Earlier - the Commander

 

The two Young Masters are looking decidedly uncomfortable as we enter the Lotus Garden, but they liven up considerably once in the bathing-room.

When I was paying for the night’s pleasures, I handed Minister Li’s dragon ring to the woman at the door, with a request to see the owner of the house.  While I’m bathing, someone comes to tell me that my request has been granted.  I dry my hair as best I can, put on the proffered robe, and follow the servant to a small secluded courtyard at the back of the house.  The servant pulls the sliding door open and bows me in. 

I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I suddenly realize that I really should have expected this.  The owner of the Lotus Garden, like the owner of the Cherry Blossom Pavilion, is a young woman.

She’s seated behind an ornate carved desk, but when she sees me, she gets up, comes forward and bows.

“Commander Liao, my house is honoured.”

“The honour’s mine,” I reply automatically.

We size each other up.  She’s tall and long-limbed, classically beautiful with an oval face and upturned eyes.  She’s dressed formally, in contrast to the other women I’ve seen in the house.  She’s extremely self-possessed.

“Please be seated, Commander.”

“Thank you.  How may I address you?”

“I’m known as Lady Lianhua.”

We sit at a low table and silent servants bring wine and cups.  Lady Lianhua pours and we toast one another.

“Can we be overheard?” I ask, sipping.

She smiles.  “Not here.  You can speak freely.”

“Do you have information for me?”

“I know what orders you’ve received.  What do you need to know?  Do you have a plan?”

“From what I know, Qiu City allows no armed men inside the walls.  And Qiu Palace is a fortress that has never been taken.  So I need to get someone inside the Palace.  If we could hold Wang Meng hostage, we could trick the guards into opening the city gates and get men in.  I’m told that Qiu has no standing army, only fifty to a hundred armed guards.”

“More like sixty.  At least half of them are Tibetans, including the captain of the guard.  How many men do you have?”

“Two hundred.”

“That should be enough.” she says.

“It would be good to get some men into the city ahead of time.  Is there a market day?”

“Yes.  Once a week, people from the neighbouring area bring their goods to the city to sell them.  But Wang Meng’s obsessed with security, so everyone’s searched.”

“Do you have anyone inside the Palace?”

“Yes, I do.  And people in the town.”

“What kind of person is Wang Meng?”

“A man in middle age who’s exhausted every vice.  He’s thought to abuse drugs, particularly aphrodisiacs, and his health’s uncertain.  He had a Tibetan grandmother, which may explain his sympathies with the ambitions of the Tibetan people.  They want to regain control of the trade road and he’s bribing them with the promise of land.  If they succeed, there would be nothing to stop them invading east into the Empire.”

“Hence the Imperial bribery,” I say, frowning.

“With the person of the Sixth Prince,” she replies gently.  “The rumours didn’t lie.  The boy is indeed beautiful.  A face that many women would envy.  But of course, if you capture the Kingdom of Qiu, he’ll be safe.”

How much does this woman know? 

Before I can answer, abruptly, she changes tack.  “But I’m neglecting the courtesies.  You haven’t eaten.  Will you do me the honour of dining with me?”

I’m not sure what I’m letting myself in for, but I need the information she can give me.  I accept.  Smiling, she claps her hands and people immediately enter with food.  I realize how hungry I am.  Gracefully, she refills our cups.

“To successful cooperation,” she says.  “You realize of course,” she adds, as we begin to eat, “that the Garrison Commander in Border Town’s incompetent and the soldiers are demotivated and badly-trained.  You can’t count on them to be any help at all.  And the garrisons at Jiayuguan Pass and Yumen are too far away.  You’ll be acting on your own.”

“We always are.  I’m more interested in the training of the Qiu royal guard.”

“There are swordsmen and lance-men, but few archers.  The captain of the guard’s called Thokmay.  He’s a formidable warrior and has some kind of clan-relation to Wang Meng’s grandmother.  He’s about the same age as Wang Meng and has been with him for over twenty years.  By all accounts, the guard’s very efficient, but ruled by terror, as is everything else in the Palace.  Thokmay has a reputation for cruelty, like his master.”

“Anyone else of influence around the King?”

“The master of his household and personal attendant, a Chinese person named Yi Yong.  A venal and greedy man with no martial training.”

“Is there any gossip from the capital that I should know about?”

