Dreaming of Zhou Gong

by Traci Harding

  Breathing heavily in the wake of their affectionate outpouring, Dan appeared pained by the question. ‘I too chose banishment,’ he confessed.

  ‘You quit the regency, when brother Fa wanted you to be king,’ Hudan was horrified. ‘Why?’

  ‘The Jade Book said Cheng, son of Wu would rule,’ Dan said, defending his actions.

  ‘And?’ Hudan knew there must have been more as Song was too young to rule alone.

  ‘I am not playing this game any more! I shall not be responsible for keeping history on track according to Yi Wu’s will, when even she has abandoned our cause!’ Dan seated himself, as the romantic mood took a dive.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Hudan was confused and hoped it wasn’t the wine making her vague.

  ‘Li Shan is gone, without a trace that it ever existed!’ Dan spelt it out for her. The devastation and shock she felt upon learning this must have been written on her face, as he added more gently: ‘I thought you had gone, too.’

  The sorrowful look on his face melted her heart, and Hudan came to kneel before him, feeling a little overwhelmed herself. ‘I had expected that once my quest was done, the Great Mother might take me back, but clearly that will be not be the case.’

  ‘Your quest?’ Dan sat forward in his seat.

  ‘I am to return Taiji to Bayan Har Shan,’ she advised, and Dan’s interest was piqued by the notion.

  ‘I have had a mind to go there myself,’ he said. Hudan forced a smile, thinking it a delightful dream that had no basis in reality.

  ‘Who did the Jade Book name as regent?’ Hudan reverted to her previous query, and Dan slumped back in the chair, bored by the topic.

  ‘Zhou Gong,’ he admitted. ‘Apparently, we are to put down a rebellion in the East together,’ he stated with a good serve of irony, ‘which our new Zhou is about to spark by setting fire to the House of Jizi!’

  Hudan was perplexed and slapped her hands down hard on Dan’s knees. ‘Why are you still here!’

  ‘Song will not listen to me as Fa did.’ He stood to distance himself from any further attacks. ‘He wanted me gone, so I left before he could gang up with Xian against me and I ended up rotting in prison! Now that the Great Mother has up and fled, I have no hope of bringing our young upstart into line.’ Dan threw his hands up in despair.

  Hudan breathed deep to reflect on the circumstances, and raised herself upright in the chair. ‘If the House of Li Shan has departed, it is because, in heaven’s eyes, the crisis has passed … perhaps it is not as grave as you think?’

  ‘Song meant to crush me when he lied about you …’ Dan suddenly twigged, and was floored in retrospect. ‘I knew I was not his favourite person in the world, but I had no idea his malice was so deep-seated. The slanderous claims he made about you are unforgivable.’

  ‘Song is a boy, a child!’ Hudan emphasised. ‘He envies you, and hates that you are so well respected. He covets what you have because he feels he has something to prove to you. Not because he despises you, but because he secretly idolises you.’

  ‘He has a strange way of showing it.’ Dan was not convinced.

  ‘You must go back,’ Hudan informed him timidly. ‘As it is, Zhou Gong Dan has not reached his potential and never shall, if he no longer exists.’

  ‘Not if Song bowed down to the ground and begged me,’ Dan insisted. ‘I am coming with you.’

  Hudan tactfully decided to avoid that and redirected the conversation. ‘Why does Song intend to burn the House of Jizi?’

  ‘Because he picked the granddaughter of Minister Jizi to marry, and she overpowered me so she could flee before Song returned from his goddess rite,’ Dan advised.

  ‘You lost his bride on their wedding day and Song is still carrying the goddess’ blessing?’ Hudan queried, thinking this would be particularly frustrating for Ji Song.

  ‘He has probably frittered the blessing away on half the young females in Haojing by now,’ Dan imagined. ‘There will be little princes springing up in the capital like daisies next fall!’

  Hudan had to chuckle, although it was no laughing matter. ‘Still, our king must have been very vexed when you spoke.’

  ‘He wasn’t the only one. His bride had just knocked me unconscious and then I awoke to an interrogation!’ Dan was angry just thinking about it. ‘I had been warned she was martial, but I had no idea she was going to swing down out of the rafters and ambush me!’

