Border Town’s one of those places that spring up like weeds in the debatable lands between countries.  Founded several decades ago, it now bustles with merchants, dealers, pleasure-houses, gambling dens, inns and every kind of grafter under the sun.  Ten years ago the Empire decided to dump a garrison here and the unlucky person currently in charge of it is an old friend of mine, Bai Ping.

So the first thing I do when we reach Border Town is to ride in to find him.  Only military personnel are allowed to bring horses inside the walls.  I flash my Commander’s token at the gate and I’m waved straight through.  I find the command post with no trouble.  Bai Ping’s sitting in a small hot office staring glumly at a pile of scrolls. 

“Still hate the paperwork?”  I say, leaning against the doorpost.

He looks up, his mouth falls open and he jerks to his feet, a little unsteadily.  As he rushes forward to greet me, I realize why.  He’s been drinking.

“Ah-Shan, it’s really you.  It is really you, isn’t it?”

“It’s really me.  How’ve you been?”

“By the Gods, if you knew how glad I am to see you.  A drink, let’s have a drink.”

He fumbles for cups and a jar of alcohol and pours two shots.  It’s only mid-afternoon, but for the sake of politeness, I drink with him.

“How long’s it been since we last met?  Two and a half years since we both got promoted and for two of them I’ve been stuck here in this crappy place.  What have you been up to?”

“Fighting bandits in the badlands."

“You haven’t changed a bit,” he says enviously, pouring himself another drink.

He has.  His face is puffy and pale.  He’s overweight.  He’s sweating and his uniform’s slovenly.  The drinking habit seems well-established.

“Just looking at you brings back so many memories,” he says.  “I miss the capital.  I miss my family.  I miss everything.  I spend my time getting cheated by the bloody townspeople and the bloody merchants who won’t pay their tolls.  It’s either too hot or too cold and there are flies and scorpions and bloody Tibetans threatening to come down off their mountains and massacre us.  I want to go home.”

“How long’s the posting?”

“Three years,” he says despairingly.  “My family was working on the old Emperor to get me recalled, but now he’s gone and died, it’s all to do again.  Talking of which, there’s something here for you.  Orders from the capital.”

He rummages in the pile of scrolls, extracts one and hands it to me.

It tells me that the new Emperor Yan Yijun has received evidence that King Wang Meng of Qiu has been negotiating with the Tibetan leaders and I’m therefore instructed to deal with him as I see fit and claim the Kingdom of Qiu for the Empire.  Simple, really.

“Bad news?” says Bai Ping.

“A change of mission.  Not unexpected.”

“Ah yes, you’re supposed to be delivering bribes to old Wang Meng up his mountain, aren’t you?  I heard reports about one of the gifts you’re bringing.  An Imperial beauty, from what I hear.” 

The news from Jiayuguan Pass has travelled fast.

“Well, as I said, there’s been a change of plan.  I’ll need to have all the intelligence you’ve got on Wang Meng and Qiu City.”

“Will do.  How long are you staying?”

“A few days.  Long enough to get some rest and recreation before we push on.”

“Ah well, I can tell you all the best places to go.  Tell you what, I’ll organize a banquet for you and your officers.  I know a great little restaurant by the river.  And if it’s recreation you want, the Lotus Garden’s the best place to go.”

“Yes, so they tell me.  Do you know anything about the owner?”

“Never met him.  Nobody has.  Complete mystery.  But the place is my only consolation.  The girls are all cute and the food’s good.  Just like the Cherry Blossom Pavilion back home.”  He sighs and pours himself another cup.

“You ought to get married.  You'd have home-cooking and someone to take care of you.”

“How can I?  There are only half a dozen noble families here and none of them have daughters of the right age.”

“Marry a rich merchant’s daughter.”

“My family wouldn’t allow it.”

“Rock and hard place.”

He laughs ruefully and looks at me.  “It’s really good to see you, Ah-Shan.”

We’re interrupted by a thin, wiry young man who comes in with news of a disturbance over in the merchant quarter.  The newcomer’s introduced as Bai Ping’s second-in-command, Ren Baiyi.  He has an attractively irregular face and looks intelligent.  He catches sight of the wine-cups on the desk and frowns.

“Just celebrating with an old friend,” Bai Ping says hurriedly.  “Sorry, Ah-Shan, got to go and sort this out.  I’ll send you the info in a day or two.  And let’s not forget about dinner.”

In a complex mood, I ride back to where the troop’s setting up camp and call Shao Ru and Liang Zhou to brief them on the new orders.  We draw up a leave schedule so all the men can get a chance to taste the delights of Border Town.  Some Commanders forbid their men from frequenting pleasure-houses and gambling dens, but I reckon you might as well try and stop water with your bare hands.  I work my men hard and they deserve a reward from time to time, even if there are broken heads and hangovers to deal with afterwards.  They know the penalties for serious misbehavior and most of them keep in line, most of the time.

My next priority’s to contact the owner of the Lotus Garden, so I decide to go there the next evening.  I intend to take the three younger sub-officers, firstly because they deserve a break as much as anyone and secondly because every young man needs experience.  I know the Prince is inexperienced and I’m guessing the same goes for Wu Shun.  Mo Jiang I’m not sure about.  The two other Young Masters are both long-time frequenters of places like the Lotus Garden and can take care of themselves. 

I never enquire where Shao Ru goes to play.