“The new Emperor’s an indecisive man who relies heavily on our friend for guidance, which doesn’t please the Dowager Empress.  At the moment, her faction’s in decline, as many officials have rallied to the new Emperor.  But given Xu Yating’s personality, it’s likely she’s just biding her time.  As Empress Dowager, she has considerable power and will no doubt try to win back support.  As I’m sure you know, harvests this year are poor and there’s already hunger and discontent in the country areas.  How the Emperor deals with this may prove crucial.  As you probably also know, the new Emperor has the backing of the army.”

“How solid is the proof of Wang Meng’s dealings with the Tibetans?”

“We have sworn witness statements, which have been sent to the capital.  Wang Meng has met with envoys from the Tibetan capital on several occasions.  These meetings took place in a secret location in the mountains, but my people were able to infiltrate.  At this stage there seem to be no fixed plans for an invasion.  They’re still talking about the terms.”

“What’s the road like up to Qiu City?”

“It’s a three-day journey, a gradual climb, passable for wagons.  The city isn’t actually in the mountains.  It’s clustered round the foot of an outcrop and the palace is built on the top. 

“It’s a pity we can’t fly.”  I say.  “Have you got a plan of the city?”

She rises gracefully, goes to her desk and produces a detailed plan.  We clear a space on the table and pore over the plan together.  She’s very close.  I smell a pleasant fragrance of flowers.

“Just inside the city gate there’s a large square which houses military barracks and stables.  That’s where they hold the market and also where public executions and punishments take place.  Behind that there’s a muddle of streets that lead upwards towards the Palace.  When you arrive, you won’t be able to enter the city with all your men.  They’ll allow you to bring in the wagons carrying the tribute, but the greater part of your men will remain outside the gate.  You won’t be invited into the Palace.”

She leans forward and her hair brushes my arm.  “There’s a narrow road up to the Palace gate.  A horseman can go up, or two armed men abreast.  The Palace gate’s fortified and very strong.  Once inside, there’s a courtyard and steps leading up to the building itself.  ”

“Is there any other way into the Palace?”

“There’s access from the plateau at the back.  There’s a way up to the plateau from the valley but it’s long and difficult.  If you want to get men up there, it’ll take two or three days and you’ll need a guide.”

She claps her hands and the attendants scurry in and clear the table.  They bring fruit and more wine, then disappear.  Lady Lianhua looks at me over her cup.

“What are you going to do about the Prince?” she asks.

“Delay.  I think a diplomatic illness is called for.  The strain of the journey and so on.  That’ll give us time to check out the terrain and prepare the attack.  He won’t be involved.”  I put my cup down.  “Where is he, right now?”

She smiles.  “There’s no need to worry.  I’ve sent him a charming little sister of his own age, a kitten with no claws.  She’ll take very good care of him.”  She sees me frowning and asks, “Are you displeased?”

“No.  That’s why I brought him here.  He needs experience.  He was a virtual prisoner in the Palace for years and denied everything a young man of his age should have.  Four months is a very short time to make up for it.”

“You’ve handled him wisely.  You show great concern for him.”  She tilts her head back and looks at me with amusement in her eyes.  “Or is it more than that?” she asks in a soft voice.  “Back there in the bathing room, you showed rather more than concern, from what I hear.”

Damn.  The sight of the Prince in a soaked and transparent robe had provoked the inevitable response.   I thought no-one had noticed, but I should have known better.  In places like this, the walls have both ears and eyes.  Lady Lianhua reaches a hand towards my chest, but I catch her wrist before she can touch me.

“You desire him,” she says softly.

How can I deny it?

“Commander Liao,” she says, “A bow that’s strung too tightly will finish by breaking.  Your mind must be clear for you to carry out your orders successfully.  I’m not the person you desire, but I can perhaps bring you some relief.”

She rises and gently pulls me to my feet.  The bed isn’t far away.  She pushes me down to sit on the edge and with quick gestures, she sheds the formal robe she’s wearing.  What’s underneath isn’t formal at all.  In fact, it’s not even a robe. 

“Imagine,” she says, “that I’m your little Prince.”

With two swift movements, she’s sitting on my lap, her long legs around my waist.  Bending her head, she brushes my lips with hers.

“Let me show you how to pleasure him,” she murmurs.

