The Last Concubine Page 20

  All grandiose thoughts of how to compare her love deserted Lan. “Yes,” was all she said, but it satisfied Mei Ju.

  “One cannot force a man to love where his heart is not engaged,” Mei Ju murmured. “At least I had him for many years to myself.” She looked at Lan’xiu again. “Forgive me for venting my anguish upon you. It is not your fault.”

  “Believe me, Mei Ju, I never wanted to cause you pain—”

  “I know, hush, my dear.” Mei Ju patted Lan’s hand and sat back in her chair. “Will you come to see me and the children every now and then?”

  “I would love to,” Lan said sincerely. “Aside from my mother and Ning, you are the first person ever to be kind to me.”

  Mei Ju laughed regretfully. “Not so very kind today. But I shall become accustomed in time, I dare say. One can become accustomed to anything, even having one’s heart rent asunder.”

  WHEN Lan’xiu emerged from the visit with Mei Ju, she felt that she wanted nothing more than to retreat to her bed and sleep for days, but she no longer had a bed within the household square, and it was not fitting behavior for a warrior princess anyway.

  She stood upon the step of the house, wondering where she was to go and what she was to do. Fortunately, Ning came to greet her. Her lips twitched as he bowed obsequiously to her, knowing it meant they were under observation.

  “Princess Lan’xiu, if you will accompany me.”

  She nodded and followed Ning, becoming aware that soldiers were falling into position around them. It would have made her nervous but for the fact that she recognized them as members of her guard. She gave them an almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgement and marched with Ning to the big iron gate where Captain Wen stood at attention.

  “Open the gates for the princess!” he cried out proudly.

  Two of the household guard unbolted and unlocked the gate, and Princess Lan’xiu retraced the steps she had taken her first day as a prisoner within these walls, except this time she walked as a woman of rank and consequence, surrounded by her own guard.

  Captain Wen led the party to the same door by which Lan’xiu had the left the palace, an unimportant side door, rather than to the two grand doors at the front reserved for visitors of state. Lan’xiu was glad of it. She had lived most of her life trying not to attract attention, and now when she felt unsure of the future was not the time to boldly march in at the front door.

  Once inside, Captain Wen spoke briefly with Ning who pointed up the stairway.

  “Follow me, Princess,” Ning said.

  Aware of the men who never left them, Lan’xiu climbed the stairs and followed Ning down a hallway that curved to the back of the building, counting the number of doors they passed so she would not be totally lost on her own. The way her guard remained close to her, however, she was beginning to wonder if she would ever walk alone again. Then she recovered her sense of humor; as a woman and a princess, she had never been permitted to be entirely alone except within her bedchamber. The difference was that she was accustomed to Ning and he knew her secret.

  Ning stopped before a tall door and opened it, bowing low, by which she understood he wanted her to go inside.

  Once inside, Lan’xiu stopped short and smiled in delight. “Ning, did you do this?”

  Ning smiled back at her. “It was my lord general’s idea, but I saw to it that his intention was carried out properly.”

  Between them, Hüi Wei and Ning had had the furnishings from the bedchamber in the seventh house in the square brought here and installed in this much bigger room. The yellow curtains Lan had so loved hung at the windows and the same rosewood wardrobe and bed stood within the room.

  A few more chairs were positioned about the room, and also another table, upon which stood a jade and silver casket with a lock wherein Lan found her jewels. The same bench stood at the foot of the bed, and Lan crossed the room to sit upon it, thinking about the time Hüi Wei had made love to her on it.

  “Look, Lan’xiu.” Ning pulled open the doors of the wardrobe to reveal many pretty new dresses hanging there.

  She merely smiled. At this point, the thought of her new armor excited her more, but she was touched at the evidence that despite the fact Hüi had not visited her at all during the past week, she had yet been in his thoughts.

  “Through here is the bathing room, and beyond—” Ning wiggled his eyebrows and gave a hastily concealed leer, as if he’d only just remembered Captain Wen’s presence. “—you will find my lord general’s bedchamber. If you wished to, ahem, speak with him.”

