The Last Concubine

By
C
ATT
F
ORD

N
OVELS

The Last Concubine

Lily White, Rose Red

A Strong Hand

Dash and Dingo

(with Sean Kennedy)

N
OVELLAS

Extreme Bull

Long Way Home

Murder at the Rocking R

Summer Fever

The Untold Want

Published by
D
REAMSPINNER
P
RESS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Published by

Dreamspinner Press

382 NE 191st Street #88329

Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Last Concubine
Copyright © 2012 by Catt Ford

Cover Art by Catt Ford

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 382 NE 191st Street #88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

ISBN: 978-1-61372-599-3

Printed in the United States of America

First Edition

July 2012

eBook edition available

eBook ISBN: 978-1-61372-600-6

To my Bodie

A
ND
so it came to pass in the Qing Dynasty during the rule of the Sun Emperor Jun that the Lord Wu Min ordered a caravan to set forth on the dangerous journey to the court of General Qiang Hüi Wei, governor of the states of Yan and Qui, bringing a gift of great value, for he was anxious to win favor and high position with the emperor. Whether he was pleased or disappointed that the designated courtiers and soldiers managed to succeed in reaching the stronghold of Qiang Hüi Wei after passing through hostile territory is lost in the passing of time. History only records that the caravan did indeed arrive in good order, and when news of such was brought to General Hüi Wei, he caused an audience to be granted in order to receive the gifts with all due ceremony in observance of the customs of the day.

“
W
HAT
do you suppose Wu Min has decided would be an appropriate gift, Hüi?” Lord Jiang asked as the two men strode through the halls of the palace on the way to the audience room.

Hüi Wei emitted a short, mirthless laugh. “Bribe, you mean. He yearns for notice from the Son of Heaven and hopes I shall procure it for him.”

“You are cynical,” Jiang observed.

“And still breathing as a result.” Hüi Wei gave his friend a wolfish grin and paused before the door. The two soldiers stationed there raised their lances to let them pass and stood with inscrutable faces, as if they could not hear the comments of the two men. “We shall see what clever lies his envoys try to promote to me.”

With that, Hüi Wei nodded and one of the soldiers drew back the curtain to reveal heavy wooden doors with iron hinges. He swung the door back soundlessly, and Hüi Wei preceded his friend and advisor into the room, emerging from behind rich damask curtains upon a dais raised above the gleaming tile floor.

He stood, an imposing figure before the envoys sent to him, muscular and powerful, his impassive face handsome but weathered by his time on the battlefield, his eyes hard as he waited for the company to fall to their knees and bend in obeisance to his commanding presence.

His expression did not change as he took in the incongruous sight of a slender, beautiful girl in the midst of the men, and his gaze moved past her without a flicker of interest. He sat upon his massive throne, rested his hands upon the snarling heads of tigers carved at the ends of the armrests, and waited in silence. As a studied insult to Wu Min’s representatives, Hüi Wei had chosen to receive them dressed in rough clothing more suitable for battle, including his leather breastplate, and wearing his sword at his side.

Lord Jiang’s voice rang out as he announced, “His imperious person, the governor of Changchun province, including the states of Yan and Qui, oath protector to the Son of Heaven, Emperor Jun, General Qiang Hüi Wei has deigned to receive the representatives of Wu Min, lord of Liaopeh province. Who speaks for Wu Min?”

One of the ornately dressed courtiers bobbed his head while still staring at his reflection in the highly polished floor and answered, “His gracious Lord Wu Min has required me to convey both his respect and a small, meaningless token of his allegiance to Qiang Hüi Wei.”

“You will refer to my Lord as the Lord General Qiang Hüi Wei or your master will be pleased to receive you back—cut into a thousand pieces,” Jiang rebuked the man sharply, using Hüi’s military title rather than his civil one as a subtle reminder.

Hüi Wei tried to keep his lips from twitching. His friend Jiang would certainly never have carried out such a threat personally unless he deemed it necessary for the security of this province, but he had convinced many of his ruthless cruelty by use of utterances such as these. Apparently, this courtier was one of them because he cringed visibly and hurried to correct his address.

“A million apologies, your Honor!” he exclaimed, his voice somewhat muffled by the necessity of speaking directly into the floor. “I meant no offense. It was but my miserable ignorance that caused me to address his Excellency the General incorrectly. I pray you will not visit revenge for my abysmal infamy upon my gracious master.”

