...得來全不費工夫
...dé lái quán bù fèi gōng fu
...only to find what you seek without effort.
... only to find what you seek right under your nose.
(This chapter's title is a continuation of the idiom started in the title of chapter 12.)
*~*~*~*~*~*
He didn't. I had only indulged in watching the lives passing by on the street for a short time before Sanli rode across my view. He was on Little Light again, high above the traders and fishermen, followed, as always, by Kageyama on Makabe. I heard the horse hooves clip clop around the corner to the stable, and Kageyama's deep voice speaking with the stable master.
Sanli appeared at our table shortly afterwards. The first thing he said, before even glancing my way was "Ermi, what are you doing here?"
"Reading," said Ermi, looking up from her book. Her sweet tone held just the barest hint of surliness.
"What did I JUST say, less than an hour ago, about coming into the city unaccompanied?"
"There are guards in the courtyard. And it's broad daylight Uncle Sanli. All the murders happened at-"
"Enough. From now on, you only leave Chuanfang with a full guard. If Liangyi isn't around, get someone else to come with you. A couple house guards on their own aren't enough. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Uncle Sanli," said Ermi. The surliness was definitely there this time.
"Go back in the carriage now. Sho Sensei will go with you. Lady... Yunyou and I will follow after we finish discussing some things." Ermi's blush was faint, and I knew she was imagining the things we would be discussing. I had forgotten how precocious a young girl's mind could be.
Sanli stood, gesturing for me to precede him. "After you, Lady Yunyou. Let's talk somewhere quieter."
I stood and followed a maid who led us both down a hallway and up a staircase to a seperate, private room, richly decorated with silks and tapestries, also overlooking the street below.
Sanli sat down on a cushion at the low table by the window and gestured for me to do the same. The maid set a fresh pot of tea and two cups on the table between us before bowing her way out.
The sound of wheels and horses outside drew our attention. Ermi's carriage passed by the window, heading back toward Chuanfang. The people on the street moved aside to make way for it.
A rider on a black horse trailed the carriage. As he left, Kageyama glanced up at the building, searching, a glare on his face. His eyes never found mine, but I knew that glare was meant for me.
Forgetting the fox, I turned to the man in front of me, taking a moment to admire his attire. Gone was the roughly tailored trader's wear from the road, or the servant's uniform I had seen him in earlier. Instead he wore an elegant black silk robe, tiered just below the knees for ease of movement, with black silk trousers underneath. The robe was belted at the waist with a leather belt inlaid with silver studs shaped like deer and trees. The symbols of the Green King.
The clothes were not as ornate in cut or pattern or color as many other men of his station were want to dress, but elegant nonetheless.
The black of his clothes, the black of his slicked back hair. His strange eyes, so dark green they were almost black. If possible, Sanli looked even more handsome than usual.
Smiling to myself, I poured tea into both cups, then took my own and sipped the hot liquid. Sanli only sat and watched the steam rise from his cup.
"Worried about poison?" I asked, smiling wider.
He returned my smile. "The heat rather. How can you drink hot tea on a day like this?"
"It's not so bad, really," I said, turning to the window. A breeze from the sea entered the room, and the stones of the walls were cool. I turned back toward the Prince. "I come from the south." And I had, long ago.
I waited for him to ask me more, but he did not. The silence stretched between us like space, broken only by the rising steam. "Don't you have something you want to ask me?" I prompted.
I meant his letter. I never got to answer you that night, when you asked me what question I wanted to ask The Sixth God. The question I want to ask is "Which story is true?" He had written that to me, knowing, I assumed, that I would have the answer to that question, the story being my own.
"Ask the question you want to ask," I prompted again.
Sanli folded his hands and looked at them, then looked up at me. "Why are you here?"
I raised my eyebrows. "That's what you want to ask?"
"I wrote in my letter that if you were ever in need to come to me and I would help you. I'm assuming that's why you're here, in Zhanghai." Sanli leaned back, looking at me innocently. "So, Lady Four Strings... what can I help you with?"
"It's Lady Yunyou now," I said, folding my arms with a frustrated sigh. He was the one supposed to be asking for MY help. Why was he pretending not to know who I was? Unless he really hadn't guessed? I was sure though... the way he had looked at me earlier...
I rapped my fingers on the table, something I often did when thinking or irritated. Why was he pretending not to know? What did he gain? What was his plan?
Tch. Fine. Sanli wanted to pretend he still knew nothing about me, I would play along. I spread my arms. "What I want... truthfully, my Prince, until I met you and your friends in Nan'ye I was leading a very dull existence. So I guess, what I want is to be... entertained."
It was Sanli's turn to think. He stroked his chin, where several days worth of stubble was starting to show. If he wasn't careful he was going to start looking as careless as Kageyama.
"How about this," Sanli began after thinking it through, spreading his hands on the table with his proposal."You continue in your role as Ermi's..."
"Propriety instructor," I prompted, sipping my tea.
Sanli snorted in a most unprince like way. "Yes, that. However, in the meantime, you'll be making sure that all those weaseling suitors who keep hovering around her don't get too close, and if any of them are too persistent, you report to me."
"Oh? What if their intentions are sincere?"
Sanli laughed. "Trust me, they're not. They're after her name and dowry."
I inclined my head in agreement. He was probably right.
"In addition..." Sanli began. Then stopped.
"What?" I asked, tantalized.
"No...it will be too dangerous."
"I never turn down a challenge," I said. My words from the bar, when we had first met, and he had challenged me to our musical race. Sanli recognized them, grinning.
"Then I won't offer you the challenge this time, and save you from yourself." I was about to protest, my curiosity aroused, but Sanli continued with his offer. "If you can help Ermi remain unattached all summer, until we return to Linjing in the fall, I'll give you a permanent place on my staff."
I pondered. "A permanent place doing what?"
"Whatever you want the majority of the time. Eat, drink, sleep. Use the throne's money. When I have a task for you, something I think you'll find interesting, I'll ask you."
I thought it over for a moment. "A strange request...it does sound entertaining though... Fine! I accept. I will keep your niece unattached all summer. In exchange, I expect you to continue paying the salary you are already paying me—"
"Which is?"
"Ten Gold a week." Sanli whistled. "And room and board. At Chuanfang. I don't wish to travel there and back every day."
"Fine," Sanli held out a hand. "Shall we shake on it?"
I placed my hand in his own. "Zakhar would approve."
*~*~*~*~*~*
We talked a while longer. Sanli was very impressed to hear how I had managed to forge his handwriting and acquire a replica of his seal in order to fool his steward. I in turn, was very amused to hear that he had gone as far as making up stomach complaints to trick Kageyama into taking more time on their way back to Zhanghai.
It was late afternoon when the Prince payed for the room, though we had done little in it than sit and drink tea, and escorted me back down to the courtyard at rear of the inn.
Little Light was waiting for us, along with one of the two guards. Sanli took the reins from the guard and threw them over his horse's head before pulling himself into the saddle. He then turned and offered his hand to me.
"You know I prefer to walk," I said.
"I cannot ride while a lady walks. Would you prefer to ride Little Light alone?" I shook my head. The skittish horse had disliked me from the moment we had met, so I knew that would be impossible.
"Then ride with me. I insist," said Sanli, hand out. He smiled persuasively, his dark green eyes handsome in the afternoon sun.
I was surprised by the prince's persistence. He had never insisted before, and we had travelled li upon li together. He had been perfectly happy then to offer, and after my refusal, allow me to walk, in wind or rain or whatever element we had been traveling in at the time.
And suddenly I realized his plan. