The competition takes place on the flat ground outside the fort.  A platform’s been set up for the dignitaries.  Today Yan Jianhong and Li Wei are sitting on the same level as the Three Lords, but slightly separate.  The fort has emptied.  All the men are sitting on the ground.  There’s a hum of eager chatter. 

The rules are simple:  two teams of three men, two passes, and the team which shoots the most arrows into the target wins.  Hou He’s looking rather less confident than on the previous evening.  The rumour that I can get four arrows into a target from horseback has gone round the fort like wildfire. 

Shao Ru and Ren Baiyi are competing alongside me.  Both are consistent performers and I have no qualms about them.  If we can win here, it’ll change our status in the fort and smooth the way for the Third Prince’s negotiations. 

The home team goes first.  This isn’t just a matter of getting arrows into a target.  It’s also a question of style and speed.  In fact, it’s a performance.  The audience quietens as Hou He’s team prepares its first run.  He goes first.  His speed’s good, his style showy, and three arrows thud into the target.  His two companions are less impressive.  They both score three hits, but they’re noticeably slower.  The audience applauds wildly, but Shao Ru snorts.

Our turn.  Moving as a team, we turn our horses toward the platform and salute.  We turn again in unison and Shao Ru sets off at speed.  Before Ah-Ru’s second arrow hits the target, Ren Baiyi’s on his way.  And as Ren Baiyi’s second arrow thuds in, I launch my run.  Nine arrows.

We’re even. 

The applause is muted.  A murmur of comment goes round the field.  Hou He’s scowling.  Up on the platform, Kong Guanyu has a smirk on his face.

Second run.  This time Hou He’s going last and I’m guessing he’s going to try for four arrows.  His two companions score three each.  There’s eager anticipation in the audience as Hou He prepares his run, but after only a few paces, I can see he’s not going to make it.  You have to shoot the first arrow from as far out as possible, which requires good eyesight and a long pull.  He leaves it too late.  He gets three into the target, but the fourth falls wide and a huge groan goes up from the watching men.

“Let’s nail it,” Shao Ru says, showing his teeth.

Shao Ru:  three.  Ren Baiyi:  three.  I make Swift dance a little, just for the hell of it.  Then we launch ourselves forward.  One arrow in.  Two.  Three.  As I pull the bowstring back for the fourth time, I hear a groundswell of noise begin.  The fourth arrow thuds in and the groundswell becomes a huge wave of sound.  Shao Ru’s waving his bow in the air.  Grinning, I lift mine in answer and the crowd goes wild.  Still in formation, the three of us advance to the platform and salute again.  They’re all on their feet applauding.  If there’s one thing soldiers appreciate, it’s professional skill, and style doesn’t hurt either.  The Third Prince is grinning like an idiot. 

Lord Kong lifts his hand and the noise dies down.  “I’ve heard about this feat but I’ve never seen anyone do it,” he says, smiling, “My compliments on your skill, Commander Liao.  And that of your men too.  You will be rewarded.”

”Thank you, my Lord,” I say and we all bow again.

But Hou He hasn’t finished yet.  He urges his horse forward and bows to Lord Kong.  “This humble person requests an opportunity to redeem his honour,” he calls, loud enough for the men nearby to hear, “I challenge Commander Liao to a sword-fight.”

Kong Guanyu leans forward, his brows raised quizzically.  “Sure about this, Ah-He?”

“Yes, Young Lord.”

Lord Kong looks at me, smiling.  “Well, Commander Liao?”

I bow, with an inward sigh.  “I accept, my Lord.  Shall we do this now?”

Lord Kong waves his hand and settles back expectantly in his seat.

Hou He’s sword is at hand.  Shao Ru fetches mine.  “Word is he’s quite useful,” he says, handing the sword over, “But almost certainly not as good as you.  Don’t kill him by mistake.”

The Third Prince is looking worried again.  We take up our positions.  I salute my opponent and Hou He, after a slight hesitation, does the same.

I’m taller than he is and I have a longer reach.  He’s several years younger and probably has an edge in speed and reactions.  After a few passes, I see that his technique’s good, but he’s rash in his attacks and leaves himself open to counter-attack.  On top of that, his sword’s a fraction too heavy and too long for him.  I really want to get this over with, but I also want to give him face, so I prolong the encounter till I see him starting to lose his composure.  He’s not used to such persistent opposition.  Time to end it.  He swings a little wildly and I duck to avoid the slash, hitting his legs hard behind the knees with the flat of my blade.  As he falls backwards, I knock the sword out of his hand high into the air and transferring my own sword to my left hand, I catch Hou He’s weapon in my right as it comes down.  It’s an unashamedly flashy move, but who cares?  The men are going mad, cheering and waving.  Holding both swords in my left arm, I walk to where Hou He’s sprawling on the ground and stretch out my free hand.  “I’ll teach you that move, if you like,” I say.

He looks uncertainly at my extended hand, then suddenly makes his mind up, reaches out and grips it.  I pull him to his feet and hand him his sword, hilt first.  Then I step back and salute him.  He returns the salute and follows me as I turn to bow to the dignitaries again.  It’s over.  The important folk get up to leave first, then the men trail back to the fort, chattering like excited housewives.  I turn to Hou He. 

