We’re wakened next morning by the familiar sound of roosters crowing.  It’s barely light.  By the time I’ve bathed and dressed, the Prince is sitting up in bed, his brows scrunched together and his eyes bleary.

“Headache?” I ask, sympathetically.

He nods and winces.

I fill a cup with water and take it over.  “Drink this.  Best thing for a hangover.”

He drinks obediently and I refill the cup and make him drink that too.

“I didn’t mean to drink so much last night,” he says, “But it all got so heavy, all that stuff about my mother.  I don’t even remember getting back here.  I didn’t do anything embarrassing, did I?”

“No.  You just fell asleep.  Go and bathe, you’ll feel better.”

He does as he’s told.  With the enviable resilience of youth, he’s looking much livelier by the time he gets back.  “What happens today?” he asks, gathering up his scattered clothes and disappearing behind the screen.

“Today I’ve got to talk to our host about supplies and find out what he knows about the local situation.  If you like, I’ll ask him if you can take a look round the estate.  Or you could go back to camp if you prefer.”

“And copy more medical texts?  No thanks.  It’s like being in school.”

I make a mental note to have a word with Liang Zhou.

In fact, when we meet Lord Zhao for breakfast, he proposes a tour of the estate himself.

“If your Highness wishes, I can ask Zhao Zhan to show you round the domain while the Commander and I discuss business.  I have falcons – you might like to take one out?”

The Prince’s eyes shine.  “I’d love to.  Thank you, sir.”

After the meal, we watch Zhao Zhan and the Prince as they head off towards the mews.  Lord Zhao’s standing, supported by his crutches.  Unexpectedly, he says, “You must be wondering why I revealed so much last night.  To tell you the truth, I surprised myself.  But when I saw his face….”

“I think I understand, my Lord.”

He takes a sideways look at me.  “Perhaps you do.  But I didn’t tell the whole story.  However I’ve been thinking about it all night and I‘ve decided I must tell you.  You must swear to keep it a secret from everyone except the Prince.  I’ll leave it to you to decide whether or when to tell him.  Do I have your word?”

“You have my word.”

“All these years I’ve thought perhaps…… And when he said last night that he was born two weeks early ….…  You see, the night before our escape, Ah-Lan came to find me.  We knew we might die or be captured the next day.  She said we were already married in our hearts.  So that night, we were married in truth as well.”

I’ve already seen where he’s going with this.  “You think he might be your son?”

He nods, staring out into the courtyard.  “Of course, we can never know for sure.  But my point is that at some stage in his life, the Imperial burden may become too heavy.  In that case, it might be convenient for him simply to be Young Master Zhao.  It could be a weapon of defence.”

“Yes, I see.  I’ll do as you ask.”

He smiles.  “Thank you.  Now, if you’ll be kind enough to follow me, we’ll go to my office and talk business.”

Once settled behind his desk, Lord Zhao becomes extremely businesslike.  He hands me a decoded message, saying, “This arrived last night.  I don’t need to tell you how important this news is.” 

The message tells me that the Fourth Imperial Prince has been found dead in a brothel, along with the young man who was accompanying him.  They died of an overdose of an aphrodisiac drug.  On hearing the news, the Emperor has had a stroke and is not expected to recover.

“He may already be dead as we speak.” Lord Zhao says, “The Crown Prince will be declared Emperor.  If all goes well, our friend in the capital will be appointed Prime Minister.  The Empress’s faction will lose some of its influence.”

“Does our friend have that much backing?  From what the Prince says, the Empress’s faction is very strong.”

“He has the army behind him,” Lord Zhao says, “The generals distrust the Empress.  They don’t like women interfering in state affairs.  Furthermore, the Crown Prince has confidence in our friend.  He isn’t close to either parent and has found Sir Li to be a great support.”

“Is there any chance of getting the decree cancelled – the decree gifting the Sixth Prince to the King of Qiu?”

“We can certainly try.  I’ll send a message to the capital today.  However, there might be a better way to deal with the situation.  According to my information, King Wang Meng’s playing a double-game.  While promising support to the Imperial throne, he’s also negotiating with the Tibetan Empire.  He wants to extend his territory and he’s hoping the Tibetans can help him.”

“Is there proof?”

“There are witnesses to meetings between the King’s people and the Tibetan leaders.  In return for their help, the Tibetans will be given access to the trade road and farmlands of the north-west.  You may know that food’s scarce in the mountains.  The Tibetans want farmland so they can feed their people through the winter.  I don’t need to tell you what kind of a threat this would be to the Empire and its trade.”

“Does Wang Meng have any kind of army?”

“He doesn’t need one.  Qiu City’s highly fortified and the royal palace is built on a rock and has never been taken by any kind of siege.  And he has a strong personal guard – fifty to a hundred men.”

“So you’d need to infiltrate.” I say, pondering.  “Get somebody inside.”

He smiles.  “I see we’re of like mind.  Take the city, eliminate the King, and both the Sixth Prince and the Empire are safe.”

I’ve had a feeling for some time that Minister Li’s intentions aren’t as straightforward as they seem.  “Was this our friend’s aim right from the beginning?” 

Lord Zhao smiles.  “I think he just took advantage of a developing situation.  This is only one piece of his plans.”

“Which are?”

“To make the Empire safe.  Peace and prosperity, not just for the Imperial family and the nobility, but for everyone.”

“Good intentions,” I say, “But I’ll believe it when I see it.  I’ll need detailed information about Qiu City.”

“Our contact in Border Town will help with that.”

“Who is he?”

“He’s the owner of a pleasure-house called the Lotus Garden.  I’ve never met him, but the information he provides is consistently reliable.  I gather the place is well-run and clean, if you and your officers require recreation.”

“We’ve been on the road a long time,” I say. “It’s very welcome just to have a bath, never mind anything else.”

Lord Zhao pours us both fresh cups of tea, while I think about what I’ve just heard, frowning.

“You seem displeased, Commander,” he remarks.

“I have a feeling that my men and I are just pieces on somebody’s chessboard and I don’t like it.”

“That’s inevitable.  You’re a soldier.  You’re always going to be a piece on somebody’s chessboard.”

“True enough.  Maybe it’s time to make changes.”

“From what I hear,” he says carefully, “you have every chance of being promoted to General if you succeed in this endeavour.  So don’t make any hasty decisions.”

So this is the inducement.  I think about General Liu, the celebrated national hero of countless battles on the border.  Riding through a rain of flowers one year and exiled to die miserably in some godforsaken armpit of a place the next.  But this isn’t a thought I’m going to share with Lord Zhao.

“Now,” he says, “let’s discuss what supplies you need.  Zhao Zhan will take you round the storehouses when he gets back.  If you don’t mind I’d like to keep the Prince here a little longer.  I promise to return him to you this evening.”

Do I have a choice?  About anything?