  Lan glared at her servitor with an expression that promised later retribution, but only said, “Thank you, Ning.”

  Captain Wen bowed and said, “Princess, two of my men will be stationed outside in the hallway, at a distance where they cannot overhear conversation. But if you need them, they will be there within calling distance. Is there anything else I can do?”

  Lan’xiu stood up and smiled at him. It startled and touched her to see how pleased he seemed that she was speaking directly to him. “Captain Wen, I thank you. You have done much to keep me safe and comfortable, and I thank you for your allegiance.”

  “It is my pleasure, your Highness.” Captain Wen bowed again.

  “If you really wish to please me….”

  “I do!” he assured her.

  “Take this servant of mine somewhere and regale him with a good meal, much liquor, and a story of your great prowess in battle.”

  Captain Wen glanced uncertainly between Lan’xiu and Ning, but then a smile crept over his face. “Shu Ning-xiānsheng, would you care to accompany me?”

  “Where?” Ning asked.

  “Does it matter?” Lan’xiu demanded. “Go! You deserve a respite from watching over me, and I shall come to no harm here in the palace with two soldiers outside the door.”

  At last Ning smiled at Captain Wen. “Thank you, Lan’xiu.”

  Although he was wearing a different dress, having gone to Mei Ju more somberly clad in respect for her, Lan’xiu took up the same pose on the bench as he had the day he awaited Hüi Wei in the seventh house. His feet were planted square on the floor, his legs and knees together. His back was straight, and he placed his hands on his knees.

  Remembering the occasion when he’d waited on this bench for Hüi before, Lan’xiu felt his palms start to flutter with anticipation. His cock was getting thicker, pushing against the silk of his panties. He could feel the fluid form at the tip and dampen the fabric. He moved his shoulders to feel the heavy embroidery of his corselet rub over his nipples. Lan liked that feeling, too, it added to the anticipation of waiting for Hüi.

  His breath came shorter and his heart pounded when he heard the click of the door as it opened. Lan looked up, not realizing his face wore an expression of joyful anticipation.

  TO HÜI, the sight of Lan’xiu waiting for him reminded him of the beginning of their love, and he hoped the rush of emotion would never change.

  Once the thrill of being master of such beauty excited Hüi Wei; now it was love that made his heart pound, and fear of what was to come. Resolutely, he pushed away the dread thought of what he was risking by allowing Lan’xiu to accompany him to war, knowing his young lover preferred to face danger with courageous laughter.

  He paused to drink in the joy and love on the beautiful face. “Do you like the room?”

  “It is beautiful, Hüi. I thank you for thinking of me.”

  “When am I not thinking of you?” Hüi came to Lan then and sat on the bench beside him. “I fear we have little time to enjoy being so near before we must depart.”

  “But at least we have tonight.”

  Hüi raised his hand to caress Lan’s cheek, stroking down his smooth throat and working his way under the layers of silk to find a nipple, rubbing gently over it to feel the flesh harden beneath his fingertips. He loved watching the muscles in Lan’s throat work, the way his lids veiled his eyes and his lips parted to catch his breath. “We have tonight, and we will h
ave many more nights, my love.”

  “I never thought, when I was brought here to be a concubine, that this could happen to me,” Lan said softly, arching into Hüi’s touch.

  Hüi withdrew his hand and stood up, sweeping Lan up into his arms to kiss him deeply. “The last concubine. I shall never take another, for all that I need I hold here in my arms, princess of my heart.”

  He bore Lan to the bed and laid him gently upon the mattress, sinking down next to him to take his lips in a tender kiss.

  Chapter 19

  “I LOOK like a boy,” Lan’xiu said in a voice of displeasure.

  “Good. You will attract no undue attention that way,” Ning replied. “Battles are full of boys.”

  “I like it,” Hüi teased from where he sat observing. “You look very fetching.”

