Lady Lu attentively offered ginger tea to me, and then stood aside and reverently. When she saw me just take a single sip of tea, she asked with smile, “Does Your Majesty feel it strong? If so, I have it brewed again.”
Shaking hand, I asked her dully, “How are the concubines?”
“Your servant, I, had given them money. And I chosen a man as Yuzhu's husband but Xi'er is ungrateful...” Lu curved her lips and tried to go on, and I cut it in. “Anyway, she had served His Majesty, and we should not treat her bad.”
“Your Majesty is kind and we servants are lucky.”She bowed to me.
I laughed at myself. It was very ironic to think me kind. The two girls were not so wrong but their lives were spoiled. It was like Helan Zhe's hand being cut off. In the view of Xiao Qi, he was culpable while in his tribe, he was heroic.
In private I asked Lu about the concubine's child. There was no child from them. Lu told me that everytime they slept and the king asked them to take contraceptive medicine. It was thought that the concubines were too humble to have offspring of the king.
I did not believe it. If he were from aristocratic clan, it would have been normal, but Xiao Qi was not the kind.
Lu had nimble mind and glib tongue. She was deft in discerning other's expression. As she was asked about daily life of the king, she peeked at and approached me with her smile. In low voice, she said, “In past month, His Majesty has slept alone, and now Your Majesty is healed. It is not reasonable to let him alone in bedroom.”
I turned away and had a cough to cover my blush. What she said was more and more indecent. “The king loves you so much. Even the blind can see it. Every night he comes and sees you. At midnight, you still keep him away. Though you are chaste, the couple affair in bed...”
I stood up suddenly, blushing. I told her coldly, “You have worked here for years. You should know what you say and act are exemplars of all servants. Don't spoil yourself.”
Lu's face paled and flushed in shift, flinching and saying nothing. I frowned at her, thinking her fawning and evil-minded. She should not be kept beside me for long time. It occurred to me that she should be deported too, but considering that she was old and had worked years in this residence, I gave it up. After short silence, I was deadpan to dismiss her.
My blush however remained. What Lu said was indecent and rude, but it was sensible somewhat.
In past days, Xiao Qi was busier. He was not seen all day. Once he backed, subordinate generals came one after another.... Though he was busy, he still came and saw me every night. He always talked to me, and sometimes wanted to see me falling into sleep and then left.
Since that night, he treated me in decent way, and occasionally we got intimate but did not go far.
Yuxiu even asked me why the king never stayed.
They did not understand it but I did -- Xiao Qi was waiting. He was very proud not to stand any condescension, in which we were so similar. He had to wait until I was totally willing -- the memory of the other man was all erased, as he said, “Between us, no the third.”
Under colonnade I stood at loss and wistful.
Xiao Qi could not understand that Zidan was not the third... Too many, emotionally tangled, linked Zidan and me. Excepting the emotion of lovers, we were sibling and confidant, sharing the sweet days. Though “the third” could exclude the relationship, I was afraid that the memory engraved on my mind and life could be erased in my lifetime.
At noon I was going to take a nap, a maid hurried in. “Your Majesty, His Majesty backed and asked you to go to the study.”
It surprised me that I never entered his study since I had come here. I felt uneasy.
I had no time to dress up. On the way where I tidied my hairs, I hurried to the study. I had a nasty feeling.
In front of the study door, I pushed off the unlocked door in haste without letting servant notice.
I stepped into and paused with surprise as there were other persons inside. Xiao Qi, hand in back, engrossed himself in reading a map, who was flanked behind with a general. The generals were surprised by my entering.
Since I thought I distracted their attentions, I stepped back with an apologetic smile.
Xiao Qi's voice, august and lovely, caught me. “Where do you go?”
I had to return composedly, smiling at the two generals. The bearded and burly general gave me a blank glance, and then lowered his head in embarrassment while the young and handsome one started at me in captivated way, without lowering head to shun.
I looked down and smiled, bowing slightly at Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi's smile faded. He said in serious way, “Now that my consort is here, you leave and we will discuss it tomorrow.”
“Yes.” They responded in unison. The strong one bowed slightly and turned to leave while the elegant one did a double take and turned in hurry.
I could not help but laugh. “All are rash and impolite.”
Xiao Qi shook his head. “You are rash one, and instead you think them so. Such an unreasonable woman.”
I glared at him. “I come to see my husband. Whom am I polite to?”
It made his eyes full of smile. Holding my hand, he led me to the big map.
“This is the Royal Map of Langya Kingdom?” Eyes widening, I was enchanted by the vast territory.
