Crown of the Starry Sky: Book 11 of Painting the Mists

by Patrick Laplante

  “Trouble,” Wei Longshen said. “Let’s take the long way around.” A guest had just arrived. A woman. She wore a gold-and-white dress ornamented with red flowers. She was a beauty, and a very popular one at that.

  “She’s pretty,” Wei Yimu said. “Let’s take a look at her escort.” He squinted, then his eyes widened. “Strong. She’s strong too. What is she, a princess?”

  “Not far off,” Wei Longshen said. “Cao Shufen. Sister to Cao Wenluan, a commander in the prefectural army.”

  The elder frowned. “No one told me about this. Cao main family?”

  “Yes. And they probably didn’t tell you because they didn’t want you to meddle,” Wei Longshen said. “Let’s take the side entrance.”

  The elder agreed, and they proceeded to a little-used servant entrance. A butler came out to greet them as they stepped off the ship.

  “In truth,” Wei Longshen continued, “it’s less my job that’s bothering me and more the Cao family and Cao Shufen. I’ve even been instructed by my father to give her a private concert after she’s finished socializing with my mother and sisters tonight.”

  “Oh.”

  “Oh indeed.” The situation was progressing quickly. Too quickly for comfort. There was only so long he could fight this. They stepped off the ship and entered the family manor, taking the most indirect routes so as to not intercept Cao Shufen or anyone else who might force a greeting.

  Eventually, they found themselves in the servants’ quarters. They were in a special room, and the servants were going about their work pretending they didn’t see them. Just as ordered. “This is some good wine,” Wei Yimu said, drinking from a flask. “Though the tea you had was nice too. Maybe send some my way?”

  “With instructions,” Wei Longshen said. “It’s not just the tea you need to worry about, but how you make it.”

  “Such a bother,” Wei Yimu grumbled. “So. What are you going to do about her?”

  “I’m not sure,” Wei Longshen answered. “I can’t refuse to entertain her, but I can’t in good conscience court her. My father might have dissolved my engagement, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to marry Mi Fei.”

  “That’s dangerous,” Wei Yimu said. “The Cao family has always been strong military-wise. They have strong ties with the kingdom, and they’ve given them a lot of generals over the centuries. If there’s a time for those family rules of yours, it’s now.”

  “I understand,” Wei Longshen said. “But courting Cao Shufen is also courting chaos and change. It’s a gamble. Problem is, I can’t exactly tell my father he’s foolish to his face.”

  “I could try,” Wei Yimu volunteered.

  “Don’t,” Wei Longshen said. “We don’t need your influence dropping any more.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to say,” Wei Yimu said. “Good luck?”

  “I appreciate it,” Wei Longshen said. “Why don’t we order a second jar of that wine? My nerves could use it.”

  Wei Yimu grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. Strong or weak?”

  “Elder, I still need to perform,” Wei Longshen said.

  “Strong it is!” Wei Yimu said. Performing while inebriated was standard practice.

  Wei Longshen was a raw bundle of nerves as he walked through the main family manor, the largest building on the estate. It was built courtyard style, which meant that aside from the main enclosed building, there were open-aired private living areas. There were also public and semi-private gardens that could be accessed via normal hallways. It was one of the more private ones he was heading to.

  Cao Shufen would be waiting for him in one of the gardens alone. He would let her down gently. His parents might want to force something, but he refused to give her the wrong idea. Besides, this wasn’t a public meeting like last time, but a meeting in a more private setting.

  “There you are, dear,” a young woman said as he approached. It was one of his five sisters, Wei Xinya. The youngest. She was in her thirties, and she was every bit the social butterfly his mother was. “At least try to make a good impression,” she said.

  “Of course, dear sister,” Wei Longshen replied. He tried pushing past her, but she put her hand on his chest and pushed him back. “Is something the matter?”

  “I’m serious,” Wei Xinya said. “This is very important. I know you avoid socializing, for all the parties you attend, but this is a big deal to both the Wei Clan and the Cao Clan.”

  “If joining families is a big deal,” Wei Longshen said, “I have many brothers willing to take up the burden, and even the family leadership.”

