“Happy new year!”

“Wishing you good health and good fortune.”

“May you be blessed with happiness and prosperity.”

While Lord Husband shouted couplets and handed out red envelopes from the back of a wagon, Luo-Luo’s smile grew strained and her heart heavy as she tallied the total costs in the secluded safety of her rickshaw. For months, she toiled from dawn till dusk keeping his business ventures solvent and profitable, but it was like he felt compelled to spend faster than she earned, handing out red envelopes with ten coppers a piece instead of the customary five. The envelopes themselves also cost a small fortune to manufacture thanks to the scarcity of red dye, and Lord Husband had several wagons of these ‘red pockets’ to hand out. He also had a stash of similar red envelopes in his jacket pockets containing one silver each, which he handed out far too liberally to anyone he thought might need more. They mostly went to undernourished children or the frail elderly, but as word of his generosity spread, the crowd only grew larger and larger.

While Luo-Luo didn’t understand why he insisted on red envelopes when red string was cheap, traditional and in abundance, at least he’d taken her advice to do this away from the packed citadel streets. Here on the open fields by the pond and cattle ranch, even his Death Corps Honour Guard were having issues keeping the agitated crowd in line, but there was plenty of room so people wouldn’t trample over one another. Clever of him to stamp every recipient’s hands with indelible ink (yet another added expense to this costly charity), but even then, there were far more people in the citadel then Lord Husband had red pockets to give, and she worried things would turn violent once he ran out. Not that she thought the commoners had a chance of injuring him, for even as frail as he was, the Death Corps were more than capable of keeping him safe, but it would be a poor start to the new year if they were forced to slaughter their way out of an unruly mob. Thus, while Lord Husband played the part of generous philanthropist and exchanged hard earned coin for fleeting goodwill, Luo-Luo made her own arrangements in case things took a turn for the worse.

How could she allow Imperial soldiers and Death Corps to spill blood on this most auspicious of days?

The first day of the new year was supposed to be a day of goodwill and renewal, but Lord Husband and his people had strange ideas regarding how to celebrate. Instead of hanging paper lanterns and playing upbeat music, yesterday, everyone returned home to clean and prepare for the coming new year, after which each household held their own personal family banquet. It was Luo-Luo’s first time dining with Lord Husband and his parents alone, and to call it stifling would be a grand understatement. Oh how she yearned to have sweet Lin-Lin, Tali, or Tate to keep her company, but they were all off having meals with their own parents, though where Sister Alsantset and Brother Charok brought the twins, Luo-Luo couldn’t say. She only learned this after the fact, but technically, Lord Husband should have also hosted his own meal since he was already married and had his own household by Bekhai standards, but as much as she would have loved to share a private meal with just the two of them, his parents were not quite ready to let go of their talented but crippled son.

After four hours of blunt remarks and cutting questions, Luo-Luo was determined to help Lord Husband recover and gain his independence if only so she would never have to sit through such a shameful ordeal ever again.

Putting the tense and stressful meal out of memory, she stroked Jimjam’s cheeks and calmed the jittery wildcat while watching Lord Husband give away a veritable fortune with a smile. Though still gaunt and frail, he’d improved over this last month since he started exercising again, taking short strolls around the park each and every day. Rosy red cheeks and bright eyes made a world of difference, as did the tailored jacket she had specially made for his new year gift, a red and gold silken affair embroidered with all his animals and stuffed with soft yak wool to ward off the cold. Though not as thick as his old jacket, his new one was just as warm and didn’t make him look like a child wearing clothes he was meant to grow into, so he struck a striking figure atop his wagon with Lin-Lin to support him. Li-Li and Mila were also there handing out red pockets with considerably less enthusiasm, though the latter had beamed prettily enough earlier this morning when handing out those same red pockets to her Bekhai tribesmen.

