The Last Concubine (18 page)

“No, don’t,” Hüi ordered, staring at him intently. “I like the idea of my seed wet against your silken panties, dripping out of you while we sit and converse.”

“Very well, my Lord.” Lan gave him a demure smile and sat beside him on the bench again while Hüi adjusted his clothing.

“Do you like that too?”

“Yes,” Lan said softly. “Anything that makes me feel I am yours. When you leave marks upon my body, I touch them the next day and remember—”

Speechlessly, they stared at each other once again, until Lan’xiu sighed with regret. It surely must be time for Hüi Wei to leave him.

“Would you like tea before you go?” Lan made as if to rise to ring for Ning.

“Wait, my love.” Looking embarrassed, Hüi handed Lan’xiu a small package wrapped in red silk.

It was surprisingly heavy in Lan’s hand. When he unwrapped it, he gasped at the sight of glittering diamonds and rubies. “These are so beautiful! These are… for me?”

“I had them made for you,” Hüi said almost shyly. “I noticed you don’t have much jewelry, even though what you have is very nice—” He broke off in confusion but relaxed at the delighted smile on Lan’s face. In a rush, he said, “You should have something as beautiful as you are, something that draws attention to your exquisite face.”

“Thank you.” Lan lifted the earrings to admire them in the light. “The rubies are like fire! And the diamonds sparkle like the stars at night.”

“Put them on so I can see them on you,” Hüi suggested.

Lan removed the turquoise earrings and ran to his dressing table to put them in their box. He put the new earrings in the holes in his ears and tilted his head to watch the graceful sway of the jewels in the mirror.

A diamond lily framed an oval ruby at the top, joined by a chain to a bell-shaped center medallion. A larger ruby held the center, surrounded by pear-shaped and round diamonds. The bell had two pearls dangling from the bottom, while at the center another chain led to a cup-shaped ornament studded with diamonds. This cup was turned upside down and from the bottom, ruby beads circled the circumference.

He turned to let Hüi see the effect.

Hüi smiled with pleasure. “The diamonds light up your face with happiness.”

“It is not the diamonds that make me happy,” Lan replied, casting his eyes downward, trembling at his forwardness.

“What is it, then?” Hüi got up and came to Lan’xiu and took him into his arms.

For minutes that seemed without end, Lan was content to simply remain within the embrace of the strong arms that circled him. He could feel the thump of Hüi’s heart and realized that his was beating in time. His emotions threatened to overwhelm him, and he didn’t know how to answer. That he was happy to be with Hüi? That Hüi had wanted to give him a present? Finally, he answered simply. “You. You make me happy.”

“As you have made me happy, my Lan’xiu,” Hüi answered.

Lan laid his head on Hüi’s broad shoulder, all thoughts of the earrings forgotten. Hüi was happy with him, and all else had no meaning in time.

Hüi cupped his chin and made Lan look at him. “I don’t really want to hurt you. What I said before about the pain on your face, I would never truly harm you. I don’t know why I like it.”

Slowly, Lan said, “I do, my Lord. It is a sign by which you may measure my desire for you. I know it will hurt and yet I cannot help myself; my need to be possessed by you outweighs the pain.”

“Yes. That is it.” Hüi sighed in satisfaction. “You understand me as no one ever has. And will you let me see that exquisite expression when I first cause you pain to give you pleasure?”

“Whenever you like, Hüi,” Lan answered, love glowing in his eyes. “I love belonging to you.”

“I believe you mean it.” Hüi said. “You have not asked me for jewels, or power or money. I cannot give you children. You need nothing from me.”

“Except your love.”

“That you have, my Lan’xiu. All that is in me is yours.” Hüi held Lan close. “The others want something from me. And I have done my best to give it to them, but with you, I feel that all that I am is enough for you.”

“And I never expected to find anyone who would love me as I am,” Lan’xiu whispered back, clinging to Hüi’s broad shoulders. “I thought I would go to my grave and then to the afterworld scorned and despised as something unnatural—”

“Hush, my beautiful Lan,” Hüi said. “We have found something to celebrate between us, and that is all that matters. I love making love to you as I have never done with any woman. I will love you until the day I die.”

