The Last Concubine (24 page)

“If you need to ask….” Ning grinned at her and went to fetch a traveling trunk.

O
NCE
outside the city walls, Hüi Wei smiled to see Lan’xiu’s delight. He seemed to sit up straighter in the carriage and leaned out the window as if the very air smelled different to him.

Since the day Lan’xiu had startled him by revealing how trapped he felt, Hüi had thought deeply about what it would be like to have one’s every movement scrutinized and governed by the whims of another. Lan had opened his eyes to the sort of life his wives led, and he had to admit that in Lan’s place, he would also have felt as if he were in some sort of jail.

It was Jiang who had engineered this outing for Lan’xiu. At first, Hüi Wei had thought his friend crazy when he suggested taking Lan to a doctor, but when the entire plan was explained to him, it seemed genius. Hüi would not have admitted it even to Jiang, but where Lan’xiu was concerned, he couldn’t seem to think straight, so he would never have plotted this out for himself.

And yet now he was the one reaping the benefits. Jiang had stayed behind in Hüi’s place and was not here to witness the joy on Lan’s face as he looked out upon the open fields and houses of the villages that surrounded the city.

To Hüi, Lan was the most exquisite sight he had ever beheld. A fur hat framed his beautiful face, and Ning, given free rein with the tailors, had ordered a fitted leather jacket for him, new riding boots and a sturdy woolen skirt with a split that was concealed by an embroidered panel that hung from the waistband at front and back. The brown and caramel tones suited Lan’xiu’s coloring, especially the wine colored scarf wrapped around his neck since he insisted on keeping the window of the carriage down.

Ning kept looking down at his own new boots with pride. When Lan had been given his new clothing, he had insisted that Ning procure some boots for himself, and wearing them made the eunuch feel like a swordmaster once more.

The cottages grew sparser, and eventually all that could be seen was miles of empty grasslands and the mountains purple in the distance. Captain Wen had deployed his men to ride at a distance, keeping watch in all directions, so Hüi felt safe in calling the caravan to a halt.

Lan’xiu looked at him questioningly as he rode to the carriage upon his magnificent black stallion. “Why are we stopping here, my Lord?”

“I thought you might like to ride the rest of the way—” Hüi stopped speaking as Lan’s face lit up with incredulous joy.

Lan’xiu almost fell out of the carriage in his haste to open the door. Ning descended after him more sedately, but with no less excitement as he observed Captain Wen approaching, leading two saddled horses, one rather smaller than the other.

Hüi Wei was smiling broadly at Lan’xiu’s eagerness as he dismounted and handed his reins to Ning. “Let me put you up in the saddle.”

He bent and Lan put his knee in his offered hands, springing lightly up into the saddle, understanding for the first time why Ning had made him don the split skirt. The chestnut mare was fresh, having been led riderless on the journey, and sidestepped restlessly, prancing playfully as if trying to unseat her. Lan’xiu controlled the horse easily, staying with her every move.

“Thank you, my Lord! She is beautiful.” Lan reached forward to pat the glossy neck. “Is that pony for Ning?”

Hüi had recovered his reins and mounted his stallion. “I thought Ning might prefer to remain at your side rather than ride inside the carriage.”

“That I would.” Ning took the reins from Captain Wen and swung himself into the saddle.

Lan’xiu nudged the mare’s ribs lightly, and they started to canter. Without a moment’s hesitation, Ning chased after him. The mare broke into a gallop and the princess leaned forward in the saddle, moving as if one with the animal.

“What a splendid rider the princess is!” Wen declared.

“She is, isn’t she?” Hüi said proudly. Then he realized that he was galloping away from him and slapped the reins on his own horse’s rump. With a startled leap, the stallion took off with his long stride, easily closing the distance between him and the princess.

Recalled to the consciousness of his duties, Captain Wen raced after them, his men falling in behind him.

Hüi allowed Lan’xiu to run her mare for almost a mile before he came up beside her and put a hand on her reins. “Gently, my love. You’ve been ill, remember?”

Her cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling, Lan’xiu laughed at her lover. “I have never felt more alive, my Lord. That was glorious!”

Ning rode up behind them, kicking at his stubborn mount that was content to amble along at a trot. “What a foul beast! Lan’xiu! You should not gallop like a hoyden! Remember you are a princess!”