“That sword, was it your father’s?”

He looks astonished.  “How did you know?”

“Was he taller than you?”

“Yes, but …”

“It’s too long and heavy for a man your height.  Your sword needs to fit you like a glove.  You won’t reach your full potential unless your weapon’s adapted exactly to your needs.  Hang that sword on the wall and keep it till you have a tall son.”

He grins.  “I have one already.  My wife’s always telling me that he takes after my father.”

“Well, then.  We’ll find you one that’s better suited.  You’ll see the difference it makes.”

“I’m getting too old for this,” I say to Shao Ru as we lead our horses back into the fort.  He chuckles.

That evening, the bath-water’s hot.  A servant delivers two boxes to our quarters and they turn out to be full of gold pieces.  A few minutes later, Ren Baiyi rushes in with Zi Wuying, their expressions disbelieving, carrying a similar box.  We count the money out into shimmering piles.

“Crap, I’ve never had this much money before in my whole life,” says Shao Ru.

Ren Baiyi’s speechless.  Zi Wuying nudges him.  “You can get married now,” he says, grinning.  Ren Baiyi flushes fiery red.

The atmosphere at the evening meal has changed totally.  Hou He’s a little wary at first, but soon starts to relax.  The others follow his lead.  The evening becomes convivial.  It looks as if we’ve been accepted.  Heaving a huge inward sigh of relief, I look over at Shao Ru and he looks back and grins.  Now it’s all up to the Third Prince. 

Negotiations start next day.  They don’t take long.  Mid-afternoon, the doors of the conference room open and the participants come out.  The three Lords are smiling broadly.  Li Wei looks satisfied.  The Third Prince looks as if someone’s hit him on the head. 

We gather in our quarters to hear the conclusions.  The Prince has gone straight back to his apartment without a word.

“Well, we got what we wanted,” Li Wei says, “Lord Kong’s agreed to continue providing financial support.  In return, we’ve guaranteed that when His Highness succeeds to the throne, the southern Lords will receive recognition of their autonomy, a treaty of mutual cooperation, favourable trade conditions and substantial remuneration.” He pauses.  “And in addition, the Prince has agreed to marry one of Lord Kong’s daughters.”

He glances at me briefly.  I’d passed on Kong Guanyu’s hint, so Li Wei at least was prepared, but it’s evident that he hadn’t enlightened the Prince.

“When?” I ask.

Li Wei coughs.  “Immediately.  Messages have been sent.  The young lady will be here in a few days.”

“Here?” Shao Ru asks.

“We’re all to stay here.  They obviously don’t want us in their main city.  And I think Lord Kong has some idea of asking Commander Liao to take a hand in training the troops.”

“So this marriage is some kind of insurance?” Ren Baiyi asks, frowning.

“Exactly.  If all goes well, Lord Kong’s daughter will be the Emperor’s consort. If she has a son, Lord Kong’s grandson will be the heir to the throne.  If we fail….  well, he has other daughters.”

“The Prince doesn’t exactly seem overjoyed,” Shao Ru remarks.

“It came as a surprise,” Li Wei says, avoiding my gaze.

“Does he have any experience with women?” Shao Ru asks bluntly.

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Oh my,” says Shao Ru.  “He’d better borrow one of Kong Guanyu’s lovelies and get some practice in.”

But the first thing that Lord Kong does, as preparations begin for the wedding, is to order the removal of all the ladies of pleasure who have found their way into the Fort.  Kong Guanyu protests in vain and then throws a fit of the sulks.  The Third Prince keeps to his apartment.  In the midst of the flurry of activity, Lord Kong invites me for the promised talk.

“Do you think he really wants to employ us?” Shao Ru asks, watching me get ready.

“Wouldn’t surprise me.  We’d be well-paid, I expect.  And it’d give us something to do over the winter.  Otherwise we’ll all get fat and lazy.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“I’ll have to accept, Ah-Ru.  We’ve got to stay on their right side.”

“I know.  The chains are golden but they’re still chains.  How long are we going to have to stay here?”

“For the winter at least.  After that, only the Gods know.  We have to figure out a way to proceed, find out what’s going on in the capital, what the mood is in the army, decide whether we can make another attempt or give it up as a lost cause.  It depends on too many things and right now we don’t have any information.”

“We’ll get news soon,” Shao Ru says stoutly.  “Good luck with Lord Kong.  You’ll need it.”

Lord Kong’s in a genial and expansive mood, not surprisingly since he holds all the cards.  I meet him in his son’s apartment, which he’s taken over for the time being.  A servant brings wine and snacks and leaves us alone.  Lord Kong begins by complimenting me again on my team’s performance in the competition.  It seems he admires not just our skill, but our teamwork and comradeship.  Then comes the proposal that we help with the training of his men during the winter.  As I told Shao Ru, I have no choice.  I accept.