Thankfully, Father-in-Law had his own soldiers and gifts to hand out, and Mother-in-law was there with him, but Sister Alsantset sat next to Luo-Luo and much like her mother, the fierce tigress was none too fond of her. While the warrior woman had no qualms about bringing the twins to sit in the rickshaw with her little brother’s consort, she sent her husband away to stand with Lord Husband as if worried Luo-Luo would seduce the man in broad daylight. While she’d been prepared for jealousy and resentment from Lord Husband’s other wives, she never expected to have to contend with his older sister as well, a fearsome woman who even Lord Husband tiptoed carefully around. It was amazing how quickly Sister Alsantset could go from smiling beautifully whilst in the arms of her husband or holding her children to scowling darkly whenever Luo-Luo came into view. Worst of all, the tigress’s apparent disdain didn’t keep her from sticking close to Lord Husband as often as possible, as if she’d appointed herself as his guardian, caretaker, and overseer while leaving little work for anyone else.

Luo-Luo found herself neglected in these last few days, ever since Lord Husband missed their last business appointment. Seeing how it was the same day his retinue returned from the front lines with Mila, Luo-Luo attributed his absence to their joyous reunion, but the next day, he missed their rescheduled meeting as well for reasons unknown. He claimed he’d been busy speaking with his Grand-Mentor Akanai, yet another fearsome woman who disapproved of Luo-Luo. The gorgeous blonde had a frigid intensity about her, and her blue, wintry eyes struck fear into Luo-Luo’s heart, for she had no idea what to call this woman who was Lord Husband’s Grand-Mentor, Grandmother, and future Mother-in-law. Regardless, she assumed Lord Husband had snuck off with Mila to get his hand broken, whatever that meant, and that was that.

It was tiresome dealing with all the ever-present, disapproving stares, but Luo-Luo did her best to power through. Even though Sister Alsantset hadn’t spoken a single unkind word, her disapproving stares were judging Luo-Luo for not standing at Lord Husband’s side while he squandered his wealth, but she didn’t approve of his wasteful spending and used her absence to convey disapproval without outright entering into conflict. Besides, if she stood beside him, she worried their staggering height difference would lessen him in the eyes of these strangers, so she took it upon herself to step away from the public eye. If it was about having a beauty at his side, Lin-Lin fit the bill nicely, a petite enchantress who charmed everyone with her winning smile, and the daughter of the beloved Medical Saint Taduk to boot. Mila and Li-Li were also stunning women in their own right, each one a unique and exotic city destroying beauty and utterly devoted to their charming and lovable Lord Husband.

Yan too, but the horned hussy was spending the new year with her adoptive Grandfather Du Min Gyu in the Central Citadel, almost two-hundred and fifty kilometres away and still too close for Luo-Luo’s liking.

Time dragged on and eventually Lord Husband’s supply of red pockets dwindled to almost nothing, so Luo-Luo prepared to act. Stepping down from the rickshaw, she strode over to a nearby stone bench where Lord Husband often sat, equidistant from both pond and cattle ranch. There, Mafu and the other quins laid stretched out to bask in the sun, and she laughed as the wildcats and bears bounded over to be received with warm hugs and welcoming squeaks. All of Lord Husband’s darling animals were so sweet and obedient, following along at her heels simply because he commanded them to stay close, and she wondered how she could have ever been afraid of the gentle fur-babies. Even as fragile as he was, Lord Husband had nothing to fear from them even if he were to lay in the grass while they romped around, for they always tread carefully around him and never laid tooth or claw upon him or anyone else.

Well, not after a few minor accidents in those first weeks...

Taking a seat on the bench, Luo-Luo shooed Sarankho aside before setting up her zither upon its stand, and she finished just as the crowd realized Lord Husband had handed out his last red pocket and was stepping down from his wagon. Disappointment and displeasure soon gave way to angry grumbles and entitled demands, a turn of events which caught Lord Husband off-guard, but one Luo-Luo had long since expected, so she eschewed warming up and set to strumming the strings on her zither. Slowly and quietly at first, but with each pass of her hands, she went faster and louder until the discordant scales matched the intensity of the rowdy mob of citizens raging around Lord Husband. Foolish and naive, he stayed put and tried to reason with them instead of retreating to safety, but this too was a part of his charm, the willingness to believe in the best of people, rather than seeing the worst for what it was.