Lan’xiu’s smile faded. “I forgot about the soldiers and Captain Wen. Perhaps I should not have ridden off that way in front of them?”

“I think it’s time for you to acquire your own guard,” Hüi Wei said with a smile. “Captain Wen has chosen these men carefully, and they accompanied us knowing that they would take the oath to serve you.”

“To serve
me
?” Lan’xiu seemed both pleased and perplexed. “But why?”

Ning rolled his eyes in exasperation, but Hüi did not permit him to interject.

“I will not chance losing you again. If you had your own guard, Ci’an would never have schemed her way into your room and raised her sword against you.”

“She wasn’t that much of a fighter,” Lan said.

“You were ill! In no condition for a fight,” Ning said sharply.

Captain Wen and his men rode up to the group in time to silence what promised to be a long tirade from Ning and sat at attention upon their mounts.

“It is time,” Hüi Wei said to Wen.

Captain Wen kept his eyes on Lan’xiu. “Princess Lan’xiu, it is my honor, and the honor of my battalion, to swear eternal loyalty to you and your dependents. We are willing to fight for you and to die to keep you safe. Please accept this vow and oath of our service.”

Touched, Lan’xiu looked to Hüi, who nodded acquiescence. “Captain Wen, it is my honor to accept your oath. I shall repay your loyalty with my own, as my life is now in your hands.”

“Mind!” Ning cried out, “That means if Captain Wen orders you to get out of the way, you will jump! And don’t get yourself into a fix that puts your men at risk to get you out. And—”

“That will do, Ning,” Lan said in a dignified way, although she was glaring at him. “Thank you, Captain Wen. Please tell me your men’s names.”

Riding beside Wen, Lan’xiu was introduced to her new escort and nodded to each one, enslaving them instantly with her smile, if her riding had not already done so, although she was completely unaware of it.

Then she rode back to take up her position beside Hüi Wei, who thanked Wen and asked her, “Shall we ride on?”

“Hüi,” Lan said when they were out of earshot of the guard. “Where are we going and why do I need a guard?”

“We are going to my summer palace,” Hüi said. “Jiang has allowed the rumor to get about that I am taking you to a specialist to see to the injuries Ci’an inflicted upon you.”

“A specialist for my arm?”

“The specialist will inform us that you will never be able to bear children.”

“I could have told you that,” Lan said in a quiet voice. “I won’t have a doctor maul me about.”

“There is no doctor, Lan,” Hüi said. “I want you entirely to myself. We will be here for three days, although it is not summer and will likely be rather cold.”

She rode in silence for a time. “Thank you, Hüi. But what of Captain Wen and his men? Surely they will know—they will realize that no doctor has come.”

“The mark of a canny ruler lies in gauging the loyalty of his followers,” Hüi said. “Even in my court, there are those who wish to do me harm, but sometimes it is better to keep them close rather than push them away. I underestimated Ci’an, and I do not intend to risk your safety again. These men have taken an oath of fealty to
you
. They will protect you no matter who comes to harm you.”

Lan’xiu blinked rapidly and stared at the purple mountains in the distance. “How can you be sure?”

“I didn’t have to rely entirely upon my own judgment.” Hüi laughed and jerked his head at Ning, struggling to encourage his sluggish horse to put on some speed. “Ning chose the men with Captain Wen. If any of them betray you, Ning will make certain they end up on a spike.”

Lan’xiu still looked troubled but didn’t speak.

“Lan, my love, all men of power hold secrets. Men who take the oath are sworn not just to preserve your life but to hold your secrets sacred. You are safe now.”

“Thank you, Hüi,” Lan’xiu said. Then she laughed. “I hope we may find another horse for Ning. He will not thank you for mounting him upon that snail.”

Hüi laughed with her. “I didn’t know if he could ride so I bespoke a quiet mount for him. However, he shall have another for the ride home.” His grin became teasing. “I remembered how well you rode me, so I had no hesitation in selecting a spirited horse for you.”

Lan’s cheeks grew rosy with remembrance and embarrassment.

T
HE
three days they spent at the summer palace were like heaven to both Lan’xiu and Hüi Wei. They spent almost every moment together, allowing Ning to slip away without query, as they had no wish for his constant companionship.

