I have to admit I’m a tad curious about how revolutions actually happen and I don’t have to wait long to find out.  Two days later, we wake to find the streets full of soldiers.  Even I recognize that going out right now might be unwise.  We kick our heels till the afternoon, when a deputation comes to escort His Highness the Sixth Prince to a meeting with the higher-ups.   I have to grin at Ah-Jing's expression.  His cover’s totally blown.   The porters obviously didn’t know, while Yao Lin’s face is full of mixed emotions.  It turns out that he’d guessed some time ago but had kept it to himself.  “I hope it doesn’t make any difference to us,” he says, rather glumly.

I ruffle his hair.  “Knowing Ah-Jing, I’m sure it won’t.”

“Did you know?”

“I'd sort of guessed, but like you, I didn’t want to let on.”

He sighs.  “What do we do now?”

“Wait.  It won’t be for long.  Things will change very fast.”

I’m right and I'm wrong.  In the next few days, some things do change.  The city opens up and starts to bustle again.  The army’s got the Palace surrounded and the Third Prince has been summoned back to the capital.  But then the waiting starts again.  No doubt somebody somewhere’s making plans about government and trade and coronations and such-like, but the rest of us are just worrying about getting on with our everyday lives.  There’s no need for me to stay at the Cloud House any more, and in any case, Xinyi will be coming home soon.   What do I do now?  Return to my inn?  Or take a chance and go back to the Pavilion?  I decide to take a chance.

I find Yuan Song just back from a meeting.  “Gods above, these people ramble so much!” he grumbles, stretching his arms above his head.  “The meetings go on for ever and nobody says anything useful.”  He looks at me over his shoulder.  “I’m aching all over just from sitting still for so long.”

“Lie down and I’ll rub your back.”

He throws himself face down on the bed.  This looks promising.  I dump my belongings in a corner and take up a position astride him.  He groans with satisfaction as my hands work their way up and down his spine.

“You’ve lost weight,” I remark.  “You need feeding up.”

He says, “Mmmmm.”

I push his hair aside and get my thumbs into his shoulder-blades.  His neck's very white and smooth.  It’s too tempting.   I give in, lean forward and nibble his nape.  The reaction surprises me.  He twists round, sits up and grabs me, his mouth seeking mine and his arms going round my neck.  The kiss lasts a long time.  Then he pulls back and looks at me with the half-smile that I’ve come to find irresistible.  “Let’s bathe.”

I’m not much of a one for making love in water, but a little frolicking doesn’t come amiss.  I’ve never seen him so light-hearted.  When we eventually get back to the bed, his response is so uninhibited that it’s difficult to realize that he’s the same person I made love to so carefully on our first night together.  It means I can be a little more enterprising.  Gods, I’ve missed this.

Our encounter leaves pillows and quilts scattered all over the floor.  I gather them all up and throw them back on the bed, while Yuan Song fetches wine.  “Well,” I say, taking the proffered cup, “What now?”

“The brush-pushers are busy working out all the administrative details before the Third Prince gets here.  The strategists are planning the assault on the Palace.  Jinhai and I are being included in the meetings out of politeness, but we’re not really needed.  The only thing I can offer is the information from my network.  I’ve got people up in the north-east spying on Xu Yimu.”

I grunt.  “He’ll be a fool if he comes.  He’ll have to fight the whole Imperial army.”

“The Xu family’s a cunning bunch.  They might try to intercept the Third Prince’s party.  Or make an attempt to rescue Xu Yating and Du Xun.”

He speaks those two names with scarcely a change of expression.  I know how much that costs him.  A cold anger rises up inside me.  If those two escape, it’ll be over my dead body.

Yuan Song goes on, “In the meanwhile, there’s a mountain of paperwork to do here – enough to keep me busy till the Third Prince arrives.  I’ve neglected it in the past few weeks.”

“Anything I can do, just tell me.  I’ve got to earn my retainer.”

“I’d appreciate your escort to meetings.  And there may be some problems with suppliers to sort out.”

