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Auntie insisted on following her into the garden. Struggling for breath, Suyin sank on to one of the flattened boulders lying in the soft grass. She needed to escape from here. Her captor was not only ruthless, he was likely mad.
‘Unfavourable day, indeed,’ Suyin snapped. ‘You knew what would happen, didn’t you?’
The old woman stood several steps away, her hands clasped before her demurely. Suyin clutched at the smooth stone below her, trying to steady the pounding of her heart. It always came to this, a knife at her throat, men coming to silence her. When she’d left the palace, she had vowed that she would no longer be used in the schemes of powerful men. She had been brought here by someone’s design, she was certain of it.
‘Auntie was hoping the lady could convince Master Li.’
‘Convince him of what?’
The old woman shrank back at her anger, but Suyin couldn’t find it within her to feel any remorse. Li Tao had held a blade to her. He had never directly threatened her with it, but that didn’t matter. What frightened her even more was what had happened afterwards. She had fought to keep herself safe from men like him all her life, only to be drawn to Li Tao despite every survival instinct within her. They called it the seduction of power. She hadn’t fully believed in it until now.
‘What could I possibly convince him to do?’ She raised herself to her feet. ‘I am a prisoner, brought here against my will.’
A commotion rose from the depths of the front hall. The sound of Li Tao’s strident voice resonated against the walls followed by the stamp of his footsteps. She was relieved to have some distance between them as he left.
‘Master Li is a good man.’ Auntie ventured forwards to grasp her sleeve. ‘You are the only one he will listen to.’
‘He listens to no one.’
‘That is not true! Master spends more time here now. He enquires about your welfare constantly.’
He had asked Auntie about her? Most likely he was trying to discover her secrets.
Suyin pulled away in agitation. ‘If he didn’t make everyone out to be an enemy, he wouldn’t need to live in constant fear.’
She didn’t realise the truth of it until she spoke the words aloud. Li Tao had been afraid, as she was afraid. It was apparent that Auntie worried for him as well. Auntie trusted her and she needed to find a way to use that to her advantage. It was her best chance for escape.
‘Auntie, the governor speaks constantly of defiance and rebellion.’ She lowered her tone cautiously. ‘I’m afraid it will destroy him.’
‘Master is not a traitor. He’s a good man.’
Suyin watched guiltily as tears gathered in the old woman’s eyes.
‘The box is a warning, isn’t it?’ Suyin asked.
Auntie started to respond, but then clamped her mouth shut and glanced furtively towards the house.
‘Governor Li is gone,’ Suyin assured. ‘What does the box mean? Has your master ever mentioned an old man?’
Li Tao had interrogated her about an old man, Lao Sou, when he’d had her pinned.
‘Old man? Cook is old …’
Suyin sighed impatiently. ‘Not Cook.’
‘The box is a reminder.’ Auntie whispered even though the others were too far away to hear. ‘Master doesn’t think I know, but Auntie remembers everything. Once it was a sign of favour. Now it is a warning.’
‘Favour?’
‘From the August Emperor.’
‘The August Emperor is dead. He has been dead for two years.’
‘I know that!’ Auntie snapped. The old woman wasn’t completely intimidated. ‘The Emperor would send Master Li a gift every year in honour of his service. Since his death, someone else must be sending the gift to remind him of his loyalty to the empire.’
Suyin bit back her cynical response. It was either Gao or some other rival who was sending the dagger to provoke Li Tao, but Auntie would think the best of him no matter what the circumstances.
She needed to bend Auntie’s fear and loyalty to her advantage. She took hold of Auntie’s thinning shoulders and spoke in a grave tone.
‘Li Tao has refused to swear loyalty to the throne. How long before Emperor Shen publicly denounces him?’
Auntie paled, but she could only nod in agreement. If Auntie knew about the armies and the barricades, then she must know that Li Tao’s days were numbered.
‘The lady must convince him to reconsider. He hangs on your every word. He is so taken with you that he is afraid to blink when you are near for fear of losing sight of you.’
If only some measure of her reputation were true. Men didn’t fall at her feet in adoration as the stories claimed. It was all careful observation and planning. And Li Tao was endlessly unpredictable, more so than anyone she had ever met. He wanted nothing from her but one night. A conquest. Very far from being in her thrall.
‘Your master’s pride will not allow it,’ Suyin argued. ‘But I may have some sway with Emperor Shen.’
