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My Fair Concubine
Jeannie Lin
Indulge your fantasies of delicious Regency Rakes, fierce Viking warriors and rugged Highlanders. Be swept away into a world of intense passion, lavish settings and romance that burns brightly through the centuriesTHE NOBLEMAN WHO TURNED A TEA GIRL INTO A PRINCESS… Yan Ling tries hard to be servile – it’s what’s expected of a girl of her class. Being intelligent and strong-minded, she finds it a constant battle… Proud Fei Long is unimpressed by her spirit – until he realises she’s the answer to his problems…He has to deliver the Emperor a ‘princess’. Can he train a tea girl to pass as a noblewoman in two months? Yet it’s hard to teach good etiquette when all Fei Long wants to do is break it, by taking this tea girl for his own…‘Beautifully written, deliciously sensual, and rich with Tang Dynasty historical and political detail… Exceptional.’ – Library Journal on The Dragon and the Pearl
As always, I have to thank my editor, Anna Boatman, and my agent, Gail Fortune, for their continued insight and support, no matter where my writing takes me. This story owes a lot to the Tuesday critique group: Amanda Berry, Shawntelle Madison, Kristi Lea and Dawn Blankenship. Thank you for all the feedback, brainstorming and gossip sessions. To my last line of defence: Little Sis, Inez Kelly and Bria Quinlan—I don’t know how I’d be able to ever let a story out of my hands without you. Finally, a special thanks to Inez’s husband, Ryan, and Louise Harrison for their help in the archery scenes.
Praise for Jeannie Lin:
THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL
‘Chang Ai Li flees her wedding and her enraged
bridegroom in Lin’s exciting debut, an adventure tale
set in turbulent eighth-century China.
Especially vibrant writing describing the culture,
clothes, and countryside …’
—Publishers Weekly starred review
‘If Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon merged with A Knight’s Tale, you’d have the power and romance of Lin’s dynamic debut. The action never stops, the love story is strong, and the historical backdrop is fascinating. —RT Book Reviews
‘In BUTTERFLY SWORDS, Jeannie Lin tells a classic
tale of courage, adventure, and impossible love—and she
sets it in a fascinating new world: Tang China, where a
warrior princess must fight for her family and her country
with only a barbarian swordsman to help her. Jeannie
Lin is a fresh new voice in historical romance, and
BUTTERFLY SWORDS rocks!’
—Mary Jo Putney,
New York Times bestselling author of NEVER LESS THAN A LADY
‘Swords, warrior princesses, and a barbarian to love!
BUTTERFLY SWORDS was a delight!’
—Jade Lee, USA TODAY bestselling author
‘What is this?’ he asked slowly. His gaze swept briefly over her face. The frown line between his eyes sharpened.
Her face burned so hot that she doubted she needed the rouge on her cheekbones.
‘We purchased some make-up at the East Market yesterday.’
Fei Long’s lip curled. ‘You look ridiculous.’
Her heart squeezed tight. Then it plummeted, like a crushed and ruined butterfly.
In so few words he had scattered all her confidence, all her hopes. There was no pleasing Fei Long. Not looking at him, she scrubbed at the tint until her lips were raw. She wanted it off—all of it. The powders, the perfume, and all pretence that she could be a lady worth any notice.
‘Yan Ling.’
He rose from his desk to move towards her. She tried to slip past.
In the next moment she caught a glimpse of Fei Long’s face, of his dark and tortured eyes. A muscle tensed along his jaw before he lowered his head …
AUTHOR NOTE
This story was a little bit of a departure from the high drama of my previous works. The Tang Dynasty was a golden age of Chinese culture, and I wanted to explore the vast capital city of Changan with its infamous entertainment district and teeming marketplaces. MY FAIR CONCUBINE allowed me to play a little with a beloved classic theme while adding a Tang Dynasty twist of my own.