  It was stunning to see how handsome Lan looked in his leather armor and dark trousers. His sword hung from his belt, and he wore gauntlets on his hands. His hair was braided into a long queue at the back, and his bronze helmet stood upon the table.

  “It feels strange,” Lan said. At Ning’s insistence, he also wore men’s undergarments and sorely missed the silk of his corselet.

  “Dressed this way you will blend in with the troops,” Hüi said firmly. “And that will be to your advantage. Can you doubt that if Wu Min comes to fight and spies you, dressed as a woman upon the field, that all his energy will be turned to destroying you?”

  “You are right,” Lan said. “I will wear a pretty dress when this battle is won.”

  “And I shall—” Hüi stopped and looked at Ning.

  “Tear it off her, I know.”

  “Ning! When will you learn to hold your tongue!”

  “Never!” Ning laughed. “That is what you value about me. I shall leave you alone for a quarter of an hour, but then we must be off.” He bustled out of the room and shut the door behind him.

  Lan turned to Hüi with sadness in his eyes. “Why must men fight? Why can they not embrace the beauty of our land and live simple lives in peace?”

  Hüi stood and came to him, taking him in his arms for a chaste embrace. “Men are not made that way. They are meant to strive and compete.”

  “But to the death?”

  “Tell me, my love, if your brother were here, would you let him do what evil he might desire?”

  “I would fight him to the death before I let him give rein to his cruelty and evil!” Lan gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “As all men do when pushed to their limit, good or bad.” Hüi tightened his hold and then released Lan, stepping away from him. “You have a gentle soul. Perhaps it would be better if I forbade you to accompany me.”

  “I would like to see you try, my Lord.” Lan straightened up and smiled gallantly. “To war, my Lord, and victory for us both.”

  IT WAS a matter of honor to Lan’xiu to ride his horse all the way instead of traveling in one of the supply carriages. He sometimes felt that Hüi forgot what he really was, with all his concern for his supposed delicacy, and he would ride like all the other men. He was glad to see the same mare he’d ridden when they visited the summer palace, and she seemed to remember him too, nuzzling at his fingers.

  After the first strangeness of his new armor and men’s clothing, Lan had gotten used to it quickly. Hüi Wei was much occupied, as a general must be, with directing operations, receiving reports from the scouts, and surveying their approach, and therefore he was not always by Lan’s side, although they tried to sleep near each other on the ground when the column halted for the night.

  Unlike some generals whose sense of condescension required grandiose tents and many servants, Hüi Wei lived as his troops did, deeming speed to be the essence of victory. He could not be bothered to be weighed down with the trappings of rank.

  However, Lan was never left alone. For one thing, Ning stayed close, as he had all of Lan’s life, making sure that he could not make a move without supervision. But now Lan’s personal guard also rode ringed around him. They weren’t obvious, but they didn’t permit any of the other soldiers to come closer than twenty feet. It made him feel a bit safer. Despite his training, Lan was very aware that he had no actual experience in war. His most devout hope was that he would not disgrace himself, Ning, or worst of all, Hüi Wei with his conduct in battle. He invoked his gods and omens to grant him the courage to face death bravely if that was to be his destiny.

  Silently, Lan listened to Hüi review plans and maps with his generals. It soon became clear to him that Hüi Wei had lied, either to her or to himself, about directing his troops from the rear, perhaps to dissuade her from accompanying him. Lan’xiu doubted that Hüi could forego the challenge and thrill of battle even at the cost of his own life. Jiang was there as well, refusing to be left behind at this critical moment and having left the reins of government in the hands of one whom he trusted above all else, his partner, Zheng Guofang. Between them, Lan felt humbly respectful at their ability to plan to meet different eventualities and strategize to turn them to their advantage.

  However, there was a part that he was there to play. Only he could prevent what the omens had revealed to him. Carefully, he had tried to speak to Hüi Wei about his visions.

  “You must keep to the flatlands,” Lan said. “If you venture into the hills, it is easy to get lost.”

  “I have never been lost,” Hüi boasted. “With the sun and the stars to guide me, how would I lose my way? I have never allowed an enemy to slip away and sit in comfort while he mocks me from the peaks.”

