‘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,’