Li Tao’s captains assembled in a half circle before him outside the mansion. The canyon opened wide behind them. He had summoned them from their posts to give their reports in person. He needed to look each man in the eye. Now more than ever before, loyalty was critical.
‘Governor Li.’
Lady Ling’s voice rang out over the expanse of stone, much like the floating beauties of Luoyang. They would coo and flirt from windows that overlooked the streets, but their entreaties were never for him. He kept his back to her pointedly.
‘My lord, I have something to discuss with you,’ she said, with the carelessness of a breeze. ‘Oh, forgive me. You’re occupied.’
Grey-haired Zhao glanced upwards. ‘Ling Guifei?’
The other men seemed to lose focus at Zhao’s breach of etiquette. Their gazes drifted past him to seek out the infamous beauty. Even the most seasoned of them could not remain disciplined.
‘Gentlemen.’
A single, sharp reprimand brought all eyes back to him. The captains straightened with deliberate attention.
Suyin did nothing without a purpose. She’d chosen this moment for a display of will. By midmorning, word of the Precious Consort would spread through the barracks along with the rumours.
What an enticing picture she must present overhead, elegantly poised over the balcony as she held his men in rapture. He didn’t need to look upon her. He could see the furtive desire reflected in every man’s face. Li Tao’s blood simmered.
How had the August Emperor dealt with the knowledge that every man wanted his concubine? Of course, a sovereign was supposedly blessed by heaven and above such jealousy, while Li Tao was just a man.
And Suyin was not his concubine.
He listened to the rest of the reports and then dismissed the captains. He turned once the last man was gone. ‘Yes, Guifei?’
Her gown was blue today, evoking cool air and sky. She leaned forwards with her hands braced against the rail, tapping a nail against the polished wood in agitation. ‘I don’t like being called that.’
‘Lady Ling, then. What is it you need to discuss with me?’
‘The artwork in this chamber.’
‘There is no artwork there.’
‘Precisely.’
Conversation with her was indeed an intricate dance. He waited.
‘If I am to be held prisoner in this room, there should be something to look at besides these four walls,’ she said.
‘You are not being held prisoner.’
She stared down at him incredulously. ‘I am not?’
‘Go to the door.’
He was unable to resist a smirk as she disappeared through the curtain. In a heartbeat, she appeared around the side of the house. She aimed a line towards him, lifting her skirt out of the way of her feet. Ru Shan followed closely behind.
Li Tao assessed her quickly, not allowing his gaze to linger. Her hair was carefully pinned and her cheeks held a hint of colour. That was the essence of Ling Suyin. All she ever permitted was a hint.
She came up right beside him, close enough that she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes. ‘Am I free to leave, then?’
He shook his head. ‘The house, the gardens. Explore them as you wish.’
‘But not beyond?’
‘I cannot ensure that you are protected otherwise.’
She made a derisive sound. ‘Protected.’
Even her indignation was somehow charming. He had always assumed a courtesan’s power was in distraction, in idle conversation and empty flattery. Suyin was much more complicated.
She gestured at the now-empty area. ‘Were those your notorious captains?’
‘An interesting display you put on for them. If they were young and brash, one of them might consider putting a knife in my back to take possession of you.’
‘Like a trophy,’ she said with a sigh. ‘The August Emperor always boasted about your soldiers, how fierce and disciplined they were. How does a new army gain such a formidable reputation?’
He shrugged away her attempt at flattery. ‘Young men have something to prove.’
‘Perhaps their leader has something to prove?’
‘You can’t truly be interested in this.’
She tilted her head in what wasn’t an answer. When she turned away, he found himself following obligingly as she wandered toward the gorge. There must be a wisp of sorcery within her.
‘This house looks like it’s about to fall off the edge of the world.’ She peered into the misted depths.
‘The cliff provides a natural barrier. Easy to defend.’
‘Have you ever seen the bottom?’ She inched forwards until her toes touched against the emptiness beyond. A breeze stirred from the chasm.
‘Stand back,’ he cautioned. What he wanted to do was wrap an arm around her and drag her back to safety.
She took her time before complying. The silk of her gown rippled against him while he inhaled, then exhaled slowly. He hadn’t moved, yet his heart was pumping fast. She was playing with him. He was … he was letting her.
‘You know that bringing me here can be seen as an act of defiance.’ The words were a warning, but her tone was one that stroked his skin. ‘It would be best if you released me. What use could I be to you when you already have soldiers from the mountain to the sea?’
‘Where would you go?’ he asked. ‘Old Gao was looking for you. He expected you to be alone.’
She swallowed. ‘Gao again.’
‘Gao sent assassins after you that day.’ He stepped close, fighting the urge to touch her. ‘It’s not me you should be frightened of.’
‘You stopped them? Why?’
Why? He didn’t have to be a hero to want to save a lone woman from being destroyed senselessly.
‘I’m grateful, then. All this time, I thought that I … that you …’ She blinked up at him, looking confused and vulnerable.
‘I don’t want gratitude,’ he spat out. ‘All I want is answers.’
She flinched and the mask returned. Good. The seasoned courtesan was an easier adversary to deal with.
‘What have you done to make an enemy of Gao?’ he asked.
Her gaze became distant. ‘Perhaps I do know a few things about Governor Gao Shiming.’
Suyin didn’t know if it was the chasm at her back or Li Tao’s imposing presence that had her heart beating so wildly. He was fearsome to behold up close, with nothing and no one between them to shield her.
‘Everyone knows Gao wants that throne,’ she said.
He threw her a look of mild impatience. ‘I do not need to know what everyone knows, my lady.’
The strength of his face fascinated her. She had never seen anything like it. From his sun-darkened skin to the short crop of his hair, he looked nothing like the cultured ministers of the court. He was staring at her intently, willing her to reveal her secrets. There was an almost frightening beauty to his harsh features.
‘Should I write you a list? Recall every plot he’s orchestrated? Every man he’s sent to the executioner? Gao has built his influence over the reign of three emperors.’
‘Then