Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter 25

Prime Minister Chimu stepped forward again. "Let all necessary steps be taken to identify anyone who may have known about these contemptible actions in advance. The associates of the assassins will be questioned and their homes searched. Anyone found there will be questioned and suspicious persons retained. The scribes will record that Master Shu Ban-Li has done well in protecting the Fourth Prince and a reward of ten taels of silver shall be paid to him."

A trumpet-voiced servant announced the close of the assembly. The Second Prince clapped his taller brother on the shoulder and said quickly, "Come on and drink with us."

T'ien Luo-Bi tried to make excuses but the rotund figure of Chen-Di had deceptively strong hands. His clamp on his brother's arm never varied. "Do not be so foolishly proud. If you skulk in your chambers, people will think you had something to do with this attempt. It would be bad for all of us to have anyone thinking we are not a united family, eh? Could be bad for public feeling, the last thing we want right now."

"Very well. Besides, I want to get to know this...remarkable young man."

"As do I indeed."

Coming down the steps from the throne after his father had left, the crown prince echoed that, adding to the young man, "I saw you at my wedding."

"Yes, your highness. Many felicitations."

"Thank you. As my younger brother has seen fit to invite us, we will go to his hall to get drunk. He always has the best wine anyway."

"My admirable older brother wants to get drunk?" Chen-Di fluttered his hand before his face like the fan of a fainting woman. "This is such a shock I can hardly believe what my ears tell me."

"It has been a long few days but our plans are in place. I can relax for a while."

"You the family-man?"

"My most recent wife is receiving my other wives to accept offerings to the temple for our coming child. I don't need to be part of that conclave when this one is bound to be more entertaining."

"You are the most fortunate among us," Third Prince said. "Of that there can be no doubt."

Many men, Ban-Li noticed, smiled to see the four brothers walk out of the Great Hall together. He slipped along behind them, challenged by their height and long strides. Sun-Sin noticed and fell back, handing back his sword. "Keep up, please. There are many twists and turns in the palace; if you got lost, we might never find you."

"Your highness, that money...." Ban-Li whispered. "It is not right they should give it to me."

"What did you say?" Chen-Di fell back as well. "Forgive me; as a tax administrator, any mention of money sets my ears pricking like a fox's. What money?"

"He means the reward granted him. Why not take it, Adjutant Shu? You could do with it, I think."

"Yes...it is not that. What about Uncle Mo? He was there too."

"What is an 'Uncle Mo'?" Third Prince asked dryly. All of them had stopped as though by agreement at the entrance to the Second Prince's private quarters inside the palace walls. It was fully dark now and the hanging lanterns marked with 'Hall of Joyous Prospects' gave little light.

"He is the sergeant who rode with Shu Ban-Li and me today." Sun-Sin answered. "He helped to hold off the assailants."

"Ah, good man. But as it was in some sense my fault that he was put to so much trouble, I shall happily give this venerable soldier a sum equal to that granted to Young Master Shu."

Ban-Li could only bow to the Third Prince. "Many thanks, your highness. Uncle Mo is not well-off."

"I heard of a man named Mo once. As I recall, he was a sergeant as well."