Auntie’s eyes brightened with hope, never questioning the lie. Former consorts had no power at all, especially after the scandals and rebellions that had followed the August Emperor’s death. She had been fortunate that Emperor Shen had allowed her to leave the palace with her freedom and her life.
‘If I can send a letter to Changan, I will speak on your master’s behalf,’ she pressed.
‘But who will deliver the message?’
Her gaze shifted to Ru Shan at the other end of the garden. Li Tao had chosen an honourable man to guard her, but such honour could be adapted to her advantage. Auntie would go along, as well. The dear old woman cared for Li Tao. No one had ever fought so hard to save her. She had always been on her own, even while supposedly under the August Emperor’s protection.
The imperial court had forgotten she had ever existed. But the Emperor Shen was a just ruler. When he found out that Li Tao had taken her, he would demand her return. She would be gone from this house before Li Tao’s many enemies closed in on him.
When they returned to the house, the plan was already in place. Auntie herded the servants away before beckoning Suyin down the corridor. Ru Shan followed silently behind. He was easy to turn to their cause. Protecting a defenceless woman against a warlord appealed to his warrior’s code.
Needles of guilt pricked at her heart. It had been too easy for her to manipulate an old woman’s trust and a soldier’s loyalty to her advantage. She was nothing but lies wrapped upon lies and she always had been. She had no choice. No one could save Li Tao. He had already declared his fate by defying the throne. Still, she hoped she would be released without bloodshed. Li Tao wouldn’t risk his position to keep her captive. And when she was free, perhaps she would be able to speak on his behalf.
What did she care what became of Li Tao. Already she was losing her sense of purpose. She needed to concentrate.
Auntie padded hurriedly down the hall, stopping before a set of doors opposite the bed chamber. Even while Li Tao was gone, his foreboding presence lingered.
‘No one is allowed inside the master’s study,’ Auntie told her as she slipped a key into the door.
‘Be quick!’
Li Tao trusted Auntie and no one else. It made her wonder about the true relationship between the two of them.
Auntie pushed the door open, but would not enter. She poked her head inside to search about as if fearing Li Tao might have returned. When she was satisfied, she waved Suyin in.
‘Master remembers where he puts everything,’ Auntie warned before shutting her inside.
The wooden desk was arranged below an aperture in the roof to allow for light. Suyin hurried to the desk and peeled a blank sheet of paper free from the stack and folded it into her sleeve. She hoped he didn’t go so far as to count them. A spare ink stick and brush quickly followed. They would need to return these items to their exact locations. She couldn’t resist a quick scan of the desk, but Li Tao had left no communications in sight.
She turned to go, but curiosity overwhelmed her like an insistent itch. The study was as simple and austere as the rest of the house, the walls were bare. How could Li Tao stand to stare at blank walls day after day? Did he do nothing but plan his battles?
A single cabinet spanned the far wall next to a shelf of books. There had to be something inside that would give her a hint of who Li Tao was. Even though she would soon be gone, she needed to know.
In case there was some way to use the information, she told herself.
Like Auntie, she looked once more over her shoulder, searching the corners of the room with unreasonable caution. She imagined Li Tao sitting alone in the dark at his desk with a single lamp burning beside him.
Be assured of your success and you cannot fail. Madame from the pleasure quarters used to say that. Suyin said it to herself now.
She pulled on the handle and found the cabinet unlocked. The oiled hinges swung wide to reveal a set of identical daggers to the one in the box. The blades were crafted from blackened steel and they fanned out against the inner wall in a grand display. She held her breath as she counted them. There were fifteen.
By the next morning, Suyin feared that Auntie would worry her fingers to the bone with how often she wrung them together. Suyin sat her down and poured the tea for both of them.
‘Auntie does not look well,’ she suggested mildly.
‘The lady is kind, but Auntie is fine—’
‘Perhaps Auntie should stay in bed for the day,’ she interrupted pointedly. ‘Let someone else tend to the governor.’
Li Tao would hear Auntie’s nervous rambling and know immediately that something was out of place. Suyin’s plan was already in motion and all she had to do was wait. Hopefully Auntie’s ability to present a good face would strengthen with time.
Auntie spilled her tea over the table when a knock sounded on the door. Suyin left Auntie to answer it herself.
Jun stood in the hallway, averting his eyes from her face. Her heart went out to the boy when she saw how he tried to hide his withered arm, angling his left side away.
‘Master Li wishes to see you. He is in the garden,’ Jun said shyly.