Her words and actions break down my hard-held defences and sweep away my self-control, as she no doubt intended they would.  As I crush her body against me, my heated mind sees the image of the Prince and I can’t hold myself back.  I hear her laugh excitedly. 

It’s a very long night.

In the morning, I’m wakened by the sound of soft voices and the chink of crockery.  The muslin curtains round the bed are closed, but I can see vague female shapes moving around outside.  I hope they can’t see inside the curtains, because I’m lying here naked.  I sit up and search round for clothes.  There aren’t any.

A hand sweeps the curtain back and Lianhua's there, smiling.

“Can I tempt you to another round?” she asks teasingly, her eyes drifting downwards.

“This humble soldier’s honoured but has been comprehensively defeated and begs leave to be excused."

She laughs.  “My bathing-room’s next door.  Go and bathe.  Breakfast’s waiting.”

I do as I’m told.  Not only is there hot bath-water, but a servant’s waiting to shave me and afterwards, a clean uniform is presented to me with a low bow.  When I rejoin Lianhua, she’s at her desk, writing.

“Eat,” she says.  “Your maps are there, with our friend’s token.”

She finishes her letter, folds it and slips it into an envelope.  “I’m very pleased with you,” she says, her eyes dancing.  “Because of you, I’ve won a bet.”

“What bet?”

“A bet with my little sister in the capital.”

I nearly drop my cup as a connection falls into place.  I should have known. 

“You’re Ma Lingxin’s sister?” 

“Indeed I am.  My real name is Ma Xiuying.  Xinxin and I send each other letters.  I know many things about you.”

“So Xinxin’s also part of our friend’s network?”

“Of course.  You hadn’t guessed?”

I groan.  “But you’re not going to tell our friend about….”

“Of course not,” she says.  “Bed-matters aren’t at all what he’s interested in.”

“Did he bankroll you and Xinxin?”

“In the beginning.  Now of course the businesses pay for themselves.  He takes no profit.  The information we send him is worth a fortune in the game he plays.”

“Which is?”

“Power.”

“A game for fools.”

“There are many fools.  We’re all affected by their actions, whether we like it or not.  Doesn’t power interest you, Commander Liao?”

“Only the power to live the way I want.”

“And you a soldier,” she says musingly, “Obliged always to follow orders.  Commander, you’re in the wrong business.”

“So I’m starting to think.  Lady Ma, this humble soldier thanks you for your extreme kindness towards him.  If ever I can repay you, you have only to ask.  But now I must go and find my young men.”

“Your young men are well.  If you’re interested, your little Prince proved perfectly adequate, but scarcely seemed carried away by the experience.  In fact, he conducted himself rather in the manner of a scientific enquiry.”

I can’t suppress a laugh.  “Yes, that sounds just like him.”

She picks up something in the tone of my voice and her eyes sharpen.

“You don’t just want him, do you?” she says, “You love him.”

I can’t meet her eyes.  “I’m his commanding officer,” I say.

“But you won’t be that forever.”

I can’t discuss this with her.  I rise and salute and she responds in kind.

“Call on me if you need help,” she says.

The young men and I are silent as we walk back through the streets to the command post to pick up our horses.  A few people are out, clearing away the litter left by the previous night’s revelers.  The early morning air’s cool.  Young Master Wu has a little smile on his face and is humming to himself as he goes.  The Prince is looking thoughtful.  As we’re about to mount up, officer Ren Baiyi comes out in a hurry and presents me with a sheaf of documents.

“The information you asked for about Qiu, sir,” he says, bowing.

“That was quick,” I remark, “Well done.”

“Thank you, sir.  Commander Bai wishes me to say that he hopes you and your officers will do him the honour of dining with him at the Jade House restaurant this evening.”

I thank him and accept.  I introduce him to my two young men and they exchange bows, smiles and friendly words.  Then we ride back to camp.

“All shagged out?” Shao Ru asks, as I fall onto my bed with a groan.  “No need to answer,” he adds.

“Not worthy of an answer.   Dinner this evening courtesy of Commander Bai.  Jade House restaurant.  All officers invited, including you.  Pass the word round then piss off and let me sleep.”

“Ah-Shan, there’s discrimination here.  You can get shagged but I can’t?  Not fair.”

“You can get shagged tomorrow.”

“I want to get shagged tonight.”

He dodges out as I throw the pillow at him.  Where did he learn a word like “discrimination”?