Xiao Qi gave me a mild smile, pointing at the map. “This is the land that I led soldiers and generals in my past life to guard and expand.”
I was awed by his expression that was to dominate the world. I looked where he pointed: the stretching territory with beautiful landscape also inspired me speechlessly.
These days I had no clue of current situation, but I had a sneaking suspicion of the unrest. The generals came and went in hurry; overnight discussion took place; the big map was displayed. At this moment, I eventually knew that something would happen.
It had been months since I arrived at Ning Shuo. The easy and tranquil days had flown senseless. When I thought of the days, I feel at loss.
With a sigh, I looked up at Xiao Qi to whom I awaited to listen.
He stared at me. “Do you remember Wen Zongshen?”
I was astonished by the name that he mentioned and was beyond my consideration. Wen Zongshen was the incumbent deputy chief minister, the powerful peer of my father who was the only one rivaling Wang's clan and my father for decades. I laughed. “Why suddenly mention the deputy minister?”
Xiao Qi remained calm and paced to desk. He turned to me, “He was no longer the minister.”
I was hard to shift gear and asked a silly question. “He was promoted?”
“Nine days ago, Wen Zongshen was ousted from his position for his crime. Seven days ago, all members of his family were put into jail.” Xiao Qi's voice was emotionless as stones bumping. “If we deduct the days for sending the confidential letter, it was three days ago when he was beheaded.”
I flinched for steps, back reaching screen. His familiar face was conjured up. In past the handsome, proud and withdrawn celebrity had ever been rank top under the emperor while now he was a corpse in coffin.
Chill rose from my soles. After a short trance, I mumbled, “What happened in the capital? My aunt, Daddy and Mummy... How are they...” Considering something serious and sudden taking place in the capital, I forgot all complaints and frets. What I worried was only possible misfortune of them.
Xiao Qi reached out to me and said tenderly, “Come.”
I was dumbstruck to hold his hand and he hugged me. Our eyes contacted. His eyes seemed to have a weird power to pacify me.
“Eventually you have to know these. They do count for much. In future, you have to brave much.” He smiled calmly, and tidied up my scattering hair. “I am here. Nothing to fear.”
To my surprise, it was so cold in May in this border area.
When Xiao Qi told me briefly about the accident of Wen, my finger tips were frozen and chill penetrated into my each pore.
I had thought that Xu Shou was killed and Helan Zhen fled, which meant all crises had gone. On the contrary, it was the start of another slaughter.
The crown princess was unqualified in manners and talent. Though my aunt married the emperor when they were teenager, they did not love each other. For years, the emperor only favored Concubine Xie and her son Zidan; therefore estrangement between the queen and the emperor became more and more. The emperor ever had the intention of ousting the crown princess. After Concubine Xie died and Concubine Xie was exiled, Wang clan enjoyed their heyday of power as my aunt interfered in affair of the palaces and my father dominated in royal court.
The hostility between the emperor's sect and Wang clan become white-hot when Xiao Qi returned to marry me. The emperor eventually realized that the crown prince's group was full-fledged. Because of Xiao Qi who dominated the biggest army and north six towns in the kingdom, to let him back to north was like a tiger returning to mountain. As long as he stayed in north, Wang clan's power was unwavering.
Once the crown prince ascended the throne, the kingdom would fall into the hand of Wang.
In the capital, the emperor was alone while royal kings had been separated for their own manors around the kingdom. The kings in north had died out in wars. The kings in south kept their forces but they were far afield not to help.
Only Wen Zongshen in the court supported the ousting of the crown prince. He rivaled my father in court and intrigued with the kings.
After our wedding, Xiao Qi returned quickly to the border area. Supported by my aunt and father, he soon dominated the six northern defensive towns. He made excuses of urgent military affairs for times for staying in the border when the emperor ordered him to back to the capital. Considering his controlling the biggest army, the emperor could do nothing to him.
Then situation was that the crown prince and Wang clan dominated in the court and military force supported them in the border. The first thing to oust the prince was to remove Xiao Qi's military power.
As Xiao Qi's openly disobeying, the emperor steeled himself to act: he intrigued with Wen Zongshen against Xiao Qi. His trusted general Xu shou and Du Meng, a deputy director of the Military Ministry, was dispatched, on behalf of the emperor, to Ning Shuo for inspection. They schemed for coercing Xiao Qi and grabbing the military power.
Xu Shou harbored his private ambition of replacing Xiao Qi. Astonishingly he conspired with Helan Zhen for assassination of Xiao Qi, for which Helan would be to blame; therefore it would solve problems in the future.