She breathed with relief. They would be outside in full view of the servants. After the way Li Tao had threatened her, she couldn’t risk being trapped alone with him. Auntie stood back in the sitting area, her forehead creased in a nest of lines. This was how honest people reacted to deception. She gave Auntie a reassuring nod before stepping outside.
Jun fell into step behind her. He was tall with the lanky awkwardness of youth. From what she could see, Li Tao provided for his servants, yet Jun retained a lean wiriness that came from a childhood of scarcity. She had seen it in her village and in the streets of Luoyang.
‘How long have you served the governor?’ she asked.
She strained to hear his mumbled answer.
‘Eight years, Lady Ling.’
Li Tao presented a confusing picture. He was an efficient military governor. His men were disciplined and loyal, and he was known for promoting men through the ranks based on skill rather than social standing, much like the August Emperor. Yet the warlord surrounded himself with such an incongruous crew of servants.
‘Where did you live before?’ she asked to distract herself as they descended the stairs to the second courtyard.
‘At a monastery … an orphanage,’ Jun corrected himself. ‘Auntie asked for Master Li to take me in.’
‘That was generous of him.’ So he was capable of kindness. He also seemed to be obliging and respectful of Auntie.
Jun stopped abruptly at the edge of the courtyard. ‘Lady Ling?’
‘Yes?’
He bowed his head. ‘You are very beautiful.’
Despite her jaded nature, his sincerity warmed her. This unassuming boy, innocent and hopeful, expected nothing in return for his flattery.
‘Thank you for your kind words, Master Jun,’ she said with a smile.
He blushed furiously at that and couldn’t look at her for the rest of the walk to the garden.
They emerged through the circled archway and her attention centred on to Li Tao. He stood beneath the shade of the cedarwood pavilion. Stood rather than sat. He never paced, never made any unnecessary movements. He turned and studied her as she approached. His feral side was held in restraint; at least she hoped so. Her pulse quickened.
‘Lady Ling.’
He invited her to sit with an outstretched hand, but she stopped short of the pavilion and refused to come any closer. Jun stood by her side, looking confused.
‘It is difficult to be gracious when you held a knife to me the last time we met.’
Li Tao’s steely expression transformed into a frown. He dismissed Jun with a wave of his hand and the boy backed away, kneeling to some task behind the shrubbery.
‘I frightened you,’ Li Tao said. ‘I apologise. Please sit.’
His façade of civility didn’t reassure her. She ascended the wooden steps into the pavilion and noticed the faint shadow over his jaw as she glanced up at him. He looked unkempt, as if he’d just come from the road. She moved past him to take her seat on the stone bench.
It wasn’t only fear that caused her heart to race. His nearness stirred her blood, urging her to tempt fate. That made him more dangerous than Gao and all of the other interlopers who had ever plotted against her. When he seated himself across the table, she was grateful for the barrier between them.
‘Ru Shan is away,’ he said. ‘I will need to assign another guardsman to your care.’
She smoothed out her sleeves and folded her hands together on the surface of the table, using the casual gesture to mask her nervousness. She knew exactly why Ru Shan was away. He had used the ruse of visiting his ailing father.
‘Are you afraid I’ll escape, Governor Li? I would lose myself in this bamboo sea before I found the road.’
‘You shouldn’t be left alone. Not after what happened.’
What happened? ‘I wasn’t in any danger from anyone besides you.’
He didn’t answer for a long stretch; she was afraid she’d been too bold.
‘Accept a peace offering, then,’ he said finally.
He lifted a bundle wrapped in canvas on to the table. She stared at him in surprise as he beckoned for her to open it. Theirs was the oddest of acquaintances. She couldn’t decipher what Li Tao was to her. Adversary, protector, companion. Madman.
Perhaps she was mad as well. Why else would she be tempted to accept the tainted protection he offered? She could hide away in the cover of the bamboo forest.
Her message to the Emperor was already travelling toward the capital. Even if Li Tao wasn’t so unpredictable, she couldn’t stay. When Emperor Shen came for him, she could be implicated as a co-conspirator even though she had been brought there against her will. Or worse, they would come with swords and arrows with no pause to sort out who was who.
She reached for the bindings, but hesitated, remembering another package she’d opened in his presence.
‘It’s not a trap,’ he replied when she looked to him.
The image of the fifteen daggers haunted her. She was afraid to ask about the strange delivery, as if the mystery would hold her captive if she uncovered it.
