‘Fen,’ Hudan held up a hand to silence him. ‘His majesty is just teasing,’ she said coolly. ‘He has not yet learned to respect and treasure his allies. At present he takes everyone for granted, as we were so loyal to his father. But beware, brother, lest you find yourself without anyone to watch your back.’
‘I am sorry,’ the king pleaded, ‘but I fail to see what I have said to cause offence?’ The Wu knew he was toying with her, but she was the one in the wrong not he. ‘Is it wrong of me to aspire to live my dreams?’
She appeared to be pained by his words. ‘Only if they serve the greater good of all.’
Song put on a baffled expression to pose: ‘And who would not be served in this instance?’
Hudan met his questioning gaze and stared back at him defiantly. Yes, he knew her secret, but in this instance the duke should not be a factor. ‘Fen?’ The king looked to the count, who turned his rueful sights away and would not answer.
‘You want to play with me?’ Hudan drew his attention back to her, and she had a dare in her eye. ‘Game on.’ She grabbed her clothes and departed up the path.
‘I thought your diplomatic skills were improving,’ Fen commented, ‘but obviously I was mistaken.’
‘Just tell me the cause of my offence?’ the king requested of Fen, but the young count grew tried of the game and ducked under the water.
It was not until the morning of the royal wedding that the master of the interior came to inform Dan that no one dared enter the locked chamber of the king’s betrothed.
The duke was alarmed at this, but curious to be brought up to speed on the king’s chosen bride.
‘My humble observation is that the king’s queen-to-be is delusional and violent.’
‘She is martial, you say?’ Dan was intrigued by this point. Could Song have randomly chosen his perfect match? ‘I don’t recall interviewing any candidates who fitted that description?’
‘That is why I felt my duke must be informed. Apparently, Yin Hui Ru deceived this house by sending her maid in her stead to the interviews, hence I fear she may not even be a maiden! And she will let no one near her to confirm the fact.’ The master panicked. ‘Her uncouth behaviour only serves to vindicate my fears … she openly called his majesty a bastard,’ he whispered, his expression filled with horror.
But the tale brought a smile to Dan’s face. ‘I like her already.’ He thought it best to meet with the girl at once, and accompanied the master of the interior to her chamber.
As the door beneath her opened, Hui Ru teetered on top of the door trim, bracing herself against the ceiling corner. The guard moved to accompany the visitor into her room, but they paused in the open doorway and Hui Ru took this to be her cue to swing down and take them both out.
‘I shall be fine —’ The lord was saying when her foot connected with his jaw and he was sent reeling backward, along with the guard beside him. Their heads collided with the floor and both were knocked unconscious.
Hui Ru came to land outside her prison door as the head of the interior rushed to the lord’s side.
‘Zhou Gong!’ The servant shook Dan in an attempt to revive him and her heart stopped beating.
‘That is Zhou Gong?’ she gasped, immediately regretting that she’d picked this moment to make her escape. He had come to speak with her! It was alarming to discover she had just kicked her best hope of support in face.
‘You will burn for this!’ the house servant threatened, waving an accusing finger at her. A sweeping kick to his jaw silenced him.
Hui Ru quickly dragged the three men into her prison cell, and stripped the guard of his amour to disguise herself.
Unable to revive Zhou Gong, Hui Ru stood and bowed to him. ‘A thousand apologies, Zhou Gong. I pray I have caused you no severe injury.’
On the way out, Hui Ru locked the door behind her and slipped through Haojing’s guard posts unchallenged.
The duke was shaken awake, and was instantly aware of a blistering headache as he sat up. ‘Fetch Fen Gong!’ he commanded.
‘He did not return from Li Shan with the prince,’ the head of the interior explained, ‘but was granted leave to visit his sister at Shao.’
The duke collapsed back onto the bed at that news. ‘Then let me rest.’
‘Wake up, Zhou Gong, we need to talk!’ Ji Song’s voice boomed, and he sounded quite irate. ‘Leave us!’ he said to all others present.
Through bleary eyes, Dan perceived the young king pacing as his house staff and physicians fled the room.
