We’re off early next day to the welcome reception.  Both Ah-Jing and Yuan Song have dressed up for this and they look stunning.  By coincidence, we arrive after everyone else and they make a jaw-dropping entrance.  I already know Generals Chen and Tao, but this is my first time meeting the Third Prince.  He’s young, but manages to be both dignified and affable at the same time.  If all goes well, this young man will be the next Emperor.  I’m moving in exalted circles these days.  I wonder what my Dad would have thought.     

There’s a gaggle of ministers and various other people I don’t know, but Liao Shan greets me and introduces a plain, tough-looking individual, his second-in-command, Shao Ru.  “Ah,” this person says, “You’re the guy who saved the little bundle.”

“Little bundle?”

Liao Shan smiles and indicates Ah-Jing, who’s talking animatedly to a smiling young man in official’s robes. 

“And you decked Young Lord Kong,” pursues Shao Ru with an evil grin.  “Good on you.”

“It was a pleasure,” I reply, truthfully. 

Shao Ru chuckles.  “Serves the bastard right.  Wish I’d seen it.”

“I could do it again,” I suggest.

They both grin.

The meeting’s called to order.  I take up my position behind Yuan Song’s chair and prepare to be bored.  My expectations are fulfilled.  People are far too fond of the sound of their own voices.  Eventually the meeting breaks up, everyone starts milling around and refreshments appear.  Yuan Song and Ah-Jing sit down together under a tree in the courtyard and start chatting. 

A mocking voice sounds not far off, unpleasantly familiar.  “Look very close, don’t they?  You sure your little Prince hasn’t been playing away?”

I peer round.  Kong Guanyu’s needling Liao Shan.  My eyebrows shoot up.  Does he feel no fear?  This is provoking a tiger.  But there's no explosion.  Liao Shan merely turns his head and says gravely,  “Ah-Yu, you’re embarrassing yourself.”

As Kong Guanyu scowls and walks off, I move to Liao Shan’s side.  “Don’t listen to that asshole.  Yes, they’re close.  They got close when the kid was injured.  Ah-Song looked after him like a mother.”  I debate whether or not to confide in him and something in his calm gaze decides me to go ahead.  “Terrible things happened to Ah-Song.  He only just survived, but he had to suppress his feelings to do it.  Somehow that kid managed to get under his guard, made him human again.  Lucky for me.”

“You care for him.”  There’s sympathy in his voice, and suddenly, to my own amazement, I find myself telling him about my feelings for Yuan Song.  What’s come over me?  First I confess to Ah-Hua and now to this man whom I barely know.  But his eyes are kind.  I know without being told that he’ll keep the confidence to himself.

 We're interrupted by General Tao.  “Commander Liao, please join us for the strategy discussion.  We’ll go to General Chen’s office.”

I see from Liao Shan’s face that this is unwelcome news.  He touches my shoulder briefly, excuses himself and follows the General.  Across the courtyard, Ah-Jing’s looking anxiously after them.  As I go over, he asks, “Where’s Shan going?” 

“Strategy meeting.”

“Surely they’re not going to ask him to do anything more?  Hasn’t he done enough already?”

“They’ll want to squeeze out the last drop of blood.”  Shao Ru joins us, his face cynical.  He pats the kid’s shoulder.  “Don’t worry, little bundle.  Where he goes, I go.  I’ll take care of him.”

“I know.”  Ah-Jing smiles, but the smile’s a bit wobbly.

An idea hits me.  If these guys get a job to do, maybe I can tag along and find a way to put my plan for revenge into action.  So when the strategy meeting ends, which it does very soon, I strain my ears to overhear what Liao Shan’s saying to a dismayed Ah-Jing.  He’s been ordered to capture Xu Yating and Du Xun. 

This is my chance.

Outside, people are calling for their horses and getting into their carriages.  Yuan Song’s already in the saddle.  Liao Shan gives Ah-Jing a leg up and they exchange a few words.  From where I am, I see that he can hardly bear to let the kid go.  I look away, wishing I could see that expression on Yuan Song’s face.