  ‘Wow!’ Hudan was impressed. ‘Not your average lady of the aristocracy, then?’

  ‘The pity of it is that, according to Hreen’s description of Song’s perfect match, she fits the bill.’

  ‘You learned the law of summons,’ Hudan said, figuring out how Dan had contacted the Lord of Time.

  ‘Yes, but apparently that law does not apply to Hreen, for he is of the physical realm.’ Dan was delighted to teach Hudan something she didn’t know. ‘He claimed he pops in and checks on the team from time to time, so our meeting was just a timely coincidence.’

  ‘Really.’ Hudan was impressed by his tale, but eyed the room warily. ‘That is a little off-putting.’

  ‘Forget I mentioned it,’ Dan grinned, and Hudan returned the sentiment.

  ‘So …’ Hudan summed up. ‘You are telling me that you know the young King of Zhou is about to make a grave error in judgement, and you are choosing to step aside and do nothing?’

  Dan shook his head, obviously not liking her summation. ‘I have waited an age to be alone with you. Could we not revel in the joy of being banished, just for a few days?’

  ‘Our child king has been left unsupervised for a week already,’ Hudan commented drily.

  ‘I just want to be with you,’ Dan said, articulating his heartfelt feelings on the matter. ‘You left Li Shan on the same day, for the same reason. If that is not fate, then what is?’

  That was a very good point, Hudan conceded, biting her lip as she considered the coincidence.

  ‘You have no home any more,’ Dan stated as he neared to speak with her more intimately. ‘Return to Haojing with me, as my wife, and I will go.’

  ‘Zhou Gong Dan never marries again.’ She repeated what the Great Mother had foretold.

  ‘No one need know,’ Dan encouraged. ‘Unless our king is of the mind to covet you, in which case we shall speak up. We can ask our siblings here to bear witness.’

  Hudan had not even considered that now she was not Wu, the king could marry her on a whim, and keep her locked away for life — unless she was married to someone else. Were they changing history, or just uncovering what had never been recorded and lost over time? ‘I will marry you tomorrow evening.’

  Dan’s joyful gasp was premature, she felt, and she covered his mouth with her fingers.

  ‘But,’ she added earnestly, ‘only if you will then allow me to complete my quest, whilst you return to Haojing to aid the king.’

  ‘Allow me to accompany —’

  ‘No.’ Hudan made it clear she was not open to a compromise. ‘I promise I shall complete my task as swiftly as possible and return to you, but every day you remain with me is a day closer the king’s soldiers will be to the House of Jizi.’

  ‘I cannot stop that now. I am not as accomplished at thought movement as you are,’ he appealed.

  ‘Huxin is,’ Hudan said, tearing down his excuse. ‘We have four days at best. If we marry tomorrow, then day after we must take action to stay abreast of the situation.’

  ‘All right,’ Dan grumbled, deciding he could live with that. ‘I accept.’

  ‘Then consider it an engagement,’ Hudan grinned and sealed their deal with a kiss. The outcome was mutually beneficial, and she never had to worry about being given to any other man beside the one she truly loved.

  Ji Dan requested a family meeting in Shi’s council chamber late the next afternoon, and you could have knocked Huxin, Fen and Shi over with a feather when Dan announced that Hudan and he intended to marry that day.

  ‘What?’ Shi retorted, as they look
ed at him expectantly.

  ‘This is stunning news,’ Huxin said, not knowing whether to jump for joy, or voice a caution.

  ‘But what of your vows?’ Fen asked.

  ‘I have left Li Shan for good,’ Hudan advised, looking at Dan with a smile. ‘The Great Mother said that my heart clearly lay elsewhere and that I should follow where it led.’

  Huxin was excited and rushed to congratulate them both. ‘Then this is surely a most auspicious occasion! You must give me time to plan such an event.’

  ‘It must be today,’ Dan replied, sorry to dash her plan of a big celebration. ‘Tomorrow we go our separate ways.’

  ‘What?’ Huxin was dumbfounded by this turn of events.

  ‘And as our time together is to be so short,’ Dan looked back to Shi, ‘we would rather appreciate it if you would be witness to us doing the honours now.’

