“The Jin,” he said, clearing his throat, “have quite different dietary habits from our own. The presence or absence of certain illnesses can be put down to this, and this is the focus of my current research, and the reason I’m here with Kan. Tell me, though, to what do I owe the honor of your invitation? The other night you didn’t seem much interested in talking about the Jin.”
“People change,” she said with a sarcastic tone. She served more tea, then smiled. “I found your behavior the other night, when you defended that courtesan against that man, interesting. Very unusual for the kind of men you usually find in the palace.”
“That’s why you asked me here?”
“Or I suppose you could say I just…felt like seeing you.”
Cí sipped his tea, feeling another blush spread across his face. He’d never had a women speak so informally to him before. She leaned forward, and he couldn’t help but notice her hanfu fall open a little more. It was impossible to tell how aware she was, but Cí averted his gaze nonetheless.
“You have collected beautiful antiques,” he said eventually.
“I don’t collect them for myself, but to please the people around me. In many ways, a mirror for my life.”
Cí wasn’t sure how to respond to the unveiled bitterness in her words. He was racking his brains for a way to ask her about her blindness when they heard a noise outside.
“That will be my husband,” she said.
She got to her feet and turned calmly toward the entrance. Cí followed suit and noticed as she tightened her hanfu.
At the end of the passageway Cí could make out the figure of an aged man, accompanied by Kan. The two were chatting. The older man had a bunch of flowers. The man greeted his wife and seemed pleased that their guest was already here, but when he came a little closer and looked properly at Cí, the flowers fell from his hands.
The old man was speechless. He simply stood and looked incredulous—as did Cí—while the servant hurried to pick up the flowers. Blue Iris stepped forward.
“Beloved husband, please allow me to introduce our guest, young Cí. Cí, may I introduce my husband, the honorable Judge Feng.”
30
Cí and Feng were paralyzed. When he recovered, Feng started to ask Cí something, but Cí wanted to speak first.
“Honorable Feng,” he bowed.
“What are you doing here?” asked Feng.
“You know each other?” Kan was surprised.
“A little,” said Cí hurriedly. “My father used to work for Judge Feng.” He could tell Feng was struggling to understand what was going on.
“Very good!” said Kan. “That should make everything a little easier. Cí is helping me with some reports on the Jin. I thought your wife’s experiences might be useful to us.”
“And I’m sure you thought right! But let us sit and celebrate,” said Feng, still clearly confused. “Cí, I thought you were still in your village. How is your father? What brings you to Lin’an?”
Cí hung his head. He didn’t want to talk about his father. Really, he didn’t want to talk at all. He was overwhelmed with shame—and now not only at the possibility of bringing dishonor on Feng, but also at the fact he’d felt desire for his old master’s wife. But there was no way of avoiding the conversation now.
“My father died. The house burned down. Everyone died…I came to Lin’an thinking I would take the exams.” Again he looked down.
“Your father, dead! But why didn’t you come to see me?” he said, and asked Blue Iris to serve more tea.
“It’s a long story,” said Cí, trying to make it clear he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Well, let’s put things right,” said Feng. “Of course, when he mentioned this I didn’t know it was you, but Kan told me you’re staying at the palace. Now that you have business with my wife, I propose that you move here, with us. If Kan has no objections, of course.”
“On the contrary,” said Kan. “An excellent idea!”
Cí wanted to refuse. Gray Fox would be back any day now, and with him the knowledge of Cí’s fugitive status. But Feng was very insistent.
“You’ll come around. Blue Iris is an excellent hostess, and we’ll have a chance to remember old times. You’ll be happy here.”
“Really, I’d rather not trouble you. I’ve got all my books, all my belongings over there—”
“Pish! Your father would never forgive me, nor I myself, if I let you leave. We’ll have your effects transferred here immediately.”
They went on chatting, but Cí wasn’t listening. He gazed at Feng’s much older face and felt sick at the thought of staying under the same roof as this great man. He breathed a sigh of relief when Kan got up and asked Cí to accompany him back to the palace. Feng and Blue Iris showed them to the door.
“See you soon!” said Feng.
Cí replied in kind, but was secretly praying it would be more like never.
On their way back to the palace, Kan was overjoyed with the fortuitousness of it all.
“Don’t you get it?” he said, rubbing his hands. “Now you’ll have the chance to uncover Blue Iris’s secrets. You can investigate without seeming to, and it will be much more straightforward to follow that Mongol, too!”
“With all respect, councilor, it’s against the law for an investigator to live in a suspect’s home.”
“Against the law!” spat Kan. “That law is only there to protect investigators against corruption. But if the suspects don’t know they’re under investigation, how could they ever corrupt you? Plus there’s the fact you aren’t a judge.”
“Apologies. I’m happy to carry the investigation forward, but I won’t stay in that woman’s home.”
“What are you on about? This is a unique opportunity! We couldn’t have planned it any better!”
Kan’s predatory attitude only hardened Cí’s resolve. He was unwilling to betray Feng’s confidence, he said, and pointed out that Feng and his father had been friends.
“So you’re willing to let that woman ruin him?” said Kan. “Her treachery will come out sooner or later. And it will destroy him.”
“If you’re so worried about Feng, why don’t you just arrest Blue Iris?”
“You fool!” Kan’s good humor vanished. “Haven’t I already said we need her accomplices, too? Take her now, and they’d disappear before we could torture their names out of her. And there’s far more than some old man’s honor at stake here; we’re playing for the emperor’s very future.”
Cí thought hard about what to say next.
“Do as you please, but I can’t comply with this,” he said firmly. “I won’t put the emperor’s future before that of Judge Feng.”
Cí felt pierced by Kan’s glare. The councilor said nothing, but at that moment Cí felt a new and unknown terror arise.
Going back to his room, Cí realized he didn’t know what he could do other than flee. If he hurried, he could still manage it. Since he’d told Kan he wouldn’t move to Feng’s, he needed an excuse so that Bo would accompany him beyond the palace walls. Once they were outside, he’d find a way to slip off and would escape Lin’an forever. He called a servant to go and fetch Bo.
As he packed, regrets rained down; he knew he’d never have another opportunity like this, and he’d come so close to achieving his dreams. His thoughts shifted to his family and he thought of his father and Third, too. He wanted so much to become a judge—to prove to the world that there were ways to uphold the truth. It was all a lost cause now.