“Right up my street.  Just tell me when.  I have some personal affairs to see to, but I’ll do that when you don’t need me.”

The days fall into a routine.  I escort Yuan Song to lengthy meetings with administrators who spend hours chewing over the tiniest, most trivial details.  At other meetings, he and Ah-Jing try to argue against military men to whom flexibility is a dirty word.  The three of us come out of these meetings exhausted and exasperated.  If this is how government works, I can only marvel that anything ever gets done.

Yuan Song spends hours every day getting the Pavilion’s paperwork in order and managing its day-to-day activities, for with the army in town, business is booming.  I collect debts, escort money shipments to suppliers, sort out a couple of merchants who are cheating us, and add my muscle to the team that throws out unruly customers.  At night, I share Yuan Song’s bed.  It takes me a little while to realize that, although our relationship’s become a lot closer, it’s very much on a business footing and is going no further.  Yuan Song's friendly during the day and very forthcoming at night, but there’s been no word of love between us.  I’m starting to fear there may never be.  Spending so much time with him has increased my own feelings to the point where hiding them has become a serious bother.  For my own sake, I seek distance.  I take to spending more time away from the Pavilion, catching up with my friends in the city. 

My old teacher has survived the winter and the lockdowns unscathed and is enthusiastic about the change of regime.  He seems indestructible.  I'm starting to wonder if he's immortal.  

Ah-Zhen’s condition, however, has worsened visibly.  I ask Doctor Liang to visit him.  The doctor does so willingly, but when he comes out of the house, his diagnosis is as I feared.  “The old wounds have become poisoned deep inside and the poison’s taking over his whole body,” he says, looking kindly at Ah-Hua, who’s sitting clutching her apron.  “I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do except make things easy for him.  I’m very sorry.  He asked me to tell him the truth, so I did.” 

She swallows.  “H-how long does he have?”

“A few days at the most.  I’ll leave you this medicine and come back tomorrow.  If there’s a sudden change, send for me.”

Ah-Hua thanks him and goes inside, her steps dragging.  Liang Zhou says in a low voice, “It may well be quick.  You might want to stay around.”  And as I take out my money bag, he holds up a hand.  “No need.  I’m glad to do what I can for you, Sir Duan.  You saved Jinhai’s life.”

Not such a stuffed-shirt, after all.

Ah-Zhen dies the following night.  Liang Zhou, summoned too late, says that the heart has failed.  I arrange the funeral.  A number of old friends turn up to pay their respects.  Worn out by years of caring, Ah-Hua's too exhausted to cry.  Little Mu’s very silent. 

After everyone’s gone and the boy’s in bed, Ah-Hua and I sit down under the tree outside the house with a jar of wine.  “You don’t have to worry about anything,” I say.  “I’ll make sure you’re all right.”

“Ah-Bai, will you marry me?”  The question comes out of nowhere, followed by a deep blush.  “Ah,” she says, “I don’t know what I’m saying.  Sorry, Ah-Bai.”

“There’s no need to be sorry.”  I hesitate and cough.  “The thing is, there’s someone I like.”

She looks at me, caught by surprise.  “Does she like you?”

I shuffle a little on my seat.  “This person’s a man.”

For a moment she says nothing.  Then, “Ah-Zhen always thought …."  She breaks off, then goes on, “Does this person like you?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t like to ask, in case …..”  It’s my turn to break off.

“In case the answer’s No?”

I nod.

“If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”

“It’s complicated.  He’s complicated.”  I groan.  “Or maybe I’m just a coward.”

She smiles wearily.  “That’s the last thing you are.  Well, Ah-Bai, you can either carry on the way you are for ever, or take a chance on changing things.”  She drinks all the wine in her cup and fixes her gaze on me.  “If you’re not going to marry me, can you help me find a proper job?  We can’t go on living on handouts and the pittance I earn from washing and mending.  I used to be a maid in a good family, before I married.  I could do that again.”  She pours herself another cup and drinks that too.

