao Erxi.

"The only thing she is armed with is a wicked tongue, let go." She hissed at him. He quickly hid behind the door, while the other three, ducked behind the opposite side, sword and guns ready. Weiwei opened the door slightly, not letting Erxi see any further into her house. If she say Xiao Nai and herself like they were, she would misunderstand.

"Weiwei! Are you alright? Cao Guang told me what happened, did the Musketeers harm you?"

"Why would they harm me, they saved me." Erxi went to move into her house, but Weiwei kept her hand on the door. Zhao Nai, placed his so that no matter how much force the girl used, she wouldn't be able to budge it.

"Cao Guang would never harm you. Not truly. You know how much I adore you and he would never harm anyone I love."

"But he did, Erxi. He might be your husband to be, but he held a gun to my throat!"

"It wasn't on purpose." Erxi grabbed Weiwei's hand. She looked up at her with her big eyes, blinking back tears. "Cao Guang is harmless. He only has words. He's never laid a finger on me and I know he feels really sorry for what happened at the market yesterday."

"Than why didn't he come to say so himself?"

"You know him and his pride. I told him I would come."

"Holding a gun to a lady is not gentlemen like, pride or not. The honorable thing would be to ask for my forgiveness himself, not through you." Weiwei retracted her hand from hers. Gripping the shawl once more.
"Weiwei, he wants to catch the Musketeers to bring justice to you and to the vendors whose markets was destroyed."

"That wasn't their-"

"Do you know where they are? Someone mentioned they saw you running off with them, which I thought was preposterous." Erxi tried to look around but couldn't. Weiwei knew she didn't believe her, but her friendship with Erxi ended the moment she became desperate. They had tried to keep it going, but Erxi was in love with Cao Guang and would do anything to help him.

"I don't. Once we exited the square, they took off towards the stables. I'm sure to get their horses or something....Now if that's all, I am terribly tired after yesterday's ordeal and need more rest. Goodbye Erxi."

"Weiwei I-" Weiwei shut the door on Erxi. She heard her friend sigh, before walking down the steps. It wasn't until the carriage had pulled away did anyone move.

"You didn't have to do that." Xiao Nai spoke uncocking his gun.
"Erxi and I have not been close for a long time now. She is to be wed to the man you seek, and she loves him dearly. I knew she would chose him over me, it was just a matter of time." The other three musketeers relaxed. "I do not blame her. I was once in love....or at least I believed I was." She walked over to the table, sitting down. Xiao Nai sat next to her, while the others took their seats as well.

"You have done us a great service, one I don't know if we can repay you." Yu Banshan spoke, smiling at her.

"If I may ask, what is the reason you are after Cao Guang?" Weiwei met Xiao Nai eyes he was very good at giving no emotion away.

"A few months ago, he wrote some unflattering pamphlets against the Queen. These pamphlets had found themselves in Shanghai, in the hands of would be assassins. Whether or not that was his intent, the King has ordered us to bring the writer in. He is to face judgement for the crime."

"Not for the assassination attempt." Qiu Younghou reassured her. "Just for the pamphlets. At most he would get a few years in jail, the least a fine."

"The king does not wish to kill him, merely to show that this slander would not be tolerated." Hao Mei reassured her. Weiwei took a deep breath before standing up.

"Cao Guang speaks in the center of town, where the market is everyday in the afternoon. Sometimes it's meaningless things, sometimes he speaks poetry, sometimes it's just to hear himself talk. If you want to find him, I can take you there later on today, before the clock tower rings three bells."

"Do you think he would still do that, even though he knows we are looking for him?" Yu Banshan asked.

"Of course, even more so. Now he has something more to talk about." Weiwei smiled at them. Yu Banshan slapped Xiao Nai on the back.

"Way to go. You added another name to the long list of names that want us dead."

"How is this my fault? Qiu Younghou is the one who added the last ten."

"I take offence to that. It's not my fault no one beats me in a drinking game." He defended himself. Hao Mei stood up, giving Qiu Younghou a pat on the back.

"Help me clean the guns will you, I have a feeling we might need them later."

"At least someone doesn't blame me." He pointed to Yu Banshan who followed them back into the room. Weiwei met Xiao Nai's eyes, before standing up quickly, grabbing some bread from yesterday. Xiao Nai came to stand next to her, his eyes seeming to calculate her.

"If I may be as bold as to ask." She handed him a piece of bread. "Why did your husband leave you?"

"That is a bold question." Weiwei chewed on her piece. Her eyes glancing up to meet his. "As you can plainly see, I didn't come from a wealthy family, nor did he, but he met someone. Someone who had and was more beautiful. He fell in love, at least that's what I hoped. Last I heard he was in Beijing, living very well off." Xiao Nai shook his had.

"I don't believe that. I live in Shanghai. No one is as beautiful as you are."

"You flatter to harshly sir. I know how common I am." Xiao Nai smiled at her, causing her to blush.

"Your husband is a fool." Weiwei quickly walked over to the door, grabbing a small basket. She quickly went to the backyard to gather eggs from her one chicken she kept. Xiao Nai's smile remained, his eyes on the door. "I am not." He whispered to himself before heading to help get ready for the fight to be had.

⚔⚔⚔

"Are you sure he will come here?" Yu Banshan asked, once they had made it to the town's square. All five of them were in disguises, hiding their musketeer uniforms. Weiwei even wore her best dress, one she saved only for Erxi's parties. Her hood was up, trying to hide her face.