Putting errant thoughts out of mind, she focused on her playing and increased the tempo of her dissonant tune. Losing themselves over to the jarring melody, the mob followed her lead and worked themselves into a near frenzy as her hands blurred over the strings at ever increasing speeds. Even the animals joined their voices to her symphony, groaning, mewling, grunting and chittering in protest of the unsettling sounds of her zither’s resonating tones, but she continued without slowing. Once the crowd was wholly connected to her music and at the height of emotion, she slammed both hands down onto the zither and stilled the strings as her thunderous strike echoed into the abrupt silence while citizen, guard, and animal alike froze in place. The strings quivered beneath her palms as the crowd turned to see why she had stopped playing, and she greeted everyone with her most fetching smile. “This one is Imperial Servant Zheng Luo, Consort to Honoured Husband Falling Rain,” she said, her soft voice carrying far over the hushed crowd. “Although there are no more red pockets to hand out, this one offers her meagre musical skills as recompense. Please, gather round and listen to this one’s original arrangement titled ‘Rise to Glory’.”

Without any further ado, she plucked out the opening notes to her composition and submersed herself wholly in the music and the bittersweet memories which came with it. Twelve years she’d given over to this piece, but after performing it during her graduation competition, she never played it again. How could she? Though she received a standing ovation from the Emperor Himself, her ‘Rise to Glory’ was also the source of all her subsequent misery, for by shining too brightly, she had attracted the attentions’ of two powerful men she could not afford to offend, the Grand Marshal and the Prime Minister, respectively. Because of this, she languished in the dormitories for six long years, the forgotten servant too talented to serve, before Shen ZhenWu brought her out of the Academy and the Eastern province to betroth her to a foreign ‘savage’. Though it took time to get used to her new circumstances and there was still a long way to go, she had long since accepted her new lot in life and would wholeheartedly stand by her Lord Husband and support him until he saw fit to truly accept her.

Which would hopefully be soon; so long as Lord Husband approved, then it didn’t matter how Akanai, Sarnai, Alsantset, or any other woman in his life felt about Luo-Luo...

Not even a quarter way through her song, she realized the animals had joined their voices to the tune once again. Aurie mwared and Mafu chittered, the birds cackled and cattle mooed, and though all these noises clashed with her melodious strumming, she felt they were oddly appropriate, somehow fitting into the space between her notes and filling a void which she’d never quite noticed before. The more she played, the more the animals’ accompaniment seemed to fit, but no matter how she tried to understand it, she found herself unable to unravel the mystery of harmonious commotion, from the dismal opening, into the steadfast midsection, and right up until she plucked the final triumphant note and let the strings fall silent on their own.

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And then the thunderous applause shook Luo-Luo out of her contemplative state, so focused she’d forgotten she was playing for an audience.

Standing to accept her accolades, Luo-Luo curtsied towards the crowd while taking in their unbridled delight. Even without Death Corps guards to keep them back, the once unruly mob had settled in around her in a neat semi-circle, while the lazing quins had gathered around behind her. Even the Guardian Turtle had come out to listen, her head bobbing and mouth opened wide in thorough appreciation of her performance. The wildcats and bears pressed against her legs, while Lord Husband’s kingfishers perched about in the trees and the cattle lined up at the fences, all of them still making a racket as if singing her praises. No wonder Lord Husband wanted her to play for the cattle, for they seemed like her most appreciative audience out of everyone here.

Truth be told, the crowd’s warm smiles and resounding applause made her much happier than the Emperor’s solitary standing ovation, so genuine and heartfelt it brought tears to her eyes.

The crowd chanted for her to play again, so she sat back down and obliged, beaming as Lord Husband and his family cheered her on from the side. The hours passed quickly and she played until her fingers cramped, then she played some more until she could no longer continue, and only then did she beg leave to rest. The crowd gracefully acquiesced after she promised to play another concert tomorrow, and she packed her instrument away while reflecting on her “Rise to Glory”. Back then, she’d written the piece thinking her performance for the Emperor would be her crowning achievement, but things had not worked out as she hoped, with her true glory yet to come. There was more to the song, and she felt it coming together within her, the chords, progressions, harmonies, and resolutions all but writing themselves.