“You guys go on.  I’ll catch up,” I say over my shoulder.

Liao Shan’s face is grim as he watches Ah-Jing ride off.  I approach him, reins in hand.  “I want to go in with you tomorrow.”

He looks at me searchingly.  “Why?”

“Scores to settle.  I’ll obey orders.  I won’t hinder you.”

After a second, he nods.  “All right.  Be outside the Palace gate at daybreak.”

“Understood.  Thanks.”

Back at the Pavilion, I tell Yuan Song that I’ve got some personal things to take care of, and leaving him to cheer up the miserable little bundle, I take to the streets.  I’m going to need my sword.  I don’t usually carry it around with me because a sword’s a hindrance when you’re climbing walls or running about on roofs.  I don't like leaving it in my room at the Carp Inn in case it gets stolen, so I leave it at my old teacher’s house.  That way it's handy when I go for training sessions.  As I take it out of its sheath and start to clean and sharpen it, the old man looks at me beadily.  “What’re you planning, Ah-Bai?”

“I’ve got a debt to pay.”

“With your sword?”

I nod.

“Who’s your opponent?”

I explain.  He purses his lips.  “You’re a match for any Imperial guard, but from what I hear, Du Xun’s no pushover with a blade, eunuch or no eunuch.”

“It probably won’t come to a face-to-face encounter.  But I want to be in at the kill.”

He frowns.  “What did they do to you?”

“Nothing.  But they did a whole lot to someone I care about.”

“Ah,” he says. 

I take out a money pouch and put it on his table. 

“What’s this?” he asks, the frown deepening.

“For you.  Just in case.”

He looks at it for a moment and then pushes it back to me.  “Not necessary.  You’ll be coming back.”

My throat tightens.  I seize his spare body in my arms and hug him.  Startled, he protests, Fufufu, and pushes me away.  “Remember everything I taught you,” he says, shaking the creases out of his robe. 

I leave before my feelings betray me any further, hoping he won’t notice that I’ve left the money pouch on the table.  But as I go past his window, the pouch flies out and hits me on the head.

“Stubborn old goat!” I call and his voice floats out in reply.  “That's why I've lived this long!”

Next stop is Ah-Hua’s cottage.  She’s up to her elbows in washing, face red from the heat.

“I told you, you don’t need to do this,” I protest. 

She shoves the hair back from her hot forehead.  “Best to keep busy.  Why are you wearing your sword, Ah-Bai?”

“I’ve got a job on.  Came to leave you this.”

She looks at the money-pouch and frowns.  “Is this job dangerous?”

“Could be.  Don’t refuse, Ah-Hua.  I’ve already had the old man throw my money back in my face.  Take this for the boy, if not for yourself.”

Reluctantly, she takes the bag.  “How dangerous?” she asks, sticking to the point as she always does.

“No way of knowing.  I’m going to leave a letter with – with the person I’m fond of.  He’ll see you’re all right.  Find you a job, in case …..”

“In case anything happens to you?”

I nod.  Her eyes fill with tears and she comes over and hugs me.  “You’re a fool, Ah-Bai.  But you’re a good friend.  Come and see us when – when your job’s finished.”

“I will.  Look after yourselves.”  I turn away and then stop.  “Nearly forgot.  This is for the kid.”  And I hand her a bag of candied fruit.

After all this emotion, I need a drink, so I take refuge in the Blue Bear, where I’m welcomed by rowdy friends who have no idea what’s in my mind.  Their uncomplicated company is just what I need.  We drink, play dice and gossip, just like in the old days, though I know, deep down, that for me the old days are gone for ever.  But as I walk back to the Pavilion, my mind’s clear.  I know what I’m doing.

Yuan Song’s asleep when I come in.  I sit at his desk and quickly write a message asking him to take care of Ah-Hua and the old man if anything happens to me.  As I slide into bed beside him, he turns to me with a sleepy mutter and reaches out.  I pull him gently into my arms and he mutters something else and grips my night-robe.

