The Commander

Coincidentally, two messages arrive for me on the same day:  an official one from the Imperial Court and the other handed to me by an old man among a group of peasants we meet on the road.  His eyes are weak, so he isn’t very clear about who gave it to him, he only knows that some man gave him a few coins to deliver it to the commander of the soldiers.  Now at the end of the day’s march, I’m sitting in my tent looking at both pieces of paper.

The official one tells me that the Fifth Imperial Prince has had an accident.  A fatal accident, as it happens.  The unofficial one, which is in code, tells me that there are worries about the Emperor’s health and that the power of the Empress’s party is growing.  The Crown Prince is assuming more and more duties.  It adds, almost as an afterthought, that my sister’s father-in-law has now been promoted to the position of Minister of War.

I look at Shao Ru and Liang Zhou with my brows raised.  None of us knows very much about the ins and outs of court politics, so we’re not sure what significance the messages carry.

“Why not ask the little bundle?” Shao Ru suggests.  “He ought to be able to shed some light.”

I tell an orderly to summon the Prince.  He arrives promptly, bows politely and waits.  I haven’t had much interaction with him since the night of his escape, but he seems to have changed in the last few weeks.  He looks sturdier, less fragile.  He also seems more confident.  I hold the official message out and say:  “Take a look and give me your thoughts.”

He scans the message quickly and frowns.  “An accident?  No way was this an accident.”

“Explain.” I say.

“It says here Fifth Brother fell into the lotus lake during the night and drowned.  But that’s impossible.  The Princes are always surrounded by people, so what was he doing at the lake by himself?  And even if he were sleepwalking or drunk or something, the Palace is lousy with guards.  Somebody would have seen him and fished him out.”

“So?”

“So he was pushed.”

“By whom?”

 “The Empress’s people.  Only they would dare to do something like this.”

“So the Fifth Prince isn’t – wasn’t - her son?”

He shakes his head.  “The Empress has two sons, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.  The rest of us are the sons of consorts or concubines.”

“Tell us about them.”

“Well, I haven’t had much contact with any of them since we were children.  After my mother died, for a few years I was brought up with the other Imperial children.  But when I was fourteen, I got into a fight with Second Brother and the Crown Prince.  Needless to say, I was beaten to a pulp.  Anyway, the Empress blamed me.  She wanted to have me flogged, but my father refused.  He said that it was two against one and that they were older and bigger, so they were the ones who’d behaved dishonourably, not me.  So I didn’t get flogged, but next day when I wanted to go out, I found there were guards posted all round my residence and they wouldn’t let me leave.  And that’s how it’s been ever since.”

He pauses and a cynical look comes over his face.  “The Empress used to summon me now and then to play with me, but apart from that, I didn’t have any real contact with anyone except my eunuch and my tutor.  Luckily Ah-Cheng was a gossip and my tutor was a kind man, so between them, I got to hear about most of the goings-on in the Palace.”

Liang Zhou frowns.  “You mean you were kept more or less in solitary confinement for what, four years?”

“Pretty much.  But I can tell you some things.  The Empress is ruthless, cruel and ambitious, and Second Prince is exactly like her.  The Crown Prince is conscientious but not very bright.  Third Brother – well, nobody knows much about him.  He’s said to be in poor health, studies a lot, hasn’t appeared at public functions for years.  Fourth Brother likes to get drunk and is always being dragged out of some brothel.  And Fifth Brother…” he looks down and pauses for a moment.  “He was kind.  When I was being beaten up, he was the only one who tried to defend me.  I’m sorry he’s dead.”

“And the Empress’s party?”

“I can’t tell you much about that, but from what I’ve heard, she’s got most of the court in her pocket, one way or another.  They’re all scared shitless of her.”   He realizes what he’s just said and reddens.  “Sorry, sorry, this person apologizes for his inelegant choice of words.  They all fear her very much.  And that eunuch of hers is even worse.”

“Yes, we met him.” I say.  “That’s very helpful.  All right, you can go.  I think there’s a horse waiting for you.”

But he seems to be thinking.  He says slowly, “If my father’s health were to worsen, I wouldn’t bet much on Fourth Brother’s life.”

Even mentioning the Emperor’s health can get you beheaded for treason.  We instinctively lower our voices. 

“You think the Empress is clearing the forest?” Shao Ru asks.

“Well, she’s got rid of me, and now Fifth Brother’s had an accident.  Fourth Brother leads a risky life.  He’s in the habit of going outside the Palace with only a couple of bodyguards and considering the places he frequents, another accident could happen quite easily.” He bows again and says, straight-faced:  “I’ve got an appointment with a horse.  Please excuse me.”

As he’s about to leave, I call after him:  “By the way, it’s time you learned to use a bow and arrow.  Starting tomorrow.”

He spins round, his whole face lighting up.  “Oh great!  That’s great.  Thank you.”

He bounces out, clearly delighted.

I say to the others:  “I don’t need to tell you to keep this to yourselves, do I?  I’d like my head to stay on my shoulders.”

Shao Ru grunts and moves out of the tent. 

Liang Zhou says.  “The boy's doing well, isn’t he?  He’s been very useful in the medical wagon.  He’s calm, attentive, absorbs all the information I give him and has a real way with the patients.”

“His vocabulary hasn’t improved,” I say. “But Old Hong says he’s a natural at riding.  I’ll be interested to see how he handles a bow.”

Liang Zhou says grimly, “Those people in the Palace are monsters.  Four years in solitary, at his age.  It’s a miracle he isn’t damaged.”

“Oh, he is.  It’s just that you can’t see it.  I don’t think he really trusts anyone.  Maybe he never will.”

“He’s young.  There’s time.” Liang Zhou says reassuringly, and then we both remember.  All that’s waiting for him is another prison.  And we’re taking him there.