  “And insult them?” Wei Xinya said. “Not a chance. Look, I know you still care for Mi Fei. I practically raised you. I caught you doing all sorts of troublesome things. But that’s in the past, and you need to move on.”

  “Fortunately, that’s not for you to decide,” Wei Longshen said.

  “If it was up to me, I never would have canceled your engagement in the first place,” Wei Xinya huffed. “Father was foolish, but it was his decision to make. Now that he’s made it, he can’t go back on his word. You know that.”

  “It’s only a lost cause if I give up,” Wei Longshen said. “If I need to talk to him a hundred times to change his mind, I will.”

  “I’m warning you, don’t screw this up,” Wei Xinya said. “There are very heavy politics involved here. Potentially catastrophic ones.”

  Wei Longshen frowned. His sister was anything but a liar. She also spent much more time politicking than he did. “Fine, I won’t shut her down. But I won’t encourage her either.”

  Wei Xinya nodded. “That’s good enough for now. Just so you know, this is related to her brother. Cao Wenluan? He’s doing something. Something big.”

  “I’ll see if I can extract anything useful, then,” Wei Longshen said. He looked down at his sister’s hand. “Will you be letting go, or did you plan on accompanying me to this private meeting?”

  Wei Xinya pulled her hand back and extended it to the hallway. “Best of luck,” she said.

  Something big, Wei Longshen thought as he continued toward his meeting. Why hadn’t he heard about it? Though if anyone would know about secret things, it was Wei Xinya. Maybe it wasn’t anything official. Maybe just an instinct, or movements behind the scenes. He would need to ask her about it. Damn that woman, he’d been prepared to do his worst. Now he could only wait. Information was the key to maneuvering this careful dance called politics.

  Wei Longshen entered the private courtyard through one of its two entrances. It was a warded courtyard, which meant that no sounds could pass in or out of it. A breeze picked up as he entered. It was afternoon, and the sun was low, just barely peeking over the courtyard walls. Cao Shufen was there, her white, gold, and red dress billowing in the wind. She held a flower in her hand. It floated upward as she commanded it. Small fires appeared around the flower, forming an expanding carpet of burning red lotuses. She gasped as Wei Longshen accidentally stepped on a branch. The flower fell, and the flames vanished.

  “I didn’t think you would come so quickly, Young Master Wei,” Cao Shufen said.

  “Please, call me Wei Longshen, Miss Cao Shufen,” Wei Longshen said. “Young Master Wei is giving me too much credit.”

  “Cao Shufen is fine, Wei Longshen,” she said. She bent over and picked the flower off the ground. It was a large pink thing that grew all year round. “I suppose we’ve finally been locked into the same room together.”

  “That does seem to be the case,” Wei Longshen said. “I already played once today, so I’m well practiced.”

  “I confess that I already heard you,” she said. “I was there.”

  “In public? With the children?” Wei Longshen was surprised.

  “I had a chaperone, but we were hiding,” Cao Shufen said. “It is not a difficult thing to do with the right artifacts.”

  “I’ve heard the Cao Clan treasury is one to be envied,” Wei Longshen said.

  “The tales are exagg
erated, but not too far off,” Cao Shufen said. “They say we loot and pillage, but most of our great treasures were bestowed upon us by either the kingdom or the empire. Looting is looked down upon, and the kingdom prefers to confiscate goods and land, then issue their own rewards.” She walked over to one of the stone benches. “Come. Let us not make this any more uncomfortable.”

  Wei Longshen took a seat on a nearby bench. Not the same one, for propriety’s sake. It was a nice courtyard, one he enjoyed practicing in. “Why would this meeting be uncomfortable, Cao Shufen?” he asked. “Surely it would be a relief after speaking extensively with my mother and sisters.”

  “Yes, in comparison, this is most refreshing,” Cao Shufen said. “But still, I can’t help but resent my family for sending me here. Your fondness for the genius of the Mi Clan is well known.”

  Wei Longshen was about to protest but bit back his words. No, if she was going to bring it up, he wouldn’t stop her. “We go a long way back,” he said. “I feel she wasn’t treated fairly. By my family, or by hers.”