For history buffs, the practice of heqin, or peace marriage, was a very important diplomatic practice which the Tang rulers used more than in any other era to keep the peace with neighbouring kingdoms such as Tibet and Khitai. The alliance brides ranged from daughters or nieces of the Emperor to palace women to daughters of court officials. A substantial body of poetry and writing exists about and by the heqin brides, and they achieved a certain legendary status. A famous poem by Princess Xijun, lamenting her marriage ‘to the other side of heaven’, is referenced in the book.
The collection of characters in this tale allowed me to explore people from more humble origins, and their actions unfolded before me like the scenes of a play. There is not much detailed writing on the lives of servants, tea house girls or actors, so I took liberties to fill out the players with my imagination. I hope you enjoy the journey through tea houses and city parks, as well as an adventurous jaunt to the bawdy, seedier side of the imperial capital.
I love hearing from readers. For more information about my stories, or to contact me, I can be found online at www.jeannielin.com
About the Author
JEANNIE LIN grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy and Eastern martial arts adventures. When her best friend introduced her to romance novels in middle school the stage was set. Jeannie started writing her first romance while working as a high school science teacher in South Central Los Angeles. After four years of trying to break into publishing with an Asian-set historical, her 2009 Golden Heart
-winning manuscript, BUTTERFLY SWORDS, was sold to Harlequin Mills & Boon.
As a technical consultant, backpacker and vacation junkie, she’s travelled all over the United States as well as Europe, South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam. She’s now happily settled in St Louis, with her wonderfully supportive husband, and continues to journey to exotic locations in her stories.
You can visit Jeannie Lin online at: www.jeannielin.com
Previous novels from this author:
BUTTERFLY SWORDS
THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL
Available in Mills & Boon
HistoricalUndone!eBooks:
THE TAMING OF MEI LIN
THE LADY’S SCANDALOUS NIGHT
CAPTURING THE SILKEN THIEF
Did you know that these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
My Fair
Concubine
Jeannie Lin
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Chapter One
China, Tang Dynasty—AD824
Fei Long faced the last room at the end of the narrow hallway, unsheathed his sword and kicked the door open.
A feminine shriek pierced the air along with the frantic shuffle of feet as he strode through the entrance. The boarding room was a small one set above the teahouse below. The inhabitants, a man and a woman, flung themselves into the corner with nowhere to hide.
His gaze fixed on to the woman first. His sister’s hair was unbound and her eyes wide with fear. Pearl had their mother’s thoughtful features: the high forehead and the sharp angles that had softened since the last time he’d seen her. She was dressed only in pale linen underclothes. The man who was with her had enough daring to step in between them.
Fei Long glanced once to the single wooden bed against one wall, the covers strewn wide, and his vision blurred with anger. He gripped the sword until his knuckles nearly cracked with the strain.
‘Bastard,’ he gritted out through his teeth.
He knew this man he’d come to kill. This boy. At least Han had been a boy when Fei Long had last seen him. And Pearl had been a mere girl. Now she was a grown woman, staring at him as if he were a demon risen from the underworld.
‘Fei Long.’ Pearl’s fingers curled tight over her lover’s arm. ‘So now you’ve come.’
The soft bitterness of the accusation cut through him. Pearl had begged for him to come back a year earlier when her marriage had first been arranged, but he’d dismissed her letters as childish ramblings. If he had listened, she might not have thrown herself into ruin and their father’s spirit wouldn’t be floating restlessly between heaven and earth.
The young man stretched himself before Fei Long, though he failed to match him in stature. ‘Not in front of Pearl,’ he implored.
Though he trembled, the boy fought to keep his voice steady as Pearl clung to him, hiding just behind his shoulder. At least the dog managed to summon some courage. If Han had cowered or begged for his life, he would already be dead.
‘Step away, Little Sister,’ Fei Long commanded.
‘No.’
‘Pearl.’
‘I’d rather die here with Han than go to Khitan.’
She’d changed in the five years since he’d seen her. The Pearl he remembered had been obedient, sweet-tempered and pleasant in all things. Fei Long had ridden hard from Changan to this remote province, expecting to find the son of a dog who had stolen her away.
Now that she stood before him with quiet defiance, he knew she hadn’t been seduced or deceived. Zheng Xie Han’s family lived within their ward in the capital city. Though lower in standing, the Zheng family had always maintained a good reputation. His sister had turned to Han because she’d had no one else.