“I love you as I have never loved anyone,” Lan said.

They sat within their safe embrace until Lan’xiu yawned.

“Boring you already?” Hüi laughed.

“No, you are… very vigorous, my Lord, in your lovemaking.” Lan giggled and yawned again. “Will you stay with me?”

“Is that all you want from me?”

“I love to sleep within your embrace. When I am alone I wrap my arms around myself and pretend it is you, but that is small comfort compared to being held in your arms.”

“Then I will stay,” Hüi said.

Lan rubbed his cheek against Hüi’s. “Let’s go to bed.”

W
HEN
Ning entered the bedchamber by the early light to rouse the general, he found that Hüi Wei had already gone. Anxiously, he examined the pile of Lan’xiu’s clothing on the floor. They certainly needed to be washed, but other than that, they showed no signs of the usual destruction Hüi tended to leave in the wake of his visits.

Lan’xiu slept with a happy smile upon her face. Ning approached the bed to pull up the sheets to hide her exposed nipples and stopped dead in his tracks at the gleam of red in the tangle of her hair.

The most magnificent ruby and diamond earrings shone in her ears. He almost gave out a shout of triumph and settled for pumping his fist in the air silently, not wanting to wake her. Finally! That spiteful cat Ci’an would swallow her piddly jewels in a rage when she saw these earrings, and he hoped the stones would scratch her throat bloody on the way down.

Although, in his opinion, the general could easily have afforded to give Lan’xiu another set of earrings. Two was a measly number for the most beautiful concubine in all of China—nay! Not just China, all the world—

“What are you doing, Ning?” a sleepy voice asked.

Recalled to his setting and place, Ning composed his face. “Admiring your new earrings, Lan’xiu. It appears
someone
has found favor with the master.”

“Go away.” Lan’xiu rolled over and covered his ears with his hands, which likely enabled him to ignore Ning’s squeals when he made the next discovery.

He had found a parcel upon the bench at the foot of the bed, neatly tied up in a length of printed cotton. When he opened it, he found a new set of silken underthings, exquisitely delicate and embroidered with ghostly cherry blossoms, and two new cheongsams. The first was a glorious crimson, the perfect color to set off the new ruby earrings, with white and purple dragons embroidered on the sleeves and hem. Gold cloth edged the neckline and hems, and golden waves were embroidered into the fields between the dragons, as if they were emerging from an ocean of gold.

The other dress showed all the colors of the peacock, in green, chartreuse and brilliant cobalt blues. Black and gold bands decorated the edges, and the buttons looked to be sapphires set in gold. A smaller package fell on Ning’s foot with enough weight to make it smart. He opened it to find ornate enameled peacock earrings, with gracefully dangling tails set with emeralds and sapphires.

One last wrapped parcel lay on the bench and Ning examined it to find a slim, beautifully engraved dagger with a jeweled handle held within a scabbard that could be strapped to wrist or leg; a most suitable gift for a beautiful but warlike girl who faced envy within the household.

He stared at the array of gifts, stunned into unaccustomed silence. “Behold the new favorite,” he whispered. He stared at the sleeping Lan’xiu, wondering what had transpired between the lovers the previous night.

T
ODAY
, Lan’xiu took pleasure in putting on the new red dress Hüi had left for her. When she’d awakened, filled with the languorous afterglow of the night’s lovemaking, she had touched her new earrings with a secret little smile.

She’d been shocked when Ning had shown her the two new cheongsams and the pretty corselet and panties Hüi had left behind. Lan couldn’t imagine why he hadn’t given them to her with the earrings but decided that perhaps it was his way. Then she was struck speechless by the emerald earrings and the dagger. She couldn’t decide which she preferred.

