by Jeannie Lin
Kaifeng could see how men became ensnared within her presence. There was no obvious seduction. She had gradually reeled him in, not in soft words and touches, but by revealing herself in small glimpses. A continuous mystery. And Wu Kaifeng could remain indifferent to beauty, but not to a riddle that demanded to be solved.
“You are mistaken, Kaifeng. I’ve dreamed of earning my own freedom since the day I arrived in Changan.”
“General Deng provided you the opportunity to leave the Pingkang li as his concubine, but you refused. Your sister married into one of the most influential families in the capital. How is it possible that Lord Bai couldn’t come to some agreement with Madame Sun to free you? Any number of your wealthy patrons must be willing to redeem you if you were but to ask.”
“Such security comes with a price. Freedom is not as easily attainable as one might think,” she bit out. “It’s easy for a man to mistake the two.”
Perhaps security wasn’t freedom, but he’d seen how resourceful Mingyu was when she set her mind to something. She wasn’t working toward either.
“You’re afraid to set foot outside these city walls. You’re afraid every time you leave the Lotus.”
Mingyu averted her eyes and concentrated on taking a few more bites of her stew. She reached for her wine cup next and took a sip, each movement measured. Kaifeng considered that this was her way of dismissing him without dismissing him, but when she spoke next, her voice was barely there.
“Is it so hard for you to believe that I might choose you?” she asked quietly. “You insist on knowing my every motive and reason, but have you found the answers to your own questions yet?”
He searched inside himself, but came up empty-handed. “After all the offers you have had from your gentlemen-scholars, are you saying you would rather walk through the city gates with Wu Kaifeng at your side?”
“I would walk through those gates with or without you.”
Mingyu regarded him unwaveringly. He didn’t have the words to express to her how much he wanted to go with her, despite his duties in the capital, despite all reason and logic. But to what end?
“There is no sense to you and me.” Though it pained him to do so, he continued. “It would not end well. It shouldn’t even begin.”
Her shoulders sank. “There is nothing I can say to convince you to go with me, is there?”
It would be easy to ignore his instincts and become utterly devoted to Mingyu. He had spent every coin in his purse that evening for her and had done so happily. Men wanted to please Mingyu. In that respect, he was like any other man. He longed for her acceptance and her admiration, but he also wanted more. Even if it was impossible.
“The only place we fit is in darkness,” he said.
They had clung together naked in the forgotten time between dusk and dawn when the rest of the world closed its eyes. But there had always been an unspoken desperation to their joining that he couldn’t ignore.
She bowed her head, eyes closed. Kaifeng couldn’t tell if it was in defeat or merely Mingyu gathering her strength for a renewed attack.
The city gong sounded the Hour of the Rooster and her eyes opened. The tenth gong faded away and the silence that remained was rife with tension.
“I have to go,” he said.
He rose and Mingyu stood with him, concern etched in her brow. “What is so important that it requires your immediate attention?”
“Magistrate Li needs to know about our recent discoveries.”
“Are you certain you can trust him?”
“Li Yen is a—” He meant to say “friend,” but it wasn’t quite the right word. “Li is an honest man. I know this to be true from experience.”
“But there’s more involved here than a single murder,” she protested. “People are watching this case. Powerful people.”
“I’ll be discreet. You can trust in that,” he promised.
Mingyu didn’t offer any further argument, but from the stubborn set of her jaw, he could tell she wasn’t happy with the turn of events.
He left her in the garden and strode through the main room of the teahouse, his footsteps loud in the empty space. It wasn’t until he reached the street outside that he heard Mingyu behind him.
“Kaifeng.” She was in the doorway, cast in shadow. “Be careful, Kaifeng.”
He had dreamed about Mingyu for a long time, this woman who had always been out of his grasp. Yet she was here, looking at him with such concern. It should have warmed him, made him feel as if he owned the world, but Mingyu’s presence was like a pearl within an oyster. He was unable to be at ease with it. No matter how beautiful, luminous and precious she was, she didn’t belong here with him.
“I’ll return as soon as I can,” he told her, wishing instead that he could reassure her. Wanting very much to make all the promises she needed to hear.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE LANTERNS WERE lit around the door of the tavern and a low hum of conversation from inside indicated that the evening crowd had already begun to gather. As Kaifeng approached, an official in a dark robe emerged from the establishment and stood at the threshold to wait for him.
It wasn’t Magistrate Li.
“Constable Wu.” Xi Lun stood with his hands clasped behind him. “Where is Lady Mingyu?”
Several figures emerged from the shadows to surround him. Kaifeng noted immediately that they were imperial soldiers rather than city guards.
“I cannot say,” he replied calmly.
Inspector Xi’s gaze bore into him as he approached. “Do not involve yourself in matters that are beyond your reach. I will ask once more. Where is she?”
Kaifeng shook his head. That would have to suffice as his answer.
“Surrender your sword,” Xi demanded.
The men surrounding him edged in closer.
