The Commander

As soon as the Prince leaves my tent, Shao Ru comes in.  “I had a word with Lin Chen and he said that Yu Kang provoked the little bundle and got what he deserved.”  He laughs and shakes his head.  “Who’d have thought the kid would react like that?  He’s certainly got guts.  Any damage?”

I think about that mouth like a peony petal with the lower lip split and blood at the corner.  “Nothing permanent.”

“What was all that about flogging to death?  I didn’t catch it.”

“He saw people flogged to death in the Palace.  Today brought it all back.”

Shao Ru grunts.  Then he says, “Yu Kang’s a problem.”

“I know.  He’s arrogant and he won’t learn.”

Yu Kang’s been with us for half a year.  He joined from another troop and has failed to find his place.  He doesn’t get on with the other sub-officers.  The men dislike him.  He’s a weak link in the team.

“Nothing I can do now,” I go on, “We’re stuck with him for the time being.  Keep an eye on him.”

“Will do.  Ah-Zhou still weeping over the wounded?”

Shao Ru doesn’t have a compassionate bone in his body.  Liang Zhou, who does, is seeing to the flogged man.  He joins us some time later looking exhausted and I pour him a cup of wine and tell him about the fight.  He groans and lifts a hand to his forehead.

“Is he all right?  Do I need to …..?”

“No, no.  I’ve told him to come to you if he’s hurting tomorrow.  He’ll be fine, Mo Jiang’s looking after him.”

“Mo Jiang?”

“They seem to have become friends.”

“I heard the men ribbing Mo Jiang about it,” Shao Ru says, “Asking if he was doing it to get inside the little bundle’s pants.”

Liang Zhou winces.

“I don’t suppose they got much change out of Mo Jiang.”  I say.

“They didn’t.  He simply said the Prince reminds him of his little brother.  That shut them up all right.”

We’re silent for a moment, because we all know that Mo Jiang’s whole family died in a plague some years back. 

In my heart, I bless Mo Jiang.