Committing the changes to memory, she shooed away the curious Jimjam and Baloo before they broke her zither case and left it for the Death Corps guards to bring away. Rejoining Lord Husband, she beamed as he, her sister wives, and her in-laws all praised her musical talents, concise and short-lived though their compliments might be. Though Lord Husband had little to say and faked his enthusiasm, Sister Alsantset seemed less miffed by Luo-Luo’s presence and gave her a pat on the head as if she were a mere child, but the fierce tigress treated Lord Husband the same way, so Luo-Luo took no offence.

Dinner was a festive affair as all of Lord Husband’s family gathered together to celebrate the end of the first day in the thirty-sixth year of the current Emperor’s reign. Luo-Luo was twenty-four years old now, a full four years older than Lord Husband yet still a girl without child. More importantly, by Bekhai tradition, Lord Husband and Mila were both of marriageable age, which meant their nuptials would happen soon enough. Once the fierce, freckled Mila was sated, then Lord Husband would finally be free to lay with Luo-Luo as well, and their bond would only deepen. Perhaps next time, Luo-Luo would welcome the new year with a babe in her belly, or if they acted quickly enough, in her arms.

While they ate and laughed, everyone praised her musical talents and Mother-in-law Sarnai seemed especially interested, asking questions and making arrangements for tomorrow’s concert while sending invitations to all her friends and associates. Delighted to finally have obtained the dragon lady’s approval, Luo-Luo committed to finishing Rise to Glory for tomorrow’s performance even if she didn’t sleep a single wink, a minor sacrifice now that she was a fully-fledged practising Martial Warrior.

As the festivities came to an end, Luo-Luo cuddled a sleepy Tate in her arms and prayed for these joyous, happy days to last forever, but she spoke too soon as an Imperial Messenger arrived strode in without fanfare, flying the Emperor’s dragon banner to denote official business. Without need for reminder, Lord Husband and his family all fell to their knees and bowed their heads, albeit a little slower than Luo-Luo would have deemed respectful. “Ten thousand years of boundless longevity upon the Emperor,” they all said in chorus, the traditional greeting to receive an Imperial missive. “Imperial Servant Zheng Luo awaits her orders.”

Obviously the others stated their own names, but the Imperial Messenger had no time to listen to their introductions one by one. Striding over to Luo-Luo, he placed the missive into her waiting hands and said, “The Emperor Demands.”

“And this servant obeys,” she replied, keep her head low until the Imperial Messenger’s boots could no longer be heard, at which point she raised her head and broke the seal on the scroll. Why her? Why not Lord Husband or his parents or Grand-Mentor? “It is a summons,” she read, answering the unasked question. “Demanding the presence of...” Her eyes widened as she saw the order the names were written in, but she dared not recite them out of order, for this missive represented the Emperor’s will. “Demanding the presence of Imperial Servant Zheng Luo and Falling Rain. There is a Death Corps escort waiting outside, and we are to proceed alone and unaccompanied by any others, including our own honour guard under threat of execution.” Rereading the missive, she quickly pointed out the discrepancies she noticed, knowing time was of the essence. “This is not signed. There are no other orders. The threat is written without flaw, almost in a bored manner.” Meaning whoever penned it was used to issuing death threats over minor matters. “There is no location stated, no time frame for return, and no reason for the summons, but we must obey.”

“Go then,” Akanai said, her voice strained and eyes angry as the rest of her warrior family bristled with indignation. “If you do not return, know you will not die alone.”

While a bit over-dramatic, she wasn’t wrong to worry since Lord Husband’s status presented something of an issue. Imperial Scions were meant to be seen as superior to all others by virtue of birth alone, and even though he was merely an Imperial Consort, Lord Husband’s condition brought disgrace to the Imperial Clan as a whole, which meant it was entirely possible he would be made to disappear. Idly wondering which of his wives Akanai meant to send after Lord Husband in death, Luo-Luo helped him board the waiting carriage and sat with him in silence, clutching his arm close to calm her nerves while he read through the missive himself.