“Go to sleep,” I murmur, dropping a kiss on his head.  He quietens down, as he always does at the sound of my voice.

I wake just before dawn, light one small candle, dress quietly and strap on my sword.  Then I crouch down by the bed and take a last look at Yuan Song before leaving.  His face is quiet in the candlelight.  “I’m going now,” I say softly.  “If you knew what I was doing, you’d say I was crazy, but I’ve got to do this.  I’m going to lay your ghosts to rest once and for all.  I love you.” 

It’s so easy to say when he’s asleep.

I blow out the candle, slide the door open and step out into the chilly pre-dawn.  I’m not the only one up.  Ah-Jing’s on his veranda, obviously unable to sleep.  I put a finger to my lips.  “Don’t waken Ah-Song.”

His face is pale in the half-darkness.  “You’re going to fight?”

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

The city streets are quiet, but round the Palace, there’s a tremendous bustle.  General Tao’s gearing up for a direct assault on the gate.  Liao Shan and his men aren’t involved in this.  He’s got about twenty soldiers, plus Shao Ru, who throws me a friendly greeting, and Kong Guanyu, who looks the other way.

I’ve never been involved in a military action before.  I have to say it’s exciting.  They rush the gate with battering rams and General Tao leads the men in himself, while other men enter the Palace over the wall.  It’s a vast complex of buildings and it takes some time to clear it all out.  We know they’ve achieved their objective when soldiers start to escort panicky servants and eunuchs out through the ruined gate.  We move in.  There are a lot of bodies about.  No prisoners have been taken.

Liao Shan’s summoned to speak to General Tao.  We wait silently.  He comes striding back and says, “Gather round.  Our targets were Xu Yating, Du Xun and Yan Rong.  Well, it seems that Yan Rong’s already dead.  The other two have taken refuge in a guard-tower near the Palace wall, together with around thirty Imperial guards.  Let’s go take a look.”

The tower’s squat, square, and very close to the wall.  Liao Shan asks for ideas.  The gossip I heard at the Blue Bear pops into my mind.   “The wall’s conveniently close,” I say.  “Could they be expecting a rescue attempt?  Get up that wall and get a ladder across…..?”  That’s the way I’d do it, if it were me.

“Good point.  I’ll tell the General, suggest he posts men outside the wall.”

“It could be a way in for us,” I go on.  “There’s a nice flat roof.”

The idea catches on.  Suggestions fly.  Get across with ladders, break through a trapdoor, disable the guards inside.  How? 

“Smoke,” says Shao Ru. 

“Snakes,” says Kong Guanyu.

Even I have to admit, reluctantly, that it’s a good idea.  Perhaps this guy’s not such a waste of space after all.

Liao Shan has an admirable strategic brain.  His plan comes together.  The General approves.  The assault on the tower’s planned for dawn tomorrow and in the meanwhile, we start harassing the people inside the tower with fire-arrows.  The bow isn’t my weapon, but it’s obviously Liao Shan’s.  He takes a long shot at one of the people on top of the tower and nails him.   There’s a cheer from the rest of the men.

“Is there anything he can’t do?”  I ask Shao Ru, awed.

The grin appears again.  “Wait till you see him fight with a sword.”

It won’t happen today.  Darkness falls and we repair to the temporary camp kitchen to eat.  All’s ready for the morning, even a box of snakes which everyone avoids, though Shao Ru swears on his honour that the snakes aren’t poisonous.  He’d better be right.  I join Liao Shan and Shao Ru with my bowl of food.  To my surprise, Doctor Liang’s with them, wearing a doctor’s cap and apron, rather bloodstained.  But of course, they’re old comrades, he was a doctor in Liao Shan’s troop before.  They don’t talk about what we’re going to do tomorrow.  Instead, they talk quietly about the trip to Qiu City and the time they spent there together.  It sounds as if they were all happy there.  I feel a little envious.  But they seem to have accepted me as one of them, and I bunk down for the night feeing oddly contented at being part of this.