Wild Orchid (16 page)

The Son of Heaven’s firstborn was not as compelling as his brothers. He was not obviously handsome like Prince Guang. Nor did his features command a second look, as Prince Jian’s did. But he was finely made, his voice and expression both more than a little stern. There was a crease permanently etched between his brows, as if from long hours of studying.

I remembered what General Yuwen had said, that Prince Ying possessed a fine and subtle mind. I wondered if it could maneuver through the rivalry between his brothers.

“We have been circling this matter for days,” Prince Ying went on. “Both of you make good points.” He frowned at Prince Guang. “Therefore, there is no need to cast doubts on anyone’s honor. Just as there is no question of Jian leading an expedition to the smaller pass himself, assuming we decide to mount one. He is needed here, as we all are.”

I half expected one or the other of the younger brothers to protest Prince Ying’s words, but both stayed silent.

They respect him, then
, I thought.

“Whose scouts were the last to return?” Prince Ying asked now.

“If it pleases Your Highness,” said a voice I did not know, “those belonging to Prince Guang.”

“And what do they tell us?” Prince Ying asked.

“The same thing all the other scouts have.” Prince Guang spoke for himself this time. “That the Hun army is fast approaching, but there is nothing to show that they intend to divide their forces. They have no reason to. The second pass is simply too small.”

“But you cannot
know
that,” Prince Jian said, his voice impassioned. Almost against my will my eyes moved toward the sound of his voice. As he made his case, the color in his face was high. His dark eyes sparkled.

“We cannot afford to leave the smaller pass unguarded. Even a small force coming through it could do damage. It could attack the forces we have here from behind, or, even worse, the enemy could sweep on, into China.”

He stepped to the table, stabbing a finger onto the map. “We have concentrated the majority of our forces here, in this valley, at
your
insistence, Brother.”

His eyes were on Prince Guang as he spoke. “Only a small contingent of men remains to protect our father and Chang’an.”

“We all agreed this valley was the clear choice,” Prince Guang replied, his voice stiff.

“It
is
the clear choice,” Prince Ying agreed. “Make your point, Jian.”

“My point is that the Huns are not stupid,” Prince Jian exclaimed. “And we should stop pretending that they are.”

Once again he stabbed a finger against the map. “If we leave that pass unguarded, we leave China unprotected.
A small force coming through it could ride unchallenged to Chang’an.”

“Who do you propose we send to protect it?” Prince Ying asked. “Surely we need every man here. We cannot afford to divide our forces.”

I know!
I thought.

It was only as absolute silence filled the tent that I realized I had done the unthinkable: I had spoken aloud.

You are in for it now, Gong-shi
, I thought.

Prince Guang was the first to recover.

“If it isn’t the Little Archer,” he said, his voice as cold and as smooth as a lacquer bowl. “Don’t be afraid. Come forward, boy. Tell us what great plan you have devised in just one morning that the great generals of China have been unable to find after days of discussion.”

“Guang, enough,” Prince Ying said, his own tone mild. “You’ll give the boy a heart attack. He already looks half-dead from fright.”

“I beg Your Excellencies’ pardons,” I said, and now I did kneel, pressing my forehead to the ground. “I am presumptuous. I did not mean to speak aloud.”

“But speak you did,” Prince Ying replied. “And I agree with my brother, at least in part. Such an exclamation must have come straight from the heart. I would like to know what you think you’ve figured out.”

“Stand up and speak, Gong-shi,” Prince Jian instructed. “My brothers sound ferocious, but not even Guang will bite you.”

I wouldn’t be too sure about that
, I thought.

Slowly I got to my feet. I could see General Yuwen standing just behind Prince Jian. Carefully I avoided his eyes.

“Now, then,” Prince Jian said when I had risen. “What is so clear to you that the rest of us have failed to notice?”

“I do not claim that you have failed to notice it,” I said, choosing my words with great care. “Only that I have not heard anyone speak of it this morning. But if the pass is truly so narrow that only two may ride abreast …”

All of a sudden Prince Jian laughed. “I think I see where he is going,” he said. He shook his head ruefully, as if chastising himself. “The truth is, I should have thought of it.”

“What?” Prince Guang barked, the single syllable like the crack of a whip.

Prince Jian turned to face his middle brother, a smile still lingering on his face.

“Archers.”

By the time the hour for the midday meal arrived, the plan was in place. Rather than sending troops to try to block the pass, Prince Jian would send a division of his corps of archers. We would be accompanied by a small company of foot soldiers and several of the prince’s swiftest runners. If the Huns did come through the pass, the archers and soldiers would hold them off. The runners would alert the main body of
the army that reinforcements were needed. In this way a larger force would not be dispatched until the need had been proved beyond a doubt.

Nevertheless, it was a dangerous assignment. The Chinese force would be a small one, because although Prince Jian’s brothers had finally agreed that such a force was necessary, they would agree to no more. We would have no experienced general to lead us. Instead that duty would fall upon Li Po as captain of the archers.

“Let those whom you send be volunteers,” General Yuwen proposed. “For men will face even the greatest danger bravely if they choose it for themselves.”

“That is a sound suggestion,” Prince Ying agreed. “And, save for Jian’s archers, let the men come from all our forces. Let anyone who wishes to volunteer be given permission to go. That way all will know there is no hidden favoritism. All have equal value.”

“Be careful,” Prince Guang warned. “You’re starting to sound just like our unconventional younger brother. Father may not be pleased.”

“Father is not here,” Prince Ying replied, his voice calm. “A prince may have a costlier funeral, but his bones rot at the same rate as anyone else’s. You might do well to remember that, Guang.”