Unsheathing a weapon before a ranked official could be construed as a threat. Without a word of protest, Kaifeng undid his sword belt and held it out. The soldiers were quick to relinquish him of his weapon, but they left him free otherwise.
“Walk,” the inspector commanded. “Let’s see where you’ve been hiding.”
His stomach sank as Xi Lun led him directly back to the teahouse. He had only left Mingyu an hour earlier and they hadn’t parted well. The windows were dark and he prayed that he had somehow upset her enough that she did leave, because if she was still inside, there was nowhere for her to hide. Kaifeng stilled his thoughts and forced himself to remain calm.
Inspector Xi halted before the front doors and directed his men inside to search the premises. Kaifeng was left with Xi Lun beside him. Footsteps pounded through the building as he waited for the inevitable.
“You seem to take great pride in your work, Constable. I take pride in mine, as well.”
Kaifeng remained quiet. He knew this game: say nothing, reveal nothing.
“The recent purchase of this property was registered in your name at the records office. I looked into your past, as well. A few years ago, you petitioned a magistrate in Suzhou province for the reversal of a sentence. I can tell you how rarely a petition like that is ever granted, but it was a valiant effort on your part. I became intrigued with the case surrounding it. Quite dramatic, one involving a physician who killed one of his patients?”
Kaifeng ground his teeth together. “So the record states.”
“There are some other interesting details that were harder to find. I had to have my men interview the parties involved—at least the ones who were still alive. There was one mysterious death that occurred immediately before you left Suzhou. The very same man who had brought charges against your foster father. The magistrate launched an inquiry, but his findings were inconclusive. I wonder if Li Yen was aware of these details before hiring you as his trusted constable.”
> Every muscle in him tensed as the instinct to flee took over. “I commend you for your dedication to gathering information, Inspector,” Kaifeng replied calmly, despite the turmoil inside him.
“I believe in knowing your enemies,” the inspector remarked with a smugness that made Kaifeng wish for his sword back.
His past had been buried at the other end of the empire, difficult, but not impossible to uncover. Xi Lun had indeed taken a special interest in him.
The footsteps in the building fell silent. The soldiers returned shortly to report the building empty. Inspector Xi directed a venomous look his way which Kaifeng met with a stare that was as blank as he could manage.
Mingyu had been clever enough to escape. He could breathe again.
An array of lanterns illuminated the interior as they entered. Xi passed quickly through the main room and climbed up the stairs. Kaifeng had little choice but to follow him.
Up in the loft, Inspector Xi paused in front of the stack of drawings and journals. His gaze fixed onto the rosewood case that Mingyu had brought, the one that contained her orchid painting.
Xi Lun lifted the lid to stare at the scroll inside, not touching or opening the paper. If his look was cold before, it froze over now. Carefully, he replaced the lid and when he spoke the effect was eerily calm.
“Constable, where is Mingyu?”
“I do not know.” And this time, it was the truth.
Xi nodded, almost pleasantly. “Guardsmen, prepare the chains. Head Constable Wu Kaifeng is under arrest, by the authority of the Palace Bureau.”
* * *
IRON LINKS WEIGHED down his wrists and dragged over the floor between his ankles. Kaifeng had gone down the long corridor to the holding cells many times before, but never as the one in chains.
His fellow constables watched the silent procession, but did nothing. Like him, they were the lowest of hirelings, without a say or a voice. Magistrate Li was nowhere to be seen.
The inspector had brought his own set of minions to do his bidding. The magistrate’s compound had been taken over by a new authority. Inside the interrogation room, Xi Lun had the chains attached to a hook that dangled from the ceiling. Kaifeng’s arms were locked overhead, his back and torso exposed.
“Wu Kaifeng, you have withheld information from this investigation.”
Xi stood not five paces away as he made his accusations. In the corner, a scribe inked every word into the record book. Everything was executed properly, according to official code and procedure.
“As of yesterday, you have been hiding a fugitive from the authorities, violating the law.”
“There is no warrant for Mingyu’s arrest,” he argued.
The inspector stopped in front of him and held out a notice. “There is now.”
Xi began to read from it, in a louder than necessary voice that echoed off the walls. “This decree calls for the arrest of Lady Sun Mingyu, suspected of aiding in the wrongful death of General Deng Zhi.”
Kaifeng straightened abruptly. The chains rattled with the movement and blood rushed to his ears. This was not a warrant for a runaway servant. Xi Lun was having Mingyu arrested for murder.
“You were aware of the courtesan Mingyu’s involvement, yet you hid critical details from the record books, thus hindering the investigation. This makes you equally guilty.” Inspector Xi stepped closer, his face a mere finger’s width away. “You are also guilty of abuse of power, Constable. What little power you have.”
Anger was a sign of weakness. So was fear. Kaifeng breathed deep to keep both at bay.
“Where is she?” Xi demanded.
Kaifeng shook his head.
The inspector signaled for his interrogator to bring the light bamboo rod. Apparently, Xi didn’t put much effort into the questioning process before resorting to more heavy-handed methods.
“Ten,” he instructed.