“Sure, I can do that.  But in the meanwhile, let me help.  You and the boy need time to get over this.”

She sighs.  “I keep thinking I've got to go and settle Ah-Zhen down for the night, but then I remember.  Will you stay here tonight, Ah-Bai?  Just to keep me company, nothing else.”

“The neighbours will gossip.”

“Stuff the neighbours.”  Another cup of wine goes down.

“All right, but I’ll sleep out here.”

“Deal.  I’ll bring you a quilt.”

She staggers a little as she gets up, but manages to get inside all right.  Three cups of wine on the trot…..  Can’t blame her.  It’s been a long, hard haul. 

She doesn’t come out again, so I venture in to find her collapsed on her bed, well out of it.  I arrange her so she won’t choke during the night, and cover her up.  Then I take Ah-Zhen’s quilt off his empty bed, and go outside again.  “Don’t you worry, Ah-Zhen,” I say out loud, in case his ghost's lurking about nearby.  “They’ll be all right.  I’ll make sure of that.”

Predictably, she has a terrible hangover next day.  By the time she crawls out of bed, Little Mu and I have been shopping and have fetched in food and other supplies.  I cook up a bowl of hangover remedy and she drinks it, her face screwed up at the taste.

“Go back to bed till the headache wears off.  I’ve got to go, but send a message to the Pavilion if you need me.”

She nods, wincing.  “Thanks, Ah-Bai.  For everything.  And good luck with that person.”

I’ve been away from the Pavilion for two nights, though I did send a message to Yuan Song to tell him I was detained by personal business.  Will he say anything?  As it turns out, he merely looks up from his accounts and says, “Ah, there you are.  There are a couple of notes to deliver and we have a meeting this afternoon.”  He hands over the notes and then turns back to the accounts book.  He doesn’t even ask how my business went.

I take the notes and leave.  Delivering them doesn’t take long and since there’s quite a bit of time before the meeting, I take my sore heart to my favourite tavern, the Blue Bear, where the talk’s all about the blockade of the Palace.  The general opinion of the Bear’s patrons is that the Dowager Empress and her people will be starved out long before the Third Prince gets to the capital. 

Someone objects.  “My cousin said there are plenty of stores inside the Palace.  They’ve been stocking up for months, seemingly.  And he’s a grain merchant, he should know.”

“Perhaps they’re expecting to be rescued.  Could be why those troops are coming from the north-east.”

“They’d have to fight the whole Imperial army first.  And you couldn’t get a mouse in or out of the Palace at the moment.”

“How far away are those troops?  How many are there?”

 “I heard twenty thousand.  And for all we know they might be just up the road.”

There’s a mutter of alarm and a lot of nodding of heads.

The rumour-mongers tattle on.  “And who knows, maybe the southerners will attack too.  We’d be caught between two armies.”

“No-one’s coming from the south,” I say.  “The southerners are backing the Third Prince.”

The faces all turn towards me.  “How can you be so sure, Ah-Bai?  We were at war with them last year.”

The conversation turns to speculation about the Dowager Empress, and rapidly becomes wildly fanciful.  Everyone has a story to tell about the cruelty of this ruthless woman and her adviser, or a salacious rumour to recount about their supposed relationship.  Popular gossip now credits the two of them with the death of the old Emperor as well as that of four Imperial Princes, not to mention countless commoners and noble families such as Yuan Song’s.   Even if the half of it’s true, their deeds have been monstrous.  I keep my mouth shut, but my anger’s hardening into a deep desire for revenge.  I want payback for what happened to Yuan Song.  Personal payback.

This resolve only grows as the days pass.  I put aside any thoughts of telling Yuan Song how I feel and we carry on as before.  Time ticks past.  The people in the Palace are still refusing to surrender and there’s no sign they’re being starved of anything.  Yuan Song’s spies tell him that Xu Yimu has backed down.  No troops are on the way.   The city breathes a sigh of relief.