‘Did my betrothed do this to you in order to escape our vows?’ the king demanded, as Dan struggled to sit upright. ‘Because if she did, I will have the house of Minister Jizi burned to the ground, exactly as I promised her I would.’
‘What?’ Dan staggered to his feet upon learning of Song’s intentions. He attempted to cover for the girl. ‘I let her go, as she would not consent to the marriage.’
Song cocked an eye, challenging his uncle’s statement. ‘In that case, I shall have our head of the interior and her guard executed for lying, as they said Yin Hui Ru attacked you. From the look of you, I would say they are telling the truth, but I will heed the words of my regent, of course.’
Dan’s head was throbbing and he knew he wasn’t reasoning straight. ‘They are telling the truth,’ Dan admitted. ‘But to burn the house of a respected man of Shang is hardly going to promote —’
‘Hui Ru knew the repercussions when she did this to you … to me!’ Song seethed. ‘I have gone to considerable pains to secure the Great Mother’s blessing on my reign. I have the erection from hell, and no goddamn queen!’
Dan found it difficult not to be amused by the young king’s grievances and it showed.
‘Funny, is it?’ Song said, smugly. ‘It was the apple of your eye who gave me this encumbrance. I can still feel her pleasure coursing all over it.’
The notion got Dan’s adrenalin pumping, although he had expected such a claim from Song. Whether it was the truth was quite another matter. ‘How could you possibly tell, when your goddess was veiled and masked?’
Song’s smile broadened. ‘Jiang Hudan has a tiger stripe across her left hip.’
The truth of his words plunged an emotional dagger deep into Dan’s heart, and his chest caved in as painful shock waves reverberated through his being.
‘So you have seen it … you old deviant.’ Song sounded impressed, but he continued taunting his uncle. ‘Still, she was a maid when I took her, so I guess she never really let you in.’
Dan flew at Song, who vanished and reappeared behind him. ‘I told you there would be a conflict of interest. And as it seems you have blatantly lied to me on several counts already, I really cannot see that this partnership is going to work out.’
‘You want my resignation?’ Dan was fuming. Not the will of heaven, nor history, nor his dead brother would enable him to overcome the loathing he felt in this moment. Never had he wanted to kill a man so much, not even Zi Shou.
Song grinned. ‘I shall tell everyone you did the right thing and abdicated the regency in favour of Uncle Xian.’
This had been Ji Fa’s worst nightmare, and what he had attempted to avoid with his original will. But now Dan wanted to terminate the alliance as much as Song did. The duke had strived to form a bond with the king, but he would not be the object of his emotional abuse and ridicule any longer. He could not guide and support someone he could not abide to be near.
‘Whatever pleases your majesty,’ Dan granted.
‘Will you leave court?’ Song inquired.
‘I expect so.’
‘And where will you go? To your son’s province in the East?’ Song emphasised the fact that Dan had done himself out of a province and his political career. ‘Or will you run to the Great Mother at Li Shan?’
‘Does your majesty think you will have need to call on me in the future?’ Dan queried him back.
‘I very much doubt it.’
‘Then it should
hardly make any difference where I go,’ Dan retorted.
‘Stir up trouble for me and I shall hunt you down, Uncle,’ Song warned.
‘I swear to you, majesty, you shall never hear from me again.’ The duke bowed to see him on his way.
‘I shall have your horse saddled and brought around to the courtyard,’ the king said, and departed, happy with the outcome.
The thought of Song pleasuring Hudan fuelled Dan’s desire to get out of the palace, and he quickly collected the few belongings he could not leave behind, such as the qin Ji Fa had had fashioned for him.
‘Zhou Gong!’ Jiang Taigong entered ahead of being announced as he was in too much of a panic to endure formality. ‘Tell me it is not true … surely you would not resign the appointment our late king awarded you! Whatever our Zhou has done to offend you, or you him, you must overcome for the greater good.’
‘The king is a youth and as yet has no understanding,’ Dan snarled, continuing to pack his things into saddlebags. He had no desire to debate the matter further. ‘The one who has offended the spirits is I, Dan.’