  “Nor by mine, it seems,” Cao Shufen agreed. “So how can our meeting be anything but uncomfortable? In public, I must speak certain words to respect my family, but in private? There is no need. We aren’t children.”

  “I suppose we aren’t at that,” Wei Longshen said. “I admit that you are right. I would much rather restore my engagement with Mi Fei.”

  Cao Shufen showed not a hint of surprise. She was different than he’d expected her to be.

  “Now that that’s cleared up,” he said, “what should we do for the rest of the hour?”

  She smiled and pulled a strand of black hair away from her face. In public, she’d been bold. Here, she was timid. He wondered which one was the real her. “I meant it when I said I wanted to hear you play. I’ve heard you play in public, of course, but those are street performances. You play to your crowd.”

  “But what should I play for you?” Wei Longshen asked. “It seems we are kindred sprits. Forced by our family into things we don’t want. Our future is decided for us.”

  “Even my hobbies are picked for me,” Cao Shufen agreed. “Though they didn’t win every battle.”

  “Oh? Are you a rebel, then?” Wei Longshen was surprised. “Did you pick painting over embroidery? My apologies. I don’t actually know what the women in your family do. It seems to vary from family to family. Aside from leadership roles in mine, it makes no difference whether male or female. We strive for peace, not war.”

  Cao Shufen played with her flower, spinning it between her fingers. She did so a few times before giving it a good spin that sent it flying. It flew back toward the tree it came from and settled on the grass. It lay there, without friends. “Dueling,” she finally said.

  Wei Longshen raised an eyebrow. “Dueling? As in, one-on-one combat?”

  She nodded. “Though it is possible for women in our family to become generals—it happens more often than you’d think—those without the aptitude are identified early. The same thing happens for young men, of course. Males who lack intelligence in this regard are groomed to be minor officers. Many of my female cousins and sisters have opted to do the same. As for those who don’t, they are more useful for making alliances.”

  “Marriage alliances are common in even minor clans,” Wei Longshen agreed.

  “And unlike the Mi Clan, where there can be a Patriarch or Matriarch, both of our clans have patriarchal lines,” Cao Shufen said. “But I digress. Those who excel at tactical games like Angels and Devils become generals. Those who don’t must excel at one particular hobby. Especially women. Each one must be exceptional at dueling.”

  “Curious,” Wei Longshen said. “Is there a reason for this?”

  “A very legitimate reason,” Cao Shufen replied. “In military households, if there is a battle, it is traditional for a married couple to leave one of their pair behind. It would not do to lose the entire family line as a result of a rout. This applies doubly so for families without children.”

  “Without children?” Wei Longshen asked. “Shouldn’t it be the opposite?”

  “Not so,” Cao Shufen said. “If there are children, the family line is more secure. There is no longer as great a need. Nevertheless, it is usually men that become generals. Therefore, it typically falls to the woman to stay behind, unless she is the better officer or general. But tell me, Wei Longshen—have you ever thought of what might happen to a family whose strongest member has gone to war?”

  “I see where you’re going with this,” Wei Longshen said. “They might be bullied.”

  “Thus the tradition,” Cao Shufen said. “There is recourse for great insults or unforgivable offenses in the Crimson Lotus Empire. Should a party be sufficiently offended, they may challenge the other party to a duel. The party, should they be guilty of said offense, must either apologize or accept the duel. Therefore, if a woman skilled at dueling is defending her home while her man is at war, other families would think twice before giving offense.”

  “I see,” Wei Longshen said. “Clever. Then did you choose not to learn dueling?”

  “Quite the contrary,” Cao Shufen said. “It’s just that I chose combat arts that weren’t exactly traditional or ladylike. A sword is the traditional weapon, or sometimes a light saber or a light spear. As for me? I chose bricks.”

  “Bricks,” Wei Longshen said flatly. “Are we talking…”

  She summoned a steel item from her spatial ring. It was, in fact, a brick.