Prince Guang’s face was suddenly suffused with color. “Is that a threat?” he demanded, stepping forward.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Prince Jian said mildly. But I noticed that as he spoke he moved to place himself
between his two brothers. “Ying simply reminds you of an obvious fact. In death, all men are alike.”

The color still high in his face, Prince Guang pivoted on one heel, snapped his fingers for his advisers and attendants to follow, and strode from the tent. It seemed the council of war was over. Prince Jian had won the day, but not by much.

As soon as Prince Guang departed, Prince Jian came toward me.

“Highness, forgive me,” I said, falling to my knees as he approached.

“No,” he said simply. “I will not. You have helped to provide the solution to a problem that has troubled me for many days now. I am in your debt.”

He reached down and placed a hand on my shoulder to urge me to my feet.

“Highness, if I may,” Li Po spoke.

The prince nodded. “What is it, Li Po?”

“Perhaps Gong-shi should lead the archers,” Li Po said. “Though he is young, the other men admire and respect him. I believe that they would follow him, even into great danger.”

“No!” I cried out, appalled. “I am not experienced enough, and I …” I swallowed past a sudden lump in my throat. “I am not sure that I wish to command others.”

“One cannot always choose whether to command or not,” Prince Jian observed quietly. He reached to grip Li Po’s shoulder. “Your suggestion does you credit, and I think I understand why you make it.
Even I have heard the men murmur of the young archer whose aim is as true as a prince. But I think I will leave things as they are, Li Po. Gong-shi makes a good point too. Your own experience will be needed.”

“It shall be as you wish,” Li Po vowed.

“Good,” the prince said. “Then make ready, for you will go first thing in the morning. The Huns are close, and I do not like surprises.”

He turned away. Together Li Po and I left Prince Ying’s tent and made our way to our own in silence. This time I did not notice the stares as we walked through the camp. I was too busy wondering how Prince Jian would react if he knew the greatest surprise of all.

How would he feel if he learned that the archer who had fulfilled his desire to leave no portion of China unprotected was not a young lad named Gong-shi but a girl named Mulan?

F
IFTEEN

I did not see Prince Jian for the rest of that day. Both Li Po and I were busy making preparations for our departure. After some discussion between Li Po and General Yuwen, it had been decided that half of our company of archers would go to the narrow pass.

“I would send all of you if I thought I could,” General Yuwen said as we took our evening meal of rice and seasoned meat. He could have too, for every single member of the archer corps had volunteered to go. But a consultation between General Yuwen and his fellow commanders had determined that no more than half of the archers could be spared. The men had drawn lots to see who would accompany Li Po and me and who would remain with the main army.

“Do not wait, but send your runners as soon as you can if you need reinforcements,” General Yuwen continued his instructions. “Once you have spent your arrows, you’ll be down to hand-to-hand fighting, and if it comes to that, even a small force of Huns may overpower you.”

“It shall be as you say,” said Li Po.

General Yuwen sighed. “I wish your father were
here, Mulan,” he said. “It would be good to fight once more with my old friend at my side.”

“You do him honor,” I said. “And I will do my best to do the same.”

“Well,” General Yuwen said. He stood up. “I have a final meeting with the other generals, and then to bed. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep. There is no telling when the next one will be.”

With that, he left the tent.

“I am going to bid the horse good night,” I said. “Do you want to come?”

“I think I will stay here,” Li Po answered. “I want to write a letter to my parents.”

“I should have thought of that,” I said as an image of my father and Zao Xing rose in my mind.

“I will write something for you, if you wish,” Li Po offered.

“Thank you. I would like that,” I replied.

All of a sudden Li Po grinned. “I could say hello to my mother for you,” he said. “I could tell her she missed having a hero for a daughter-in-law.”

“I’m sure she’d be delighted to hear the news,” I answered with a chuckle, even as I felt my heart give a funny little squeeze inside my chest. “But I am not a hero.”

“You mean, not yet,” said Li Po.

I left our tent and made my way to the far edge of camp, where the horses were picketed all together. Dark came early at this time of year. The campfires were already lit.

The mood is different tonight
, I thought. There was no raucous conversation. Instead all around me men were quietly and seriously attending to their tasks. Soon the true test of all our courage would come.

My father’s horse was pleased to see me, particularly when I shared the carrot I had brought along. Even the horses seemed to sense that something was different. My father’s stallion tossed his head and pawed the ground, as if eager to set off for the pass.

“Do not be impatient,” I whispered against his dark, smooth neck. “The morning will come soon enough. “It was only as I began to step away from the horse that I realized I was not alone. A figure stood in the shadows at the edge of camp, in the place where the light of the campfires did not quite reach. I gave a gasp, and the figure stepped forward.

It was Prince Jian.

“I did not mean to startle you—” he began, but he interrupted himself. “No, don’t
do
that,” he exclaimed as I began to kneel down. To my astonishment Prince Jian reached out and hauled me upright.

“I get so tired of staring at the tops of people’s heads all day long. Stand up.”

“It shall be—”

“Yes, yes,” Prince Jian said impatiently. “I know. It shall be as My Highness wishes. Shall I tell you what I wish? Sometimes I wish I were not a prince at all.”

“You should not say so!” I exclaimed, shocked and surprised. “If the men heard you, they would lose
heart. They do not fight simply for China. They fight for you, because they love you.”

As I do
, I realized suddenly. And not just as a comrade in arms but as a soul mate. I could feel how Prince Jian’s heart was made differently from all others, just as my own was. It wanted different things, things it didn’t always know how to explain to itself. In this way it called out to mine.