Of course, it was hard to dismiss his dishonesty. He was deliberately deceiving the imperial court. Two courts, if he counted the kingdom of Khitan. But all parties were getting what they wanted. Khitan received an alliance and a princess and the Tang Empire didn’t have to worry about barbarian attacks from the north at least for a few years. Yan Ling would be taken care of. His family name and honour would be preserved for ancestors and heirs alike. So many good deeds had to balance out one black one.
He stepped forwards to pull aside the curtain on the sedan himself. Yan Ling paused as she was about to duck inside.
‘Wait—should I call you “Elder Brother”? Will you call me Pearl?’
‘There’s no need for that. You’ll be safely inside the family residence.’
‘What about the other servants? Will they know?’
Her voice was pitched higher now. The prospect of going to Changan was making them both anxious. Fei Long pressed a hand to the small of her back and gave her a slight push into the compartment.
‘We’ll work everything out later.’ He drew the curtain over the opening to cut off her protest.
As he made his way towards his horse, the side curtain flew open. Yan Ling peered out, framed by the window. Her eyes appeared wide and curious in her delicate face.
‘What if someone asks me who I am? What will I tell them?’
He strode back to the litter with purpose. ‘You won’t have to say a thing. Why would anyone even talk to you? Such nonsense.’
With that, he dragged the curtain closed and went to lift himself onto the saddle.
Think only of success.
The morning went by without event. A nagging silence surrounded him without Yan Ling behind him on the saddle. Every flutter of the curtain drew his eye. More than once, he wanted to ride up alongside the transport to speak to her. Not that he had anything to say. He had the urge to see her, if only to make sure that she was secure. So much depended on Yan Ling.
The earthen walls of Changan appeared over the horizon when they were deep into the afternoon. Soon the expanse of the city filled the view. Imperial banners flew from the battlements and the arches of the East Gate opened before them.
He tapped against the litter. ‘We’re here.’
Two fingers peeked through the curtain to pull it open just a slit. ‘Heaven and earth,’ Yan Ling breathed. ‘So magnificent.’
Whenever he returned from the outer provinces, the vastness of Changan always struck him with renewed awe. The exterior wall stretched on for several li. Within the main gates, the city was divided into further compartments, each ward a small community with shops and neighbourhoods. Throughout the city, there were numerous parks and lakes and canals. Changan could swallow entire cities within its depths.
A squad of city guards was stationed at the East Gate. They allowed them in after a cursory inspection of his seal. Inside, the city opened up to the familiar grid pattern of criss-crossing avenues. The family mansion was within the residential area just beyond the East Market.
A muted call came from inside the sedan. ‘My lord … Lord Chang. Elder Brother.’
He turned his head to see a slight part in the curtain, enough to reveal the curve of Yan Ling’s cheek and one brightly inquisitive eye.
‘Are those pears in the trees?’ she whispered in delight.
The avenue was lined on either side with fruit trees, planted years ago under imperial order. With a hand on the reins, he directed his horse toward the round yellow fruit. The branch shook as he twisted one free before returning to the palanquin to pass it through the window. Then he gestured towards the curtain, making an abrupt, horizontal motion. She flashed him a quick smile, with only the corner of her mouth visible, before disappearing back inside.
The palanquin joined the heavy traffic along one of the main avenues. Even though they were within the city, it would be at least another hour before they reached the mansion. At that time he’d have to sneak Yan Ling into the household and enlist the help of the servants. Discretion and loyalty were key to the plan. A single whisper of gossip could travel a hundred li and have them all in chains.
If Yan Ling had been asked to describe in one word how the imperial capital differed from her home town, she would have said it was the colours. She’d grown up in a muted world of greys and browns. Their clothing was of the plainest cotton, without the indulgence of special dyes. The buildings were erected from stone and wood. Even the river was murky as it wound through the forest green.
Now that she was in the capital, wealth didn’t look like the gleam of gold and silver. Wealth was in the red banners cascading from the balconies of the wine-houses and restaurants of Changan. The rainbow bolts of silk in the marketplace. Even the fruit piled in the stalls sparkled like jewels: rosy peaches and startling pink dragonfruit with green-tipped scales.
The buildings were all ornamented and painted. The structures climbed ostentatiously upwards, reaching towards heaven. The citizens themselves walked side by side in luxurious brocades. Their sleeves hung to the ground, enough material for an entire new garment, yet used for mere adornment.
The pear in her hands had been kissed warm by the sun. Fei Long’s fingers had brushed inadvertently against hers when he had handed it to her. For all his rigid manners, he was good at heart and kind in the most unexpected ways. She bit into the pear, enjoying the crisp sweetness as she wondered what other surprises the city would bring.
She wouldn’t live here for long, Yan Ling reminded herself. After the spring and before summer was done, a caravan would take her north to the frontier of Khitan, but this one look alone at the imperial capital was worth it.
A long time passed, made longer by the confinement. Restlessness took over and then boredom. She wanted to burst out of the sedan and take in the city, but Fei Long had warned her about staying hidden. Finally the transport halted and she was lowered to the ground.
They were here. She fixated on the curtain in front of her. Her palms began sweating and she swallowed past the dryness in her throat. What would await her on the other side? Fei Long had spoken very little about his household. There was Pearl who had run away and the elder Lord Chang who was no longer with them.
The curtain opened and Fei Long was there. He met her eyes and a silent flicker disrupted his expression before it settled like the surface of a pond. He extended his hand and she took it. His was firm and steady while hers trembled. She stepped outside and peered around the corner like a mouse avoiding a cat’s paw.
‘That’s not Pearl!’
They had stopped in an alleyway, away from the main street. A young woman dressed in a light blue robe stood before a side gate. Her clothing marked her as a servant and her tone marked her as a long-time one.
‘I’ll explain later.’ Fei Long placed a hand to Yan Ling’s back to propel her forwards. The gesture was not at all reassuring. ‘Dao, take Miss Yan Ling to Pearl’s room.’
Dao appeared close to her in age. The girl threw her an assessing look before bowing dutifully and opening the gate. Yan Ling looked to Fei Long for one last sign of reassurance, but he was tending to the business of paying the porters.
The gateway led into a spacious courtyard surrounded by rooms on all sides. A well-tended garden filled the space, complete with manicured trees, rock sculptures and a wooden pavilion at the centre. Through the portal at the far end, she could see a front courtyard as well. Fei Long’s home truly was a mansion.
The pathway winding through the courtyard was covered with smooth river stones. Yan Ling halted in the middle of it and turned in a full circle to take in the sight of the buildings surrounding the garden. Covered