A little earlier - The Commander

I‘m reluctant to leave the Prince alone with Lord Zhao, but can think of no way to prevent it.  Zhao Zhan’s efficient and capable, so organizing the supplies is quickly done and a price agreed on.  We’ll come tomorrow to collect the goods.  I return to camp, summon Shao Ru and Liang Zhou and brief them on what’s happened.

“His mother’s fiancé?” Liang Zhou says in disbelief, “That can’t possibly be a coincidence.”

“Far from it.  Lord Zhao’s one of Minister Li’s contacts.  We were meant to come here right from the start.”

“But why?”  Liang Zhou asks.

“A favour for an old friend?” suggests Shao Ru.  “Maybe it was the price for Lord Zhao’s help.  He wanted to meet the little bundle and catch up on old times.  And now this mad suggestion that we depose a King and take over a kingdom?”  He gives a snort of contempt.  “Are these people out of their minds?”

Liang Zhou says thoughtfully, “It would be one way to get the Prince out of his difficulty.”

“That’s the major point in its favour,” I say. 

Shao Ru stares.  “You’re seriously thinking of going along with this?  You’re as mad as they are.”

“Let’s delay judgment till we actually get orders.” I say.  “Once the Emperor dies, we’ll be lousy with Imperial couriers.  We’ll have to wait and see.  Keep this to yourselves in the meantime.”

“Does the Prince know?” Liang Zhou asks.

“I imagine Lord Zhao will see fit to inform him.”  I say dryly.

“You don’t like the gentleman?”

“I don’t like being jerked around.  He made it clear that I’m just a humble soldier who has to do as he’s told.”

“Well, screw him,” says Shao Ru. “Screw the lot of them.”

My feelings entirely.

These feelings are reinforced when the Prince comes in a little later, his face as grim as I’ve ever seen it.  I answer his questions honestly, but when he leaves, there still seems to be something bothering him.  I think that perhaps Lord Zhao’s revelations have affected him more than he’s prepared to let on, especially those about his mother.  There’s nothing to be done, except that I have a word with Liang Zhou about copying medical texts.

“The punishment’s over.  We’ll be in Qiu City in a couple of weeks.  He can go on helping you in the mornings, but let him ride with the column in the afternoon.  He needs to be out and about.”

“Understood.  I’ll be going up to see Lord Zhao tomorrow.  Anything I should be aware of?”

“No.  Just be your usual diplomatic self.  I’ll be interested to have your evaluation of the gentleman.”

Liang Zhou rides off in the morning with the supply-wagons and comes back some time later, with an invitation for me and all my officers to a farewell banquet that evening.

Shao Ru groans dismally.  “Count me out.  Can’t be doing with all that bowing and scraping.  You go.  I’ll look after the shop.”

This is his usual routine and somebody’s got to stay, so I indulge him.  He goes out muttering about how some people like the high life. 

I say to Liang Zhou, “Well?”

“The little bundle was right.  Cultured, educated and probably totally ruthless.  Not surprising, considering the way he was treated back then.  I think the Prince is his only weak point.  He asked me a lot of questions about him.”

“What sort of questions?”

“Does he seem happy, how does he get on with the other men, does he have any special friends, that sort of question.  He asked about the fight too.  Almost like an anxious parent when the kid goes off to school ….”  He stops, seeing my expression.  “No!” he exclaims.  “He’s not….?”

I raise my hand to stop him.  “Remote possibility.  No proof.  Not to be mentioned.”

Liang Zhou sits on my bed, speechless.  I hand him a cup of tea.

“What about the legs?” I ask.

He comes back to himself and shakes his head.  “The Imperial Guards did a thorough job on him.  Both legs broken in multiple places.  Whoever patched him up twenty years ago did their best, but the bones are badly set and there’s nothing much to be done about that.  I prescribed an ointment and showed that steward (or whatever he is) various massage techniques and exercises.  That’ll help with the pain and strengthen the muscles, so there should be some improvement in mobility.  He offered to pay.  I refused.”

“Good.  It’s better he owes us a favour.  He might think twice about slipping anything into our food tonight.”

“You think he might?”  Liang Zhou looks alarmed.

“Put it this way.  I think he’s been testing us.  I suspect he was prepared to find a miserable and put-upon boy who needed to be rescued.  Had that been the case, I think he wouldn’t have hesitated to arrange a fatal accident for the lot of us.  Instead he finds a flourishing young man apparently well-integrated, self-reliant and happy.  So he’s had to adjust his thinking and Minister Li’s original scheme to depose the King of Qiu has been hauled out and dusted off.  I’m promised a generalship if we pull it off.”

Liang Zhou stares and exclaims, “Ye Gods, when we get home, I’m resigning.  All this plotting’s more than I can deal with.”

“You signed up because your life was boring,” I point out.

“Well, I’ve learned my lesson.  I’ll go back to my clinic and minister to the poor.”

“And I’m going to retire to my estate and take up fishing.”

“What about the generalship?”

“Fuck the generalship.”

“I’ll drink to that,” says Liang Zhou uncharacteristically.

So we do.

An hour or two later I call the sub-officers to my tent and tell them about the dinner invitation. 

“We’ll be expected to entertain our host,” I say, “So brush up your party pieces.”

Wu Shun and the Prince exchange puzzled glances.  Mo Jiang looks appalled.  He opens his mouth but I cut him off before he can come up with an excuse not to go.

“I want you all to go,” I say, “It’s good experience for everyone.  Go and get cleaned up.  If it’s any consolation, the food’s good.”