The tension drained out of Fei Long, stealing away his rage. His throat pulled tight as he forced out the next word. ‘Go.’
The two of them stared at him in disbelief.
‘Go,’ he repeated roughly.
Fei Long lowered his weapon and turned away while they dressed themselves. Shoving his sword back into its sheath, he faced the bare wall. He could hear the shuffle of movement behind him as the couple gathered their belongings.
The bleakness of the last few weeks settled into his gut like a stone. When he’d left for his assignment to the north-western garrison, Fei Long had believed his home to be a harmonious place. Upon news of his father’s sudden death, he’d returned to find his sister gone and debt collectors circling the front gates like vultures.
His father’s presence had been an elaborate screen, hiding the decay beneath the lacquered surface of their lives. Fei Long now saw Pearl’s arranged marriage for what it was: a desperate ploy to restore the family honour—or rather to prolong the illusion of respectability.
When he turned again, Pearl and Han stood watching him tentatively. Each of them had a pack slung around their shoulder. Off to face the horizon with all their belongings stowed in two small bags.
Han bowed once. ‘Elder Brother.’
The young man risked Fei Long’s temper to deliver the honorific. Fei Long couldn’t bring himself to return the bow. Pearl met his eyes as they started for the door. The heaviness of her expression struck him like a physical blow.
This was the last time he would ever see his sister.
Fei Long took his money pouch from his belt and held it out. The handful of coppers rattled inside. ‘Here.’
Han didn’t look at him as he took it.
‘Thank you, Fei Long,’ Pearl whispered.
They didn’t embrace. The two of them had been apart for so long that they wouldn’t have known how. Fei Long watched their backs as they retreated down the stairway; gone like everything else he had once known to be true.
‘Jilted lover,’ the cook guessed.
Yan Ling’s eyes grew wide. The stranger had stormed up the staircase only moments earlier with a sword strapped to his side and the glint of murder in his deep-set eyes. She’d leapt out of the path of his charge, just managing to hold on to her pot of tea without spilling a drop.
She stood at the edge of the main room, head cocked to listen for sounds of mayhem upstairs. Her heart raced as she gripped the handle of the teapot. Such violence and scandal were unthinkable in their quiet town.
‘Should someone stop him?’ she asked.
‘What? You saw how he was dressed.’ Old Cook had his feet in the kitchen, but the rest of him strained as far into the dining area as possible. ‘A man like that can do whatever he wants.’
‘Get back to work,’ the proprietor barked.
Yan Ling jumped and the cook ducked his head back through the beaded curtain that separated the main room from the kitchen.
‘Worthless girl,’ her master muttered as she rushed the pot of tea to its intended table. She pressed her fingers against the ceramic to check the temperature of the pot before setting it down. Cooler than ideal, but still hot enough to not get any complaints.
It was late in the morning and the patrons had thinned, but that was never an excuse to move any slower. Lately it seemed nothing she did was fast or efficient enough. She’d never known any life but the teahouse. The story was she’d been abandoned as an infant in the room upstairs, likely the very same one where a new scandal was now unfolding.
She paused to stack empty cups onto a tray. At that moment, the young woman and her companion hurried down the stairs, leaving not even a farewell behind as they swept out the door. Yan Ling expected the sword-carrying nobleman to come chasing after them, but only an uncomfortable silence followed their exit.
The patrons began to whisper among themselves. Her master should be happy. This incident would have the townsfolk lingering over more than a few extra teapots worth of gossip.
When he finally emerged, the gentleman appeared surprisingly calm. He descended the stairs with a steady, powerful stride and his expression was as still as the surface of the moon. Instead of leaving, he marched directly over to the proprietor and flashed an official-looking jade seal. At that point, even the proprietor’s wife flocked over to welcome him. They ushered him to an empty table at the centre of the room, nearly breaking their backs bowing with such enthusiasm. Her master shot Yan Ling a sharp look, which she understood immediately. Bring tea and fast. She rushed to the kitchen.
