Fu Chiang looked up, taking a deep breath, and stared into the perfect blue of the sky. More and more he found himself drawn to this place. More and more he left the day-to-day running of the brotherhood to his lieutenants; to his Red Pole, Hu Lin, and his White Paper Fan, Tan Sui.
This had once been a summer retreat for Wang Sau-leyan. It was rumored he had even brought his woman here—the hsueh pcd. But that had been some while back now. Fu Chiang had taken it over two years ago, after Wang's death, paying off the local Warlord, Yen Fu.
For now, he thought. For the day will come when Yen Fu will pay me.
Yes, but Yen Fu was not a problem. An irritation, maybe, but not a problem.
Li Min ... Li Min was the problem.
He turned, looking to the north, the stone face of the tower climbing into the air to his left. This morning, not long after first light, a cruiser had come from that direction. On board had been Li Min's henchman, Visak.
Fu Chiang pulled at his beard thoughtfully. His Wu would be here shortly. He had summoned him as soon as he'd learned what Visak wanted, knowing that this was not a course to be entered on lightly. To give Visak shelter—to agree to what he wanted—would, if Li Min heard of it, surely make an enemy of the man. On the other hand, to send him back . . .
He sighed, suddenly impatient. Where was the man? Why hadn't he come? He turned and went back inside, hurrying across the Hall and throwing the door open.
"Guard!"
The man came quickly to his Master's summons and knelt at his feet.
"Find out what's happened to the Wu!"
"Master!"
The man bowed low, then hurried off, calling to others as he went.
Fu Chiang stood there a moment, banging his clenched fist against the doorpost with frustration, then went back inside. It would not have been so bad had he been able to trust any of his fellow Mountain Lords, but who was to say which one of them would take advantage of the situation and inform Li Min?
Or was he worrying too much? Could Li Min really harm him?
Yes, he thought. Not directly, but the bastard could withdraw his support and fund his enemies, and that could shift the balance of power against him. Unless . . .
Unkss I make a deal—another deal—this time with Li Min's principal enemy.
He laughed. The very thought was outrageous. But why not? Why shouldn't he, a Mountain Lord, make deals with one of the Seven? After all, the times had changed. And if Visak was so important, then maybe Li Yuan would be willing to buy the man.
The more he thought of it, the more he liked the idea.
He turned, hearing voices and running footsteps, and nodded to himself. If the Wu confirmed it—if the signs were right—then he would act.
And if they weren't!
No. He was convinced of it. The oracle would bear it out. Visak . . . Visak was the key that would open many doors for him.
TSUNG YE edged to the side of the bed, then, carefully pulling the silken covers aside, slipped out, tiptoeing to the chair where he had left his clothes. Pei K'ung lay on her side on the far side of the bed, naked, her shoulder and the curve of her back visible from where he stood, dressing.
He had waited almost twenty minutes until he was sure she was asleep, knowing that if he woke her he would be there still an hour hence. The thought of it made him lower his eyes and groan inwardly. It was not that his Mistress was a bad lover. Far from it. He was surprised by how passionate, how enthusiastic, she was, how quickly she had learned the arts of pleasure. Nor did her age or lack of beauty put him off. It was just that she was so ... well, insatiable. As if she was trying to make up for forty years of celibacy in a few brief days.
Tsung Ye sat, pulling on his boots, then stifled a yawn. She had kept him at it all night, that last time riding him like a demon, her face distorted so that, for the briefest moment, he had been afraid, thinking she had been taken over by the legendary fox lady. He shuddered, remembering it, then stood, pressing his feet down into the bottom of the soft kid boots she had bought him.
That, at least, was one good thing that had come of this. The presents she kept showering on him: new clothes, a golden timepiece, silks, jewelry, and cloth-bound books. Even so, the situation worried him. One of these days they would be caught. He knew it for a certainty. And though she said her husband knew, how certain could he be of that? After all, it was not something he could check.
He sighed. Maybe she would tire of him. Maybe, once her passion for him had waned, she would take another to her bed. Until then he must be careful. Until then he must do as she said.
He tiptoed to the door and opened it, checking the corridor, then slipped outside. Pulling the door closed behind him, he hurried away, making for his bed and the sweet oblivion of sleep.
P EI K' u N G heard the door click shut, then turned and pulled herself up onto the cushions. Stretching, she yawned then smiled. The night had been wonderful, the best yet, but though she felt exhausted, she could not sleep. For a while she lay there in a fitful reverie, remembering what they had done, her hand straying down to touch her breasts, her sides, the soft-haired nest between her legs.
Yes, my little bird, she thought, a sigh of contentment escaping her, you were right to slip away when you did. Get some sleep. For tonight I shall have need of you again.
After a while she got up and went through to her bathroom. Squatting there over the bowl, washing herself, she felt a shiver run through her, imagining not Tsung Ye but her husband, watching her. For a moment she closed her eyes, letting the fantasy run its course, imagining him chancing upon her, there where she was, then coming across to throw her down upon the tiled floor and have her on the spot. The thought of it made her nerves tingle, the hair on her neck stand on end.
Awake, she thought. After all this time 1 am awake.
She dried herself, then went back through, not bothering to summon her maids, but searching the great carved wardrobes herself, looking for something that suited her mood. Something light and airy. She decided on a simple wrap of lavender and pink decorated with embroidered silk butterflies. Laying it on the bed, she went to her dressing table and sat.
"Send my maids," she said, addressing the House Computer.
They were there in an instant. Curtseying in the doorway, they came in, then stopped, hesitating as they saw her at the mirror, naked.
She smiled, seeing how they averted their eyes as they came across, then spoke to them, giving them their orders.
"Tiny Jade, I want you to put my hair up. You will do something fashionable with it, all right? As for you, Autumn Snow, you must use all your skills to make your Mistress presentable."
"Mistress!" the two maids said together, bowing and looking to each other with worried glances; glances Pei K'ung pretended not to see.
"And, girls," she said, the familiar authority of her voice tempered with a unexpected tenderness. "Do this properly and I shall reward you well."
NAN HO stopped outside the Empress's rooms, then, clearing his throat, knocked loudly on the outer door.
There was a faint exchange of voices from within and then the door eased back, a guard staring out at the Chancellor. Seeing who it was, the man bowed his head and stepped back, announcing him.