“Don’t worry,” Lord Husband said, stroking her hand gently. “If they meant to execute me, they wouldn’t have sent such a nice carriage.”

A statement which made no sense whatsoever, but his intentions were good, and she settled her nerves to think. This wasn’t Shen ZhenWu’s work, this much she knew, because even if he intended to dispose of Lord Husband, it would have been done in secret since there was nothing to be gained from alienating the Bekhai and their many allies. No, this was a calculated move meant to humiliate and enrage, which meant the summons came from someone at odds with Lord Husband’s patron, someone inferior to Shen ZhenWu since he wasn’t publicly scheduled to arrive for another three days, and only the weaker party would avoid direct conflict. Games and schemes, but even though Luo-Luo sat at the heart of the matter, she had yet to understand the rules and stakes.

Though it didn’t last long in terms of minutes, the carriage ride felt like it stretched on into eternity, and when it finally came to a stop, Luo-Luo’s heart skipped a beat. It was entirely possible their mysterious host would have them both executed out of hand and lay the blame on Lord Husband after the fact, but as she stepped out into the night’s gloom, she breathed a sigh of relief. Silent despite her ponderous size, the Guardian Turtle of Ping Yao had followed them to their destination, which might mean the difference between life and death. After helping Lord Husband out with his walker, she held his arm for support and followed him in through the inconspicuous manor gates. Her path barred by Death Corps soldiers, the Guardian Turtle squeaked in protest until Lord Husband turned around to address the silent guards. “The big girl is sweet and all, but she's also super attached and doesn’t like letting me out of sight. If you keep her from following, she will squash you all and break down the gates. Not a threat, just the facts.” Shrugging as if it were no concern of his, he turned back around and proceeded into the empty manor courtyard, ignoring the increasingly insistent squeaks emanating behind him. The Death Corps outside must have received new instructions, for soon after, the Guardian Turtle shuffled inside to loom protectively over Lord Husband, her meaty legs encircling them both while she watched over from above.

Though usually a gentle creature, today the Guardian Turtle seemed agitated and protective as if sensing a threat, news which did nothing to calm Luo-Luo’s nerves.

Stepping out of thin air, their host appeared in the empty, but well lit courtyard, a golden armoured Imperial Scion much younger than Shen ZhenWu. If the man before them was a day over twenty five, then she would dance naked in the streets, for his youthful features had yet to take on the timeless gleam shared by older, yet still youthful-looking Martial Warriors. What’s more, he completely ignored Lord Husband and stared at Luo-Luo with a ravenous gaze, and this unbridled arrogance and obvious disdain spoke volumes to his inexperience since it put even her politically blind Lord Husband on his guard.

Seeing no Imperial Dragon Banner or Imperial Dragon Sigil in sight, Lord Husband clasped his hands and offered a Martial Salute in lieu of bowing, giving their host what she hoped was an intended slight. “Imperial Consort Falling Rain offers greeting. I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, as I’ve no idea who you are.”

Mother in Heaven, if these slights weren’t intentional, then Luo-Luo would have to give yet another long, lengthy lecture on etiquette. Perhaps she could illustrate it for him, since he didn’t seem too taken by her music or poetry...

Seething with rage, the Imperial Scion’s hand strayed to his sword, but Lord Husband merely smirked in response. His cavalier attitude gave their host pause, as did the Guardian Turtle looming overhead, so with a well-practised sneer, the young Imperial placed his hands behind his back and said, “Your ignorance is expected, savage. Clean your ears and listen properly. This Noble is – Yiii?”

Retreating several steps as Lord Husband picked his ears and flicked his finger clean, the Imperial Scion looked positively horrified. “Sorry,” Lord Husband said, wiping his hands on his jacket. “Ears cleaned. You were saying?”

“...This Noble,” the Scion said, his face twisted in fury, “Is Yang Jixing.”

“Uh huh, and the purpose of this meeting?” Though Lord Husband was unimpressed, Luo-Luo inwardly gasped at the youth’s name. The surname Yang meant this young noble was related to the Prime Minister, perhaps even directly related considering he had the gall to offend the favoured Heir to the throne like so.