‘No!’ The prime minister would not believe it. ‘I know you, Zhou Gong. You are covering for him.’
‘You have it backward. And I am just Ji Dan now, my friend,’ he pointed out, as he hooked his bags over his shoulder and picked up his qin case before bowing to Jiang Taigong, the longest serving advisor of the court. ‘Farewell, Jiang Taigong. It has been an honour to serve Zhou with you.’
The prime minister watched with sadness as his longtime ally and co-conspirator departed. ‘Heaven help us if the Jade Book was right,’ Jiang Taigong commented after him.
No longer was Dan going to take the responsibility for history running its proper course. Tian had dealt him a cruel blow this day, and if the prophecy of their victory never came to pass, then let it be on heaven’s conscience. Dan was fleeing this new regime before Song decided he’d much prefer to see his uncle locked in a cell.
PART 5
THE DROPA
19
SANCTUARY AT SHAO
The frosty dawn found Ji Dan approaching the Li Shan jetty, numb from cold and thought. He’d been in two minds about coming here, which is why the journey had taken all night. The notion of seeing Hudan in the wake of being bended to the will of his nephew was harrowing. He didn’t want to see the regret in her eyes, or worse, that she had none! But he felt the Great Mother had to be told what her new candidate was planning; perhaps she could advise on what Dan’s next move should be.
Dan left his horse to graze and began walking the tree-lined track toward the jetty. About when he was noting that the wafting warm wind that blew across the thermal lake was not so prominent this morning, he spied a strange anomaly up ahead and ran to investigate.
The Li Shan jetty was gone! The lake had been reduced and was now a few large pools scattered around the rocky base of the mountain. The rocks were not wet or mossy and, as Dan ran in the direction that the ferry usually took, it seemed more like the lake had never existed rather than that it had disappeared overnight!
The cavern that marked the entrance to the Wu fortress was nothing but a large hollow, with a gaping hole through to the surface above, where the staircase to the cloister had once been.
There is no temple. Dan suddenly recalled Huxin’s words on his first morning on Li Shan. What if I told you none of this is really here? We are not really here … Time, space, reality, individuality, are an illusion created by heaven to understand earth.
‘You can’t do this!’ Dan collapsed to his knees under the weight of the implications and was distraught beyond reason that it could have vanished. He may have always been a loner, but he had never been without support before — without a home, or purpose! In the absence of the Great Mother’s vindication and Hudan’s love, he had nothing!
Did Song lie about obtaining the Great Mother’s sanction on his rule? Had the new king offended the great House of Yi Wu Li Shan, or was it Dan’s own forbidden love that had done it?
‘If I have offended heaven, then tell me what I must do to make amends!’ His voice echoed loudly round the cavern, but was not answered. ‘You have no right to take her from me! Or to give her to another!’ he yelled out, his frustration boiling over, but he was immediately repentant and bowed down to allow his tears to flow. ‘Please don’t take her away …’
Exhausted, wounded and utterly baffled, Dan fell on his side and rolled over to stare at the ceiling of the cavern.
Perhaps I am still unconscious and this is a dream? The pain felt real, but as his eyelids wavered and then closed and his conscious thoughts dulled, his torment was slowly diluted into the dream state of a fitful sleep.
Today we shall reach Shao. Fen took comfort in the thought as he awoke curled up against his warm tigress. He had no desire to rise and face the winter morning chill, but a strong urge to stretch the kinks from his body after lying under a tree all night compelled him to move.
Ling Hu took the opportunity do the same, then suddenly rolled over and sat up to give a bemused whine.
‘What is —’
A hand slapped over Fen’s mouth and he was startled out of his wits. ‘Boo!’
When Fen heard Hudan’s laugh, he was relieved to turn about and behold his sister. ‘Brother Hudan!’ He embraced her tightly. ‘I am overjoyed to see you!’ He held her at arm’s length to look at her. ‘How it is you are here, on the road to Shao?’
‘Do you remember that quest the Great Mother kept saying I’d embark on one day?’ Hudan posed with a large smile, and Fen nodded. ‘That day finally came. And, as I was headed this way in any case, I wanted to take the opportunity to see my sister first.’