When she donned the new crimson cheongsam, Lan’xiu knew a moment of quiet satisfaction at the thought of what Ci’an might think when she saw the new ruby earrings. After the spiteful comments from Second Wife about her single pair of earrings, Lan knew the woman was sure to notice, if she decided to honor Mei Ju with her presence. To Lan, Ci’an appeared to be in robust health, showing no sign of the weakness that demanded attendance from the physician. She speculated that boredom rather than ill health was the true reason Ci’an often chose to send her excuses.

Just to be on the safe side, Lan’xiu had Ning strap the dagger to her arm, knowing the sleeves would conceal the weapon. She felt just a bit safer with it on her person.

But today she felt she must show off the new earrings Hüi had given her. She had worn them, alternating between them every day since he gave her the gifts, but with only herself and Ning to admire them. Even though she knew they would excite the envy of the other wives, she couldn’t help herself. She felt so beautiful and loved wearing them, and the brush of the ruby beads against her neck made her feel as if Hüi’s fingers and lips caressed her in public.

The only regret Lan had was the pain it might cause First Wife Mei Ju to see that Hüi had given her so magnificent a jewel, especially when she remembered the jade bracelet. Although it was sweet, there could be no comparison.

But Lan’xiu had enough competitive spirit to enjoy the prospect of proving to Ci’an that their husband did hold her in some esteem after all.

Ning made sure to wrap her up well, as the snow lay deep upon the ground. Lan’xiu was borne around the square in a chair, but Ning had to trot along behind and Lan bethought herself that she might request a pair of boots for him. The slippers he wore would surely be soaked through.

Excited chatter met Lan’xiu’s ears when she entered the sitting room at Mei Ju’s home and she found that each of the other wives were eagerly showing off new pieces of jewelry to each other. Mei Ju’s kind round face shone under an incongruous new headdress with many dangling gold charms, and Bai had a rope of pearls around her neck that reached past her waist. Alute wore a coral bracelet with an enameled silver clasp, while Fen and Huan each wore intricately carved matching jeweled combs in their hair, save that one was ivory and the other ebony.

Lan’xiu was amused by Hüi’s crafty strategy. To camouflage his gift to her, he had also given something to each wife, so that their attention would be upon their own presents. Mei Ju kept touching her headdress and shaking her head to make the ornaments jingle to the extent that she did not even notice the magnificent earrings in Lan’s ears.

Bai, however, noticed them immediately and nodded acknowledgement. Lan’xiu glanced at her pearls and smiled back, pleased to have won the friendship of this dainty, mad girl who winked and tapped one of her own earlobes without a hint of envy.

Holding her head high, Lan’xiu prepared to enjoy the quiet gathering with the confidence her new dress and earrings gave her. She liked her earrings best and surprisingly found that it made her feel safer to realize Hüi had guarded her by devising gifts for each wife. It didn’t even make her jealous; after all, these women had been here long before she came. Hüi knew each one of them, but she could not doubt that she and Hüi shared something special after what he had said to her, and the tone of his voice when he said it.

Dreamily remembering their last night together, Lan’xiu startled and jumped to her feet upon hearing the sound of Ci’an’s shrill voice. Having done so, she could think of nothing better than to go to the window, partially concealing herself behind the curtain, hoping the wintry chill of the glass would cool her heated face. All her newfound confidence drained away in the dread of knowing that Ci’an would find some way to call attention to her new earrings.

As Second Wife moved into the room, she could see Ci’an’s person loaded down with so much jewelry it was difficult to tell the color of her gown. Lan’xiu knew intuitively that somehow news of Hüi’s gifts had come to Ci’an’s ears. Considering what Mei Ju had told her, Lan guessed that Ci’an had received nothing from Hüi, and this was her defiant attempt to exhibit her wealth and thumb her nose at the rest of the wives.

“Don’t stand there hiding in the shadows, Lan’xiu. Come out and let us see you. You are so pretty to look at,” Bai called at this inopportune moment.

“Yes, you might as well let us admire you,” Ci’an agreed. “You never say anything worth listening to. Like our simple little Alute here, isn’t that so?” She leaned forward to poke a finger at Alute, who shrank away from her, looking unhappy to be singled out. “Is that a new bracelet I spy?”