They went for rides in the mountains and came back to warm themselves before the fire, caring little what or when they ate. They spent each night in the same bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. Hüi made love to Lan’xiu whenever desire sparked between them. He loved waking beside him, stroking his long hair, kissing him breathless and then taking him, hard or gentle as the mood struck him.

If Lan’xiu noticed a certain starriness in the eyes of his friend, he did not tease Ning by inquiring too closely if Captain Wen was the cause. By this leniency, he hoped to gain leverage to stop Ning’s inquisitive attention into his own doings.

It was so lovely to have Hüi all to himself that Lan’xiu fell into a melancholy the day they were to start back. After the freedom of wild rides in the mountains and the intimacy of dining and laughing with him, sleeping naked his arms, making love whenever they chose, Lan could not look forward to returning to his old life trapped within the harem.

To steel himself for that eventuality, Lan withdrew a little from Hüi. When the luggage was packed and loaded onto the roof of the carriage, Lan took to the saddle one last time, knowing that before they came to the nearest village, he would need to dismount and take his place within the carriage, like a proper well-bred lady of the general’s household.

Hüi rode in silence beside him and with each mile they put behind them, Lan could feel the distance between them grow greater.
I chose my life and now I must embrace the consequences of my choice. Never again will we have this intimacy, but at least I will have these three days.
Lan remembered Mei Ju saying Hüi had taken her on certain trips and that had the effect of robbing this respite of the special magic with which he had imbued it.

When he turned to glance at Hüi, his lover’s face was set in grim lines, and Lan couldn’t fathom what emotions lay beneath that expression.

Finally, Captain Wen raised his hand and the column halted. Ning dismounted from his second, much livelier horse and opened the carriage door for the princess.

Feeling like a prisoner being led back to his jail cell after a brief escape, Lan’xiu dismounted. He patted the mare’s neck, whispering farewell endearments to her, wondering if he would ever see her again. Then he turned and squared his shoulders, preparing to ascend into the carriage.

A whirl of a cloak surrounded him and he was swept into Hüi’s tight embrace, hearing his lover’s husky voice, broken with emotion in his ear. “I cannot live without the sight of your lovely face every day, my Lan’xiu. It is madness to be so near and yet not to see you. If I must, I will have your lantern lit every day.”

Instead of crying in front of his soldiers, Lan laughed with joy and heartbreak, wanting to comfort his lover. “You must not, Hüi, you have other wives—”

“I care not. I must see you, I must have you—” Hüi clasped him so tightly, Lan was breathless and panting.

Crazy thoughts raced through his head, and Lan wanted to remind Hüi of Mei Ju’s devotion, but he was too happy at this reassuring demonstration. “You will always be welcome in my bedchamber, whether you light the lantern or not. Oh Hüi! I miss you already! I can’t bear for you to let me go.”

“I want to hold you always next to my heart,” Hüi declared. He tilted Lan’s face up and kissed him full upon the lips, uncaring of the men who were watching. “I shall find a way, my love. We must not be parted after this. I couldn’t bear it.” Reluctantly, he released Lan and stepped away.

Lan’xiu glanced around to find Ning and Captain Wen staring at each other, while most of the men properly faced outward, on guard against the sudden appearance of any enemies, although a few seemed to be blinking rather fast. He put his hand on Hüi’s cheek and laughed shakily. “Anyone would think we were parting for a year’s separation when we will be living only yards apart when we return.”

Hüi picked up his hand and kissed the palm. “You are right. We are being ridiculous. Into the carriage with you. I shall see you safely bestowed in your house before I—” He broke off and helped Lan’xiu into the carriage.

Lan permitted it, though he didn’t need the assistance, only in order to feel Hüi’s last lingering caress as he climbed the steps. Ning climbed in behind him and shut the door. Lan let down the window even though he could see his breath in the frigid air, and it started to snow, white flakes swirling in the interior of carriage. But even Ning did not voice a complaint about the cold as Lan kept his eyes fixed upon the straight figure of the general as he rode a little ahead.

A
FTER
the emotion Hüi displayed when they parted at the carriage, Lan had hoped her lantern would be lit that very night, but it remained dark for a week, and she heard nothing from him. It was only cold comfort that all the lanterns remained dark within the household square the entire time.