He leads the talk smoothly to the taking of Qiu City.  I describe the action and he nods and asks intelligent questions.  He’s a man who appreciates strategy.  At the back of my mind, I’m wondering exactly what he’s looking to get from this meeting, because there’s surely an ulterior motive behind his interest.  It becomes clear when, at the end of my tale, he says musingly, “The Sixth Prince……”

His shrewd gaze is on me, but I say nothing.

“It sounds as if the Sixth Prince was crucial to your success.”

“Indeed so, my Lord.”

“And where does the Sixth Prince stand in relation to the current situation?”

“He’s offered public support for his brother.”

“Does he mean it?”

I know what he’s saying.  Will the Sixth Prince at any point pose a threat to his brother?  I know with a cold feeling in the small of my back that this powerful man would have no hesitation in wiping out any such threat to his chosen candidate.

“Forgive my frankness, my Lord, but are you asking if the Sixth Prince means to challenge his brother for the throne?”

Lord Kong fingers his beard and smiles.  “Well, yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking.”

There’s only one way to protect Jinhai and that's to tell the truth.  “The Sixth Prince presents no danger.  He can never take the throne because it’s not certain that he’s the old Emperor’s son.”

Lord Kong’s eyebrows rise.  “Not his son?  One has heard rumours, of course….  Did his mother commit adultery?”

“No, my Lord.  She was taken forcibly into the harem when she was about to marry another man.  The Prince was born eight and a half months later, supposedly two weeks premature.  The Prince himself believes his father is his mother’s former betrothed Lord Zhao Qian, and Lord Zhao believes the Prince is his son.  Knowing them both, so do I.”

“I see.  Well, that disposes of that problem.”  He looks at me appraisingly.  “And where does your allegiance lie, Commander?”

“My duty at present is with the Third Prince.  However my personal allegiance is to the Sixth Prince.”

“So Guanyu tells me,” he says, smiling.  “By the way, if you can shake that undutiful son of mine out of his laziness, I shall be personally indebted to you.”

“I’ll do my best, my Lord.”

Kong Guanyu’s hanging about outside the apartment as I leave.  “What did you talk about?” he demands.

“Qiu City.  The Sixth Prince.  His undutiful son.”

“What did he say about me?”

“That you’re lazy.”

“That’s what he always says.  Did you agree to train the troops?”

“Of course.  What choice did I have?”

“You’ll be well rewarded.”

“And think of all the fun we’ll have,” I say, rather sourly. 

My mind's busy with the thought that after this talk with Lord Kong, I'm going to have to tell the Third Prince the truth about Jinhai's birth.  Then another thought strikes me.

“Ah-Yu,” I say, “What’s she like, this sister of yours?”

“She’s my full sister.  We have the same birth mother.  She’s seventeen, no, eighteen now.  Clever.  Not bad-looking.  Why?”

“The Prince is panicking.  A few reassuring details might calm him down.”

Kong Guanyu grins evilly.  “Don’t tell me he’s still a virgin? And Father’s sent all my girls away!  Tell you what, I’ve got some books he might like to read.”

“No thanks,” I say, striding off.

The Third Prince is still shut up in his apartment.  I give the others a quick briefing on what was discussed.

“So,” says Shao Ru, “We’re going to have a busy winter and get filthy rich.”

“It certainly looks that way.  We start after this wedding’s over.  Oh, and by the way, don’t say anything to Kong Guanyu you don’t want his father to hear.  Sir Li, how’s the Prince?”

“Struggling with the reality of the situation,” says Li Wei.

“I may be able to help.”

I find the Prince staring dismally out of the window at the flat expanse of borderland outside.  To my surprise, he takes my revelation about Jinhai quietly.  “There were always whispers,” he says, "The Palace is a hotbed of rumours.  One doesn't know what to believe."

“His Highness wanted to tell you himself, but we had to leave before the occasion arose.  But I felt it wise to mention it to Lord Kong.”

“For Sixth Brother’s protection.  I understand.”  He sighs.  “I never thought I’d feel so helpless.  We’re totally in Lord Kong’s hands.  And now I have to marry someone I’ve never even met.”

“It’s a sensible arrangement, sir.  It guarantees Lord Kong’s support, financial and otherwise.  And you’d have to get married sooner or later anyway.”

“Yes but I don’t know anything about this girl.  Suppose she’s ….”  He stops and turns back to the window.

“She’s Kong Guanyu’s full sister, eighteen years old.  He says she’s clever and not bad-looking, which from a brother is almost a compliment.  If I may advise Your Highness, be kind and take your time to get to know her.  She’ll be very nervous at finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings, marrying a man she knows nothing about.  ”

He turns, his expression a little less dismal.  “I hadn’t thought of that.  Yes, you’re right.  Thank you, Commander.” He hesitates, says, “Commander, I ….”  and then stops.

I wait.

“I realize how much of the success of this enterprise is due to your hard work.  We wouldn’t even have got here, much less been accepted, without you and your men.  One day, I hope to be in a position to reward you fittingly.”

“It’s an honour, your Highness.  We’ll do our best to make sure you get into that position.”

“Thank you,” he says.

As I leave, I think, Poor kid.  He had no idea what he was getting himself into.  And just how we’re going to get him onto that throne is anybody’s guess.

Let’s just concentrate on surviving the winter.