Stolen novel; please report.
Xiao Qi boasted wide intelligence gathering. Having known the scheme, he played Xu Shou at his own game by killing two birds with one stone. Overtly he trapped Xu Shou to be blown up while covertly he pointed to Wen Zongshen and even the person behind Wen -- the emperor.
On the day when the assassination lost, Xu Shou was killed and Du Meng escaped. Ten more assassins of Helan were caught and jailed. Their confession was firm evidence of Wen’s treason.
Xiao Qi presented a memorial to the throne, in which he listed thirteen solid evidences to impeach Wen Zongshen for collusion with enemy and rebellion. Meantime my father worked together with other chief officials to impeach him too. They forced the emperor to jail him and his group who would be beheaded by law.
The Deputy Chief Minister's group was desperate to counterattack. They impeached Wang clan for dominating the power in the court and Xiao Qi for control army and disobeying the emperor.
Forced by my father and aunt, the emperor had to give up Wen Zongshen. He ordered that Wen was put on trial as his scapegoat. Wen was convicted of felony and sentenced to ousting his position and his title and his family being exiled to remote south. The situation developed in such way: the emperor was defeated completely, yielding to Wang. However, it was unknown reason why my father insisted on killing Wen Zongshen in spite of my aunt's persuasion of keeping him alive.
My father eventually executed Wen by changing the emperor's sentence. He directly ordered the execution department to behead Wen three days ago.
“No!” I could not go on, suddenly standing with waving my sleeves. When I looked into Xiao Qi's frost-fill eyes, my body stiffened, finally falling back into chair in sadness. Xiao Qi kept no secret by showing me the confidant letters between him and my father, on which I saw my father's handwriting, so familiar... When I learn about the factor that my father and aunt intrigued to let me marry Xiao Qi for their alliance, I felt no more than sad and disappointed, but now by all means, I could not think that the chief minister who Xiao Qi mentioned was my father who was elegrant, graceful and detached.
What was the reason to make the emotional and coward emperor driven to desperation of fighting again Wang clan? My father's domineer or other reasons were unknown.
On the confidant letters received just now from my father, beautiful and fast handwriting formed horrifying sentences: a few days ago, the emperor ordered that the crown prince was ousted and replaced by Zidan; that Jianning King was entitled to Teacher of Crown Prince; that the king went northwards to escort new crown prince from the mausoleum to the capital.
Jianning King in south was a cousin of the emperor. Excepting Xiao Qi, he was the second for his controlling troop of one hundred fifty thousand soldiers. Now the emperor ordered him to enter the capital for assisting Zidan, which meant open challenge to Wang Clan.
My father and aunt immediately closed the palace and alleged that the emperor was seriously ill and the old crown prince worked as surrogate to govern the kingdom. My uncle deployed royal guardians of fifty thousand to guard four royal gates of the capital. My aunt dispatched palace guardian to the mausoleum to confine Zidan.
Situation in the capital was in danger.
Once Jianning King took his troop northwards, the only way was that Xiao Qi, leading his soldiers southwards, stopped the king.
The latest confidant letter from my father was to ask for Xiao Qi's assistance: doing military preparation to fight against the king.
I looked back slowly at the big map. Just now I read several red lines on the map but did not understand them. Now, I suddenly woke up to it. The places marked by red line were routines of Xiao Qi's strategy: starting from Ning Shou, crossing the river and reach the central part of the kingdom to cut off the connection between south and north; dividing troop into three at Linliang Pass to intercept enemies from east, west and south so that the capital was in hand like a single ball.
Watching the map, I felt chill creeping from finger tips to hands.
It had been done. The war was inevitable.
Those who were entailed in it were my beloved.
Xiao Qi approached behind me silently and held my shoulders, until which, I did not found my body quivering.
Keeping mute, along with me, he watched the big map. After long while, he asked me drily, “You can read the map?”
I nodded and replied rigidly, “Yes. My brother once liked drawing map...”
“Wang's daughter is really intelligent.” He smiled and hugged me, calmly as if we chatted about daily affairs. “You had to know these early. Considering your wound, I did want to fret you.”
He spoke in so composed way, which almost made me have illusion that it was a fleabite, instead of the accident sustaining or spoiling my clan and the kingdom. Dumbstruck, I stared at him who, I did not believe, still smiled.
Didn't he know that once he took troop southwards, a deadly war awaited: he and my clan stood beside abyss, a step wrong leading to crumbling.
“For what on earth?” Dispirited and sobbing, I covered my face and released my inner horror.