  ‘You two could not be accused of being sentimental!’ Huxin stewed in her disappointment only briefly.

  ‘We would also greatly appreciate it if we could keep this event just between those of us here in this room,’ Hudan added.

  ‘Who else needs to know anyway?’ Fen said immediately, smiling in approval.

  ‘Well, the king should be informed,’ Shi pointed out.

  ‘I shall inform the king,’ Dan proffered, ‘when the time is right.’

  ‘So, you have not quit the regency,’ Shi assumed.

  ‘That remains to be seen. I will return to Haojing, and I hope to persuade you all to aid in getting me reinstated.’

  All three were eager to be of service in any way they could, and both Dan and Hudan were very grateful for the support.

  ‘Let us start by seeing you married,’ Shi suggested.

  Their host led the couple to a small altar within the house, and Dan and Hudan knelt before it. They were instructed to firstly bow down to heaven and earth, secondly, to bow to the ancestors, and thirdly, to one another. Once pronounced man and wife, Shi asked them both to rise, and after a brief round of congratulations, the happy couple swiftly made themselves absent for the remainder of the day.

  In the interests of making the most of every minute of their wedding day, Dan had not closed his eyes to rest until dawn the following day and then slept until after noon.

  On waking, Dan thought himself the luckiest man alive, until he realised he was cuddling a pillow and that his wife had fled, leaving a silken note on her pillow where her head should have been.

  ‘Argh,’ he groaned, feeling he should have known better then to think Hudan would delay her quest any longer than their negotiation stipulated. ‘Would a goodbye have been too much to ask?’ He took hold of the silk and smiled as he pressed it to his face, for it smelt like Hudan — not just the perfume of it, but the smell of ink always reminded him of her.

  My darling husband, I believe I have thought of a way to complete my quest swiftly — I look forward to joining you in the next few days at Haojing.

  Dan kissed the silk, thankful for the good news. ‘If the quest is to be so swift, I could have gone,’ he muttered to himself.

  That thought spurred him from his marital bed and he made haste to dress and find his sister-in-law.

  ‘Could you possibly talk me through the process of instant physical relocation?’ he requested, when he found Huxin in the dining room supervising the twin’s mealtime.

  ‘Would you not like to eat first?’ Huxin queried. ‘I thought you two were never coming out of there.’

  ‘No, thank you.’ Dan had never been so eager to try his hand at the skill, and he felt that his desire, coupled with the amount of chi that was surging through his being this morning, might give him the edge he needed to step up to the challenge. ‘Just the tutorial would be excellent.’

  ‘Have you lost your wife already?’ Huxin figured out the reason for his request fairly quickly. ‘I think you really must be instructed, or you shall never keep up with her. Follow me.’

  She left the servants to finish off her motherly duties and led him to a quiet place in the garden. ‘Firstly …’ she said, noting how Dan was shivering already; in the next instant, Dan felt himself rugged up in a fur-lined coat and boots. ‘Learn to dress for where you are headed.’

  ‘Noted.’ Dan smiled, thankful for her foresight. ‘What next?’

  ‘Three things prevent teleportation,’ she began. ‘One — a lack of chi, and you have an abundance of that this morning, I feel.’ She grinned, and he grinned to confirm her intuition. ‘The second obstacle is a belief that the task is not possible, but as you have experienced the phenomena first-hand, your mind already accepts it as possible.’

  ‘What is the third obstacle?’ Dan asked, keen to move on.

  ‘Fear of success,’ Huxin concluded. ‘But since it is clear that you want this, you may well make a go of it. However … weren’t we supposed to be heading back to Haojing today?’

  ‘Today or tomorrow,’ Dan said, insisting they had a little time up their sleeve. ‘The Great Mother said it was important that we learn this art, and I believe my best chance of succeeding is today.’

  ‘Fair enough,’ Huxin granted, ‘but if you are not back here by this time tomorrow, I’m coming after you.’

  ‘Understood,’ Dan conceded. ‘I thank you in advance for your assistance.’ He bowed, greatly indebted.

