Jinhai

Nobody says anything on the ride back from General Chen’s estate, but when we get to the city gate, Yuan Song suggests I return with him to the Pavilion and I agree.  This is where any news will come first.  A messenger-child’s dispatched to the Cloud House to tell Yao Lin where I am.  I retreat to my apartment and sit miserably on the bed, my head in my hands.  When will all this end?  When will Shan and I finally be together without any fear of a battle or some other disaster coming between us?  Every time I think we’re safe, another crisis looms.  And now this.  He didn’t say so, but this is certainly the most dangerous task in the whole enterprise. 

A knock sounds and Yuan Song comes in with a wine-jar and two cups.  “Don’t sit here alone brooding,” he says, “Have a drink.”

He pours the wine and hands me a cup, looking at me with kind eyes.  “He’s an experienced soldier.  He’s had more than ten years in the army.  He’ll have good men with him.  He’ll be fine.”

“I know.  But I can’t help thinking, What if?  Xu Yating won’t give in without a fight and she’s a dangerous opponent.”  I can’t help shivering, remembering her vicious words and the gloating tone of her voice all those months ago when we last met.  In spite of everything, I still feel a shudder of fear when I think of her.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Yuan Song says,  “So there’s no point worrying.  We’ll go to your doctor friend tomorrow and offer to help with the wounded.  Best to be busy.”

He’s right, of course.  But there’s still the night to get through, yet another night without Shan.  But Yuan Song in his calm way gets me through it.  We play chess, we play music, we have dinner with Qian Hu and Xinyi.  Qian Hu has been deeply affected by what happened to Xinyi and has lost some of his previous cheerful confidence.  Xinyi himself chatters away in his usual artless manner, though what this conceals is anyone's guess.  I can only hope that time and kindness will eventually heal the invisible wounds.  Duan Bai’s away on some errand of his own, but he comes back, soft-footed as ever, just before midnight.  Yuan Song won’t sleep alone tonight.  But I lie awake, wide-eyed, for some time.

I wake just before dawn from a dream I can’t remember, but which has left me shaken.  Pulling on a robe, I go to the door to get some fresh air, just in time to hear the door of Yuan Song’s apartment slide open.  A shadow slips out.  As it comes down the steps, I recognize Duan Bai in the gathering light.  He has a sword strapped to his back.  He stops on seeing me and lifts a finger to his lips.  Close up, he whispers, “Don’t waken Ah-Song.”

“You’re going to fight?”

“Yup, it’s payback time.  You two take care of each other.”

He disappears into the shadows before I can reply.  Then I turn as the door slides open again and Yuan Song comes out, barefooted, his hair loose, tying the sash of his robe.  “Where did he go?  He took his sword.”  His voice isn’t calm at all now, he sounds really rattled.

“He’s gone to fight.  He just left.”

“The fool.  Why?  This isn't his fight.  Why’s he doing this?”

“Payback.  That’s what he said."  I hesitate.  "I think he’s doing it for you.”

“I didn’t ask him to.  He'll get himself killed.”

I've never seen him this upset before.  Our roles of the previous evening are completely reversed.  Now he’s the one who’s agitated and I’m the one trying to calm him down.  I get him to go back inside, and soon the servants bring hot water and breakfast and he regains his self-possession.  But a tense frown stays between his brows.

As the early morning light spreads, we make our way through the streets, busy with soldiers, to the Liang house.  We’re welcomed, though Yuan Song's appearance causes a flutter among the female members of the household.  Liang Zhou's at his most efficient and commanding.  There’s a lot to do, preparing beds, bandages and medicines for the wounded.  Everyone's helping:  Yao Lin's there and even the girls are doing their share under Madam Liang's direction.  The atmosphere's very tense.  Rumours and speculation are rife.  We have no idea what General Tao’s strategy is, but we all reckon that a full frontal assault on the main gate of the Palace must be part of it.  There’ll be arrow wounds at first and then when they break through and start the hand-to-hand fighting, sword slashes and stab-wounds will predominate.  There’s a lot of noise in the streets, with men and wagons going to and fro, but at the back of it, we start to hear a confused roar in the distance.  We all look at one another.  The assault must be on. 

Before long, a wagon rolls in through the gates with the first of the wounded, and from the men who are able to speak, we get news.  General Tao has broken through the gate and sent men over the walls, but the Imperial Guard’s resisting strongly.

“Do you know what those bastards did?” says the soldier whose wound I’m treating.  “Some of the Guard wanted to surrender, you know, the ones who aren’t part of the Xu clan.  But the others just up and killed them.  Killed their own comrades.  Never seen anything like it.”

“So the army got inside?”

“Yes, the General battered down the gate and led us in.  They were waiting with bows and arrows, that’s how I got hurt.  But we killed a lot of the bastards.”

Thze flood of wounded men continues through the morning.  More news comes around noon, as we’re all eating a hastily-prepared meal.  There’s been vicious hand-to-hand fighting through all the Palace buildings, but the Imperial Guard has been defeated - captured or killed - except for a remnant which has taken refuge, along with Xu Yating and Du Xun, in an old armoury.

“I know that place,” I exclaim, “It’s a stone watchtower near the wall of the Palace, big, very strong.  It was turned into an armoury in the old Emperor’s day.”

“Difficult to get into, then,” says Mo Jiang.

“Very.  And if there are stores there, they could hold out for a long time.”

“Not good,” says Mo Jiang, frowning.