have mistaken me for another woman. Why don't you just go and leave me alone and go look for your true
lover?"
"
You are my love. I have come to retrieve you," as the man said that, he began to move towards
MeiHua.
By this time, MeiHua's husband had mustered some courage, not to mention a sword and armor, and raced
out of the palace on his horse. MeiHua was pulling a pin from her hair to use in self-defense when the prince
raced around her. His sword drawn, he drove the man back to his dragon and into the sky. MeiHua took her
chance and ran sobbing with relief into the palace. MeiHua hid in the palace for several weeks, pleading with
her husband to send a message to her father. He finally consented, and paid for a group of travelers to send the
message to Shihuangdi. A messenger from the emperor's own palace arrived at their home a few weeks after
they sent their message. The prince carefully read through the message once, and then read it aloud.
"
To my beautiful daughter, I am deeply distressed that someone would interrupt your wedding. I have sent
all of China's eligible men to connect and rebuild the many small passages of wall between the mountains. We
shall call it "MeiHua's Great Wall". It shall protect you from further attacks. My men also reported sightings
of a man on a dragon near where you are. The man seems to have gone to rally troops in the Mongol tribes. It
is most likely that you would be attacked by ground if you are attacked again. In case you are attacked by
dragon again, I have enclosed fireworks. They work well for dragon attacks, and for your own enjoyment.
Good Luck, Shihuangdi.
After her husband finished, MeiHua leapt into the air and cheered. Their home was saved. Very
soon after the letter arrived, a troop of soldiers arrived. The soldiers were not something to be excited about
though. They entered the small settlement beneath MeiHua's palace and began to force all strong men capable of
building to leave their families. After a few years, when the passage to the North of their city was finished, only
a few out of the hundreds that left returned. The wails of the men's families were heard through the night.
MeiHua refused to believe that all of the men that had left had died. She took a horse, and a dagger for
protection and left secretly to see the new wall. It took her three days and nights to finally reach the wall. On the
way she had seen the graves of many who had died on the trip. Once she reached the wall, she was astounded.
It was a beautiful sight, but so many had been lost to build it. MeiHua found, on her side of the wall, a
carelessly left tent full of records of the building of the wall. Day 1: no progress. Men to be whipped. Day 25:
5
men sick and unable to work. Day 82: Five men died. It went on and on, occasionally saying how great the
wall would be. If Meihua counted all that were sick as men who died, 250 out of the 300 who had originally left
died. MeiHua was overwhelmed with guilt. It was because of her that this wall was built. Peasant men died
like slaves, because she had been attacked. MeiHua was beginning to think thoughts of suicide when her
husband appeared.
"
Why are you here? We searched for you everywhere!" he exclaimed.
"
I had to find out where the men had gone." MeiHua cried.
"
They died. Come on now, let’s go home."
MeiHua and the prince returned to the palace. MeiHua became a quiet woman, always deep in thought.
The prince lived a happy life, often going leaving to help supervise the building of other sections of the wall.
When they were together MeiHua lived happily. When apart however, MeiHua lived in constant fear and
guilt. She never remembered her lover, but she always remembered every one of the records by the wall.
* * *