  She flipped the brick in her hand, catching it deftly on the way down. “I wanted to get back at my strict mother for forcing me into the class, so I chose the most inelegant weapon I could think of.”

  “Your family specializes in fire cultivation…” Wei Longshen said uncertainly. “And forgive me, I don’t believe a brick is actually a weapon.”

  “Yet I throw bricks infused with fire,” Cao Shufen said. “They said I couldn’t do it, but I proved them wrong. I beat up everyone in my class at a similar level, and I had the spiritual blacksmiths forge me rune-carving bricks. I am undefeated.”

  Wei Longshen suppressed a laugh. “If it works, it works.”

  “Exactly what I said,” Cao Shufen agreed. “We exchanged some harsh words, but I won out in the end.”

  Wei Longshen chuckled. “In my case, my father didn’t want me to play the flute. He didn’t want me becoming a soul piper.”

  “But you’re so good at it,” Cao Shufen exclaimed. “Then again, you can become good at anything if spite is your motivator.”

  “Spite never motivated me,” Wei Longshen said. “I was lucky. My uncle fought for me. I grew strong, and finally, I could defend myself.” He sighed. “It’s one of my few freedoms now, really.”

  “I can’t say I have much choice in most matters,” Cao Shufen said. “I probably have less of a say than you do. Though believe me, I will let my parents know I do not think it is a good match. I only fear my words will fall on deaf ears. It is not only them who push for this, but my brother, who wishes for an alliance between our families.”

  Wei Longshen frowned. “Does your father not make the decisions in your family?”

  “Increasingly few,” Cao Shufen said. “That’s the thing about being the family’s inheritor, Wei Longshen. If you’re strong enough, if you insist enough, you can convince the Patriarch.”

  “That is indeed my hope,” Wei Longshen said. “Though I’ve heard tell of political maneuvering and uncertainty. I can do my all, but will it be enough?”

  “We can only hope,” Cao Shufen said.

  “And why would you hope for my success, my dear lady?” Wei Longshen said. “To me, it seems like your family is losing out. I’ve also been told I’m still quite the commodity.”

  “Silly man,” Cao Shufen said. “No one likes being second choice. Besides… are you really worth having in the state you’re in?”

  He looked into her eyes and found a piercing quality to them. They peered into his very soul.
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  “I see a darkness in you,” she said. “Something that’s always there. It whispers to you, telling you you’re not worth it, and that your own happiness doesn’t matter.”

  “You think you know me?” Wei Longshen said. “I’m a musician. I’m charismatic. I inspire.”

  “I know you better than you might think,” Cao Shufen said. “I see your darkness because it’s my own. I might have given up already, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Is that not reason enough for me to hope for your success?” She sighed and looked away. “Just know that it will come at a price. There will be consequences if you win. My brother is not a man to be trifled with.”

  Wei Longshen shivered. It was the second time today that he’d heard this warning. Once from his own sister, and one from Cao Wenluan’s. What was he up to? He supposed he’d find out soon enough. “Thank you for the advice, Cao Shufen. I’ll take it to heart. Your story about dueling with bricks is inspiring. I’ll do my best to guide my father. We’ll see what happens.” He looked at a small sundial in the corner of the garden. “We still have much time remaining. What kind of song would you like to hear as we wait?”

  “Perhaps a sad song,” Cao Shufen replied wistfully. “Truth be told, I think we could get along.”

  “Such is life,” Wei Longshen said. He brought his flute to his lips and began to play. What came out was music that transcended age or realm or culture. An eternal song that everyone hated.

  Interlude: Not-So-Secret Weapon

  It was midmorning in the Burning Lake Prefecture. The air was still cool from the night rains. The grass in the eastern courtyard of M&T Tailors had already dried, and the benches had been washed of any dust, grime, or leaves that might have settled on them overnight.

  All was well in the building. Save for the ongoing employee revolt, of course. But Huxian cared nothing for this, and neither did Lei Jiang. “How long do you think they’ll keep fighting for?” Huxian asked from his cross-legged position. He had one eye open and was stiff as a board.

  “Who knows,” Lei Jiang said. “They’re grown-ups. Let them have their fun.”