I could not understand what they did for. I liked its nice landscape and missed my beloved in the capital. Even the new world here that I set up just now crumbled because of the accident. I and everybody related to me were possibly changed for it. What was all, so ridiculous, for?
“Why ousting, why fighting?” I murmured in trembling.
He suddenly gave me laughter, aloud but cold, which I did not think that it was happy.
“For what...” He repeated my question, lips curving. “Nothing but throne and power.”
I suddenly looked up at him, too astonished to say anything.
In history, many heroes died for throne and power.
“Once you hit the road to them, no returned. Win to be emperor, lose to be prisoner.” He smiled at me, saying what I wanted to say.
Gazing at him, I had a complicated feeling. He realized what I was thinking as I did what he said just now -- throne and power. If all could be restarted, did I remain to be the delicate girl in deep residence of aristocrat, like my mother who enjoyed splendor and wealth in her lifetime, or did I keep standing with him yet?
He was waiting my response for long while and a ghost of disappointment emerged in his eyes.
“The chief minister sent a private letter to you.” In emotionless way, he took out a golden sealed letter from his confidant letterbox.
This was my first private letter written by my father to me since I had arrived at Ning Shuo. Before this letter, it was frequent for him to write to Xiao Qi, but none of them was to me as if he had forgotten his married daughter. Maybe he knew that I could learn about the truth and I could not forgive him.
I received the letter from my father, looking down at it with dim sadness.
Xiao Qi gave me a profound gaze, uttering an unheard sign. He turned to pace to window. Hands in back, he left me alone reading the letter.
I looked at his lonely back, clenching the letter which was wrinkled, unconsciously.
“Xiao Qi...” I uttered a gently sign. “Though the royal court is high and the border is remote, I am always with you.”
Xiao Qi's back quivered.
Afternoon sunshine pierced window onto his shoulders, and his back shadowed long on floor, looking lonelier.
Because of his back to me, I could not see his expression. After a long while, he said in low voice, “Yes.”
I did not know what I went on saying, and just looked down at the letter in blank mind.
“Afu.” He called me abruptly.
“Yes.” I responded without attention, and suddenly realized that he called my infant name.
Xiao Qi turned immediately to me. He smiled at me. “They call you Afu.”
I never saw his smile so bright and warm, as if light glowed from his eyes, which enchanted me.
“How do you...” I tried to ask him how to know my infant name. As soon as I spoke, I recalled the letter in my hand, on which my father wrote it clearly -- To Afu, my daughter. I could not help laughing, contacting his eyes. We laughed together.
In the study, a trace of ink smell lingered in May sunlight as if the past sweet days appeared again.
I felt a little abashed by his gaze in such way. I looked down to open envelope of the letter.
He suddenly held my wrist and grabbed the letter from my hand. He put a finger on my lip to stop my asking. Smiling, he said, “Read it after return, and I take you to a place.”
To my surprise, he pulled my hand and took me out of the study. Along the colonnade and yards, many guardians and servants were neglected. He held my hand tightly and strode past them who were startled to shun. In the beginning I felt embarrassed and then came to be excited. My paces became nimble to follow up him. I wondered where he would take me.
His palm was so big as to totally cover mine. I peeked at his side face but he found my peaking... “Here is it.” With smile, he pointed ahead. It was stable. “Go and pick a horse.”
“Pick a horse?” It amazed me. Eyebrow rising, I felt funny and puzzled. “Do you want to take me to fight?”
He laughed. “You have too many questions. Pick as you like. Afterwards, ask maid to dress you with costume of nomadic tribe.”
I suddenly understood it. In surprising, I asked, “We are going to travel in plain clothes?”
He glared at me. “Don’t speak so loudly, or all people in the town know you travel out.”
A crisp neigh came from the stable. A tall and black horse, the centerpiece in the group of horses, paced to us. In all black, it had long and strong legs, tidy mane waving in wind, and sound mood.
“He is Black Dragon.” Xiao Qi released my hand and walked straight to his favorite horse.
I was fretted over his warmer attitude to the horse. To disturb him, I put my fingers in mouth to blow a short whistle, which was a signal of horse tamer to draw horse attention. In my childhood, I pestered a royal horse tamer for teaching me. It took me long time to learn. The horses in stable were alarmed and looked at me in unison, and even Black Dragon turned its head aside to me.
To his surprise, Xiao Qi smiled at me. “You can blow the whistle!”
With a counterblow of mild smile, I glimpsed at him. “Excepting spear and sward and deployment of troop, what you can do, so can I.”