‘I am taking Ling Hu to visit her siblings also,’ Fen said, overjoyed to have another travelling companion for the remainder of the journey. ‘The three of us together again … I could not ask Tian for a better gift!’
Hudan moved to greet and pat the tigress. ‘It is indeed a happy coincidence.’ She pulled her cloak tighter round her, as the wind chill and sky were threatening snow, and then looked to the road, eager to get moving.
Fen’s stomach rumbled loudly, and Ling Hu whimpered, concerned for him. ‘I hope it isn’t much further.’
‘Well, I’m not supposed to do this …’ Hudan manifested a ripe juicy pear in her hand, which in the middle of winter was an amazing treat, and tossed it to her little brother.
‘Thank you!’ He rose to stand with Hudan, and Ling Hu whimpered to plead the case of her stomach. Hudan directed Ling Hu to the road, where a small boar suddenly appeared, and the tigress took off after it.
‘Why did you not take lodging in a village? Surely you could sneak Ling Hu in, given her little talent?’ Hudan queried, retrieving her staff from the ground and trailing the lioness to the road at a much slower pace.
‘Old habits die hard,’ Fen explained, untying his horse’s reins from a tree branch to lead her back to the road. ‘And if Ling Hu gets bored while I am sleeping?’ He shook his head to indicate the outcome was not good. ‘If we sleep out here, she knows I’ll freeze to death if she leaves me, so it’s safer all round.’
Hudan smiled. ‘I’m impressed by the lengths you will go to to make the relationship work.’
‘Well, she’s my responsibility,’ Fen said, as he caught up to Hudan. ‘You wouldn’t lead your child anywhere you knew they might get into trouble, right?’
‘Quite right,’ Hudan agreed. ‘You are an excellent parent. But then, I always thought you would be.’ She ruffled his hair affectionately and Fen edged away from the attention, even though he secretly missed being teased by his sisters.
‘So tell me of your quest,’ Fen said, liking the idea of walking for a bit as it was warming his frozen limbs.
‘I am taking Taiji home,’ Hudan replied, admiring the staff in her hand.
‘You are going in search of the Star Sea?’ His heart began beating fast in panic as she nodded enthusiastically. ‘Over the mountai
ns, in the middle of winter?’ He raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
‘Better when the snow is hard than when it is melting,’ Hudan advised. ‘Besides, I have my talent to extract myself from any bad scrapes, and elementals to keep me warm if need be.’
‘Really!’ Fen was freezing. ‘Would you mind sharing some of those?’
At that moment the sun penetrated the heavy morning mist, which began to break up in the warmth. Fen looked at his sister sideways, and Hudan laughed and shook her head to indicate it was purely a happy coincidence.
‘Eat your pear,’ she encouraged, pulling a carrot from thin air to feed to his horse. ‘If we ride, we should make our destination by lunch.’
As Ling Hu had only just killed her breakfast, they continued to stroll as Fen ate. ‘But why are you returning the staff? How do you know if there is anyone to return the staff to?’
‘Our mother came from somewhere … brother Shi came from somewhere, and even your origins are in question?’ Hudan said. ‘I want to know where home is, who my people are, really.’
‘But Li Shan is your home?’ Fen didn’t understand her sudden need to trek off into the wilderness.
Hudan forced a smile, and Fen wasn’t sure what it meant. Did Li Shan not feel like home to her now that he and Huxin had left? ‘Is there something you are not telling me?’
‘Probably.’ She inhaled deeply, as if it was her first breath of fresh air in an age.
‘Hudan …’ Fen took hold of her arm to bring her to a halt. ‘If you have trouble —’
‘No trouble,’ she assured. ‘There is nothing wrong with wanting to find one’s clan.’
‘But what if you do find them … will you stay?’ Fen was starting to fret that he’d never see her again.
‘Fen, I can find you with a thought,’ she reminded him, ‘so I shall never be far afield.’
That was comforting. ‘I wish I could do the same. The Great Mother said I must learn the art of thought motion.’
Hudan placed an arm around him and squeezed. ‘Then perhaps it is time Huxin and I taught you.’