  ‘Don’t be silly, we are family!’ Huxin pulled him upright. ‘Now, as you have experienced physical teleportation before with Hudan, you are familiar with the sensation. So, all you need do is invoke that same light-filled feeling, whilst focussing on your destination, or in this case, your subject.’

  ‘That is all?’ It sounded too easy and Dan wished he’d asked for instruction before now.

  ‘That is all,’ Huxin confirmed. ‘You either have it, or you don’t.’

  ‘Well, time to find out.’ Dan took a few deep breaths in preparation and then closed his eyes to tap into those other occasions when Hudan had reduced his being to pure chi energy and spirited him elsewhere.

  The light filled his being with a tingling sensation even more intense than a post-sexual euphoria and he lost his stomach to a sensation of it being swallowed by his heart centre, as he focused his will on locating Hudan. In a rush of motion, like being caught in a river surge, he was cast forth into the mountain ranges of Qiang.

  Dan stood in disbelief when he found himself on a frozen mountainside with nothing but other snow-capped mountain peaks around him. ‘Where on earth?’ he uttered, having never seen this place before.

  Hudan was nowhere to be seen, but before him lay footprints in the snow, which he assumed must be hers. Curiously, there were no tracks behind him, they just started here and headed into the thin forest ahead. Hudan must be willing herself from one peak, within her sight, to the next. If that were case then she had to be close by, and so he rushed to catch her up.

  When he cleared the trees on the other side of the forest there was a large open expanse of snow that Hudan was halfway across. ‘Hudan!’ he called, and ran toward her.

  Heart beating ten to the dozen, Hudan realised she had made a fatal mistake attempting to cross the snow-covered slope on foot, for she could hear subtle cracking in the ice beneath her with every step she took.

  She had been willing herself from one mountain peak to the next, but once she had reached this one, Hudan’s will to be teleported forth had had no effect. Hudan thought it might be due to the wind whipping up the snow here and making visibility bad, so she had ventured forth onto the snow-covered mountainside to get a better look at the peak she wished to reach. Then she heard the sound of cracking ice beneath her, which seemed to indicate that she was not walking across solid ground. She’d come to a standstill to decide whether she should keep moving forward or attempt to retrace her steps.

  ‘Hudan!’

  The sound of her husband’s voice struck the fear of heaven into her for the second time in as many minutes, and as she turned she felt the ground crack beneath her. ‘Dan,
go back!’ she yelled, horrified to see him running toward her.

  ‘No, I’m coming with you!’ He did not slow down.

  ‘Stop!’ she screamed to make him listen, tears streaming down her face. ‘The ice —’

  A crack as loud as thunder stopped Dan in his tracks. Further down the slope from where Hudan stood, the snow began to disappear into a sinkhole — the entire ice sheet was about to collapse. ‘Transport yourself out of there!’ he yelled in desperation.

  ‘I tried already,’ she yelled back, and began to run toward him, ‘Go!’ she urged him.

  But Dan refused, watching the ice face crumble away from the slope and fall into an oblivion that was threatening to engulf them both. ‘Run faster!’ Dan spotted a rock peeking out from the snow to his right and dived onto it. He braced himself on top of it and held out a hand toward her.

  The shifting ground beneath her made her lose her footing, but by using her staff for leverage she stayed upright and, reaching out with a her free hand, she gripped hold of Dan’s. The ice sheet cracked at the base of the rock suddenly and Hudan slid off her feet as the chunk of ice she was on tilted, but did not fall.

  ‘Ah!’ she gasped as she could not get a foothold, and bits of ice slid around her to plummet into the deep abyss below.

  ‘Hudan, drop the staff!’ Dan said, straining to hold her. ‘I need your other hand to pull you up.’

  ‘No!’ She took a deep breath and cast it over the top of Dan to safety, but her exertions put an extra strain on his grip. Both their hands were sweating and slippery and Dan was being pulled over with her. ‘You must return it, when you have finished with Song,’ she told him, tears streaming down her face as she felt the chunk of ice beneath her slipping. ‘Let me go —’

  ‘No!’ he insisted, dangerously close to losing his grip and balance. ‘Give me your other hand.’

  ‘Zhou Gong must not die today!’ She tried to pry his hand away from hers. ‘You must live!’