"I already told you he would be." Weiwei shot him a glare. Yu Banshan gave a defensive smile, thinking how it reminded him of Xiao Nai.

"We should spread out." Xiao Nai grabbed Weiwei's wrist, before heading over to one of the main roads.

"You don't have to pull me." She took her wrist from his, standing behind next to a cart. She smiled at the elderly woman, before looking at the road. Xiao Nai saw him before she did. Quickly turning to her, he grabbed her shoulders.

"Forgive me." He quickly whispered.

"Forgive you for-" Xiao Nai placed his hands on her cheeks, pulling her lips to his. His lips moving against hers, while she held onto his jacket. She hit his chest a little after she realized it was going on for too long. He pulled away, once he saw Cao Guang and his crew walk past. Turning back to Weiwei to apologize again, she slapped him hard across the cheek. Her own blazing red.

"I deserved that." He agreed with the action. He found himself smiling at how cute she looked.

"You think?" Weiwei, touched her cheeks, but she could feel the heat coming from them. "Don't smile." She whispered, hitting his arm. Xiao Nai nodded, trying to stop his lips from curving up anymore. They moved closer, watching Cao Guang take the center of the square. He took in a breath before his voice carried over the public.

"The good people, hear me please. I am saddened to speak of the Queen's ill deeds towards us. She wastes our money we send to the government on dresses and parties for her friends. Now she has sent the Kings dogs after me in order to silence her own wrong doings." He was still speaking when Xiao Nai stepped forward. Weiwei tried to stop him for a moment, but it was too late. One of the body guards saw him first, stepping in front and blocking Xiao Nai's way. His sword drawn, he matched blades with the man, quickly disarming him before getting attacked by a second. Weiwei watched as Yu Banshan made the first run towards Cao Guang, but was quickly stopped by a man on a horse. Dismounting, he met blade to blade with him, allowing Cao Guang to mount the steed, and begin his escape before Hao Mei or Qiu Younghou could grab him. Weiwei quickly picked up a fallen shealth, smacking one of the men on the back of the head that was going after Xiao Nai. It shattered on impact, but it didn't do much but make the man anger. She gave him a sheepish grin before taking off to a nearby narrow alleyway. Just as she had hoped, the man was following her.

"Xiao Nai, we will go after Cao Gaung, you got everything here?" Hao Mei asked, quickly grabbing a horse for himself.

"Of course, you take the easy way out!" He called with a smile, dodging another sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Weiwei duck into a alley, with one of the bodyguards following her. "Sorry boys, can't stay long." He said to his attackers, knocking two of them down with a final kick. They fell like dominos, allowing him to quickly make his way to the alley.

"My lady!" He calls, but when he gets there, he watched Weiwei quickly use the small area to her advantage. Ducking a blow, she swung her leg out, making him lose his footing. He fell, hitting his head hard against the wall, knocking him unconscious. She stood up, smiling at him.

"You need something?" She asked.

"Well I see you don't need my services." He walked over to her, making sure the man was out.

"When your a woman alone for five years, you learn a few tricks." Yu Banshan quickly came down the alleyway, with at least six men following close behind.

"Run you idiots!" He yells running past them. All three of them took off. When they quickly turned a corner, Weiwei pulled both of them into a building, shutting the door behind them.

"Mrs. Xue. Finally decided to join us?" A voice rang behind her.

"Unfortunately not today Madam Nana. Simply needing to hide for a moment." Both men turned to see a few ladies smiling at them.

"Madam." Xiao Nai, took off his hat, bowing his head towards her.

"Musketeers. You show know how to choose them." Yu Banshan, smiled at her, before turning to Xiao Nai. "If you would like gentlemen, we do have rooms available."

"No need. We are just passing through." Yu Banshan gave a light hearted smile, before being pulled out of the house by Weiwei. She reached in grabbing Xiao Nai as well, dragging them out.

"Thank you Madam Nana, your kindness is always welcomed."

"Just come to me if ever you are need my dear, there is always a room ready for you." She waved goodbye, closing the door.

"Don't ask." Weiwei said, before they even spoke. "This way is faster to my house." She took off before they could even object.

"A Madam really? She has interesting friends." Yu Banshan said. Xiao Nai hit him on the back of the head.

"She just saved us. Again."

⚔⚔⚔

By the time they had made it back to her place, people were coming out of it. Two men made their way down her stairs, leaving the door off of his hinges. Xiao Nai held Weiwei back, making sure he was the one to go first. Gun drawn, he held it ready, until he made sure no one is inside. Weiwei quickly ran in, finding everything turned over and place in shambles. Everything she had either made herself or spent weeks working to buying was destroyed. She ran out back to find her one chicken dead.

"They didn't have to go this far." She whispered, hoping the bird didn't feel any pain. Xiao Nai came to stand next to her, pulling her into his shoulder. She finally let a small sob come out, her tears flowing freely. After a few moments, she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"Come with us."

"What?" She looked at him confused.

"Come with us. I know someone in Shanghai who can help you. And your knowledge of Cao Guang will only help us catch him faster." She placed a hand on the cage, her eyes drifting up to her house. It was no longer her home, it hadn't felt like one in years. No matter how hard she tired, if she stayed she wouldn't last the next winter.

"Alright. I'll come." She walked back into her home, knowing she would never come back to it again.