  “The weather in Liaopeh—”

  “—is much like weather anywhere else,” Hüi said firmly. “Do not be so fearful, my love. I will come to no harm.”

  Lan lay awake in his blankets late that night, long after Hüi Wei had gone to sleep. He wished he could edge closer and gain some warmth from being held in Hüi’s arms, but he could not compromise the general’s reputation that way. The rumor that the general had taken a young soldier as his lover was not one Lan wanted to generate.

  He could feel the ground move beneath him, and at first thought he might be getting dizzy, but then Jiang and Hüi sat up, listening. “They are coming,” Hüi said. And then he was gone, running for his horse.

  Jiang stood and told Ning, “Get your horses. They probably won’t attack until dawn, but better on horseback than on the ground.”

  Lan was already on his feet, rolling up the blankets while Ning went for their horses. Four of his guard stayed with him until his horse was brought to him. Servants collected the blankets and other items to load onto a cart while Lan sat astride his horse, pulling off the main roadway to allow the war chariots to roll past.

  Captain Wen looked as calm as always, but his horse fidgeted, as if some excitement from the man was communicated to the animal.

  “Captain Wen,” Lan said. “Listen to me. I know what your orders are from the general, but in battle you will take your lead from me. Those hills over there—” Lan pointed to the dark mountains, visible only in the night by the mists that hovered within the passes. “Those hills lead into the mountains of Liaopeh, my homeland. Ning and I have covered every inch of that land and we know it well. If we move, stay close by.”

  “Yes, my—sir!” Captain Wen said, although a slight frown creased his forehead. He looked at Ning, who gave him a decided nod.

  “I will try not to get any of us killed,” Lan said with a wry smile. “I thank you for your loyalty.” He stood in the stirrups and bowed to his guard. “I shall try to honor you by matching my courage to yours.”

  The guard raised their spears almost as one in salute. It moved Lan more than the loudest shout could have, and he was comforted, knowing they would have his back. He turned his horse to follow in the tracks the chariots had left behind. The heft of his spear was comforting in his hand.

  “Do you think he will come?” Ning asked quietly.

  “I know he will,” Lan said. “He will not suspect I am here, so I am not his target.
But Wu Min knows the hills as well as I. He has some snare devised to keep Hüi Wei facing the west. The mountains look impassable from here, and I have not been able to convince Hüi that there are ways through them. Very well, Hüi may face the west. We will guard the east.”

  “Your mother was a very wise woman,” Ning commented.

  Lan bit his lip as he always did when reminded of his beautiful mother, who died too soon. “Yes. She gave me you. I thank you now, Ning, if I never did so before, not only for your loyalty and love, but that you trained me as no princess has ever been trained before. Without you—”

  “Ah yes, without me, you would be just the ordinary sort of princess, sitting at home and wringing your hands,” Ning said, smiling. “It was my honor to have such a good student.”

  Lan stretched his free hand toward Ning and tapped his shoulder. “I will thank you again later, when we are free of this mess, but for right now, shut up.”

  Ning did so, but the pride that shone in his eyes as he rode at the side of his princess made Lan very happy that they were both alive to see this day, when Lan’xiu rode free as the warrior princess he was meant to be.

  Lan’xiu could see that Hüi was keeping to the rear on the top of a bluff where he could survey the battle, at least for now. He had no doubt that, if necessary, Hüi would race into the melee to turn the tide. The infantry, cavalry, and chariots had swept down off the ridge and were upon Daji’s forces before the first light of dawn, the sun rising behind them, taking him by surprise and forcing the battle to commence.

  Lan could see that Hüi had not committed his entire force on one front, but sent forth enough men to lure Daji into a trap of his own choosing. But still Lan’xiu was uneasy. He and Ning increasingly turned to the east. The mists did not lift from the mountains, as they often lingered in early spring. The sun was not yet strong enough to burn the mists off, and mountains loomed, gloomily shrouded in gray.