Inspector Xi looked directly into Kaifeng’s eyes before stepping aside.
The first blow stung between his shoulder blades. Kaifeng exhaled sharply. The next one cracked against his ribs. This was pain, his mind told him. Pain not damage. He gritted his teeth and breathed through the remaining blows. Thankful, for once, for the veil. For the haze that separated him.
He tried not to think of Mingyu.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Heavy rod.”
Not much effort at all.
Kaifeng could hear footsteps behind him as the minion went to retrieve the new implement. He knew of all the interrogation methods available according to the law. The light rod, the heavy rod, the scourge, the whip. It wouldn’t matter because Kaifeng still would not know where Mingyu was.
“Was she worth it?”
Xi Lun’s sneer cut through his ruminations. Kaifeng could hear the bastard, but he couldn’t see him. The inspector’s voice came from just to the left, just behind his ear.
The next blow struck him in the back of his legs, jarring through muscle and bone. If it had been aimed at his knee, it might have broken it. They could break his hands, if required. His legs, as well. The law allowed it. The blow after that took him off his feet. Iron manacles cut into his wrists as he staggered.
“Do you know she hated you?”
Xi was talking again. Kaifeng didn’t know what was worse, the beating or the taunting.
“Mingyu resented how you treated her. She made mention of it publicly, how you were a brute. A cold, unfeeling creature. Incompetent. Just a few words spoken to the right people. Why do you think the Ministry of Personnel wanted you dismissed? Why would high-ranking officials even care about a lower than dirt constable?”
Kaifeng shook his head, trying to keep the words out, but it was too late. He’d taken them inside and knew them to be true.
“She played you.” Inspector Xi came around to face him once more. His face was twisted with hatred. “She plays everyone.”
Kaifeng spoke slowly, forming all of his defiance into a few short words. “Deng Zhi is not dead.”
Xi stared at him, his face unreadable.
“The body did not belong to General Deng. Mingyu cannot be guilty of causing his death.”
Kaifeng might as well have told the inspector that the sun rose in the east.
The beating resumed, the heavy rod striking Kaifeng’s legs, his arms, shoulders. He no longer had the strength to grit his teeth and fight through it. His body was made of nothing but pain.
It didn’t matter because this wasn’t an interrogation. This was revenge because Kaifeng had tasted something that Xi Lun coveted. He had briefly possessed a woman that powerful men could only long for.
Kaifeng tried very hard not to think of Mingyu as the beating continued. Because she was the one thing he found undeniably beautiful, and this was ugly.
He had come to feel deeply for her. She would never feel the same, but he cared for her, anyway. When this was over, he hoped he could still feel this way.
Even if she had brought this upon him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THE ALLEYWAYS WERE ominous and unwelcoming in the nighttime. Never had Changan seemed so vast. Never had Mingyu been so lost and aimless within it, except for when she’d first set foot onto the river dock and was dragged away to be sold so many years ago.
Earlier that evening she had been lucky to sight the patrol from the second floor of the teahouse. The lanterns had snaked forward in a line toward her and she’d known there was trouble. Something had happened to Kaifeng and these men were coming for her. Grabbing her satchel, she’d darted down the stairs and out to the garden in back.
Where she’d been trapped.
The garden was surrounded by a wooden fence and she’d searched for anything that she could use to climb over. The b
oulders set in the center were too heavy to lift and there was no furniture inside the ruined building.
One small bit of good fortune had found her. A section of the fence had been broken away. On her hands and knees, Mingyu had shoved her pack through to the other side and pressed herself to the ground to try to fit through. The ragged planks had scraped her through her robe.
Flattening herself, Mingyu had shoved through the opening, clawing forward with her hands in the dirt. Her heart had pounded harder than it ever had. It would have been a spectacle to be caught like that, burrowing like a bamboo rat.
Something had caught against her robe. With one valiant tug, she’d finally pulled free amid the sound of ripping cloth and struggled to her feet.
Now those same feet carried Mingyu down the alleyways and around a dark corner, where she found a Taoist shrine. After composing herself as much as possible, she rang the bell and begged for shelter from the priestess who answered. Thankfully she was allowed inside, covered in dust and bedraggled as she was.
The only light was from an oil lamp the elder woman held in her hand. Mingyu followed her through the altar room where a Taoist bagua symbol hung over a pot of smoldering incense.
“Have you been hurt, child?”
Mingyu shook her head, words failing her. Her hair had pulled loose from its knot and she could feel the tangle of it against her scalp.
“I just need a place for the night, mistress,” she finally managed.
She was led to a back room where the disciples were settling in for the night. They stirred at her intrusion, but settled back quickly.
Mingyu positioned herself into the corner, clutching her satchel to her breast. The lamp was extinguished shortly afterward, leaving the room in darkness.
With deep breaths, she tried to calm her heart. The ward was crowded with houses and shops and temples. The patrol wouldn’t be able to find her. They couldn’t. They would have to search every building. Hardly worth it for a runaway servant, even one who was a trained courtesan.