Hüi Wei dared not glance at Jiang, but he could tell how his friend was enjoying this. “Sit up!” he ordered impatiently. “What does this Wu Min want?”

The courtier sat back upon his heels, red in the face, as if with his girth he was unused to the position of obeisance. None of the rest of his company dared to even look up, but Hüi Wei noticed the four burly soldiers who flanked the girl maintained a tight cluster around her, as if she held some high position and was therefore in constant need of protection.

“Nothing, my Lord! He dares ask nothing of you.” The courtier glanced up slyly and then fixed his gaze back at the floor. “If, in some distant future, you should be moved to grant him some small token of your favor—but he is very aware that he deserves less than nothing from you. No, we have come to present you with a gift of great value, merely to express Wu Min’s loyalty and allegiance to you, Protector of the North, and to the Son of Heaven, Emperor Jun, and—”

“General Qiang appreciates this gracious gesture, but he is an important man. He has much responsibility in the business of serving the emperor,” Jiang interrupted smoothly. “I assure you any gift from Wu Min will be greatly valued.”

The courtier seemed to recognize he was being urged to get on with it, although clearly he would have been content to listen to his own eloquence for many hours. He held up one hand. “If I may have permission to direct these miserable servants to approach the most gracious governor—”

Jiang nodded. “You may. To that line and no further.” He pointed at a line of black stone set into the floor at least ten feet short of Hüi Wei.

The courtier held up one pinkie and a manservant approached the throne on his knees, holding a small chest. He opened the chest to reveal the gleam of many silver tael piled within.

“A small offering of coin,” the courtier said, as if the amount were negligible instead of a small fortune. He lifted the ring finger on the hand still held aloft.

A second servant shuffled forward with another small chest. This time the lid was lifted to reveal the lustrous beauty of pearls of various sizes and colors that ranged from black to pink to purest white.

“Rare pearls harvested from the ocean, at the cost of many lives,” the courtier intoned. He added his index finger.

A third servant came forward to unroll a bolt of shimmering silk.

“The finest silk in all of Liaopeh province. Note the subtle beauty of the orchid flower woven into the pattern.”

Hüi Wei yawned ostentatiously upon his throne to indicate his boredom with these offerings.

The courtier looked dismayed. “These gifts are mere nothings, not worthy of the governor’s greatness. Although garnered through great personal austerity on the part of Wu Min, these tokens are too insignificant to add to your great wealth and consequence. No, the treasure Wu Min wishes to present you with is none of these. It still awaits.” Finally, he raised the middle finger on his hand.

The four soldiers got to their feet, and one held out his hand to the lady who was still prostrated in full obeisance. She rested her hand upon his brawny forearm as lightly as a hummingbird in flight and rose gracefully, her gaze properly cast down and veiled by her lashes. The soldiers led her forward and stood ringing her as if guarding her from imminent attack. Her blue cheongsam was embroidered in gold with dragons and phoenixes, and the dark color served to set off her ivory beauty.

In a hushed voice, the courtier spoke as if so impressed with himself he could hardly bear the significance of what he was saying. “Wu Min has made the most profound of sacrifices to offer you his half sister, the Princess Zhen Lan’xiu, to be your wife.”

Hüi Wei didn’t even glance in the girl’s direction. “Thank your master, but I could not accept a gift that would deliver such cruel pain to the giver. The sentiment is gracious, but the sacrifice is unnecessary. I do not need Wu Min to choose my wife for me.”

The courtier hurried into flustered speech. “He means no offense! It is known that your Greatness already possesses a wife and several concubines! Wu Min had no thought of the Princess Lan’xiu displacing any of these revered ladies. No! In fact, you may use her as you wish and cast her aside if she displeases you!”

Jiang asked, “Does he undertake to accept this gift back if she is found to be defective?”

Shocked, the courtier said, “She is untouched! Chaste and pure! The most beautiful maiden to be found in all Liaopeh! None who see her fail to fall under the spell of her beauty. Her nature is modest and demure! And she has been most carefully guarded. There have been no sly trysts by moonlight to despoil her purity—”

Hüi Wei said in a bored tone, “You will give Wu Min my thanks for his impressive tributes. I am sure it has cost him much pain to part with his sister.”

“Oh, it has, it has,” the courtier assured him in an oily voice. “If only you would agree to accept these humble gifts, it would bring him such pleasure as to negate the torment—”