Annoyed by Lord Husband’s lack of reaction and dismissive tone, Yang Jixing’s neck pulsed as he visibly swallowed his indignation. Speaking through clenched teeth, he uttered each word with great effort and lacking restraint. “Your Imperial Servant, Zheng Luo. This Noble wishes to purchase her. Her talents are wasted on a savage like you. I will gift you with another Imperial Servant who will also bestow the title of Imperial Consort upon you, so you need not worry about the loss of your title.”

“Not for sale.” Lord Husband’s refusal was direct and without hesitation, a response which warmed Luo-Luo’s heart. “If that’s all...?” Though his words implied asking for leave, Lord Husband was already turning for the door.

“You... Do you know who I am? Who my father is?”

Barely containing a snort of laughter, Lord Husband coughed and said, “No, but I suppose you’ll tell me.”

“My father is the Prime Minister of the Empire.” Pausing as if he expected Lord Husband to recoil in fear or grovel for mercy, Yang Jixing frowned as Lord Husband continued hobbling away, though the Guardian Turtle didn’t seem willing to move just yet. “Do you not understand what this means? My father’s word is the Emperor’s justice. You have many cases awaiting adjudication, and I only need crook my finger to have them all ruled in favour of your opponents.”

“Really? That’s a shame.” Frowning in consternation, Lord Husband sighed and looked up at the night’s sky. Or not. “Ping Ping, I’m tired and don’t want to walk around you, so could you please move?”

The Guardian Turtle didn’t respond, but Yang Jixing exploded with anger, screaming, “You worthless fucking savage! You should be grateful this Noble is even interested in your woman! You will hand her over or –”

“Or what? You’ll kill me here and now? No? Then I’m leaving.” Unconcerned by Jixing’s tantrum, Lord Husband gave a bored look over his shoulder and said, “The Imperial Missive demanded our presence here, but it said nothing about staying or listening to anyone. I doubt the Emperor would let an idiot like you speak with his voice, so whoever sent the summons isn’t willing to directly intervene. You can threaten all you want, but Luo-Luo is not for sale. She is my Consort, not a commodity to be traded.” Glancing at her in apparent apprehension, he added, “That is... unless you want to go with him. Do you?”

Warmed by his declaration and genuine concern, Luo-Luo moved close and took his arm once more. “No Lord Husband,” she said, her eyes wide and glowing. “This one will not leave you unless ordered by the Emperor himself.”

“Cool. Let’s roll.” Unromantic as always, Lord Husband nodded and bumped the Guardian Turtle with his walker. “Excuse me Ping Ping. Beep Beep. Back up.”

With an adorable squeak of challenge, the Guardian Turtle backed away slowly with mouth open and eyes wide, glaring not at the young Scion but at his protector or backer hidden in the shadows. “You’ll regret this,” Jixing yelled, but Lord Husband paid him no heed. “She will be mine, but now I will destroy you and everyone you hold dear to take her. You hear me?”

Apparently, he did, as Lord Husband made a sharp turn away from the gates and directed the Guardian Turtle back through the manor’s bedrooms where her rear destroyed everything in her path. “Oops,” he said, glancing around as if lost. “Hard to see with Ping Ping blocking my sight. Which way are the gates? This way?” They destroyed two more buildings before Jixing finally wised up and stopped screaming obscenities, but by then Luo-Luo could barely restrain her laughter. Outside, Lord Husband even had the gall to commandeer the carriage for the journey back home, urging the Death Corps to be quick about sending him home and muttering about filling the carriage with cattle dung for the journey back.

While crippled and nothing like the dashing Lord Husband she’d envisioned as a younger woman, Luo-Luo was thankful she’d been gifted to such a wonderful man. Even though he didn’t love her, he didn’t hesitate to offend a powerful Scion and son of the Prime Minister just to keep her at his side, not out of love, affection, or even power, but because he treated her with the same dignity and civility he gave anyone else.

In his eyes, she wasn’t an Imperial Servant, but merely a woman, one free to do as she pleased, and this more than anything, made her truly fall in love.

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