Then, at last, we hear that the Third Prince and his escort are approaching the capital.  A big welcome reception’s planned at General Chen’s estate.  Both Ah-Jing and Yuan Song are invited, and the kid comes to the Pavilion the night before so we can all set off together.  He’s so hyped-up at the thought of meeting his lover next day that he can barely sit still.  We’re having tea when a movement catches my eye and I look up to see a tall guy walking into Yuan Song’s courtyard as if he owns the place.  I’ve never seen him before.  “Who the hell’s that?” I ask, frowning, but before the words are even out, the kid’s off like a gazelle-hound, racing towards the newcomer.  He leaps into the guy’s arms, they embrace fiercely and then he’s swept up and they both disappear into Ah-Jing’s apartment.

“Well, I guess we won’t be seeing them for a while,” I say, turning to Yuan Song.  “I presume that’s the heroic Commander?”

Yuan Song nods, smiling.  I feel a sudden stab of envy.  If only .....  But there's no point thinking about it.

Some hours pass and the mandarin ducks don't reappear.  Instead, we get another unexpected visitor.  Yuan Song and I have just sat down to dinner when an uninvited person pushes his way belligerently into the courtyard.  He’s a good-looking young man in flashy clothes, wearing gold jewelry in every available place.  He marches up to where we’re sitting, flushed with wine and aggression.  “Are you Yuan Song?  The owner of this place?”

One of Yuan Song’s eyebrows goes up.  He takes his time replying.  “Yes, I am.  But as you can see, I’m eating with a friend.  Perhaps my manager can help you?”

“Nobody here’ll give me a straight answer to a simple question.  How much d’you charge for a whole night?  Whatever it is, I can afford it.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’m not available.”

“What’s wrong with my money?  I can pay as much as you want.  This is a brothel, or am I wrong?”

Yuan Song sighs, gets up and moves to the edge of the veranda.  “Yes, this is indeed a brothel.  There’s nothing wrong with your money.  But I’m no longer taking customers.  I’m sure one of my people will be pleased to serve you.”

The brat stares for a moment, and frowns.  “Nope, it’s got to be you.  Now I’ve seen you, nobody else will do.  Name your price.”

For some time, I’ve been feeling like punching somebody’s face and now’s my chance.  I get up and move to Yuan Song’s side.   “Are you deaf, Young Master?  Or perhaps you don’t understand our language?”

The brat goes scarlet.  “Who the fuck are you?  Nobody talks to me like that.”

“I’m this person’s protector, that's who.  Listen up, country cousin.  It doesn’t matter how rich you are.  This person isn’t available.  Find somebody else.  Now push off so we can eat in peace.”

The brat gropes for his knife. “Just come down here and put your money where your mouth is.”

So I do.  A couple of quick jabs to the midriff and a tap under the jaw and he hits the dust.  Yuan Song summons servants to take him away.  We sit down again.  We see that Ah-Jing and Liao Shan have come out to see what's going on and at Yuan Song’s invitation, they come over and join us.  The kid’s chuckling, Heheheh! as he sits down.  Liao Shan grins and compliments me on my moves.  It seems that the wealthy brat is the son of the Kong family, big wheels in the south.  They should have taught him better manners. 

Before sitting down, Liao Shan thanks us formally for taking care of Ah-Jing.  Nothing wrong with his manners.  As more food arrives, I take the opportunity to size him up.  Tall, moves like a big cat, clearly crazy about the kid.  In the streets he’s known as the hero of Qiu City and he certainly looks it.  Whatever people mean by leadership quality, he has it by the bucket-load.  But there’s humour there as well, and a wealth of experience.  I can see he’s sizing me up too.  I hope I pass muster.

We have a pleasant meal, but he has to get back to the General’s estate before midnight.  As we watch him leave, Ah-Jing’s happy face becomes almost comically miserable.  We pat him, reassure him and send him off to bed.  Yuan Song looks after him as he disappears into his apartment.  “Poor child.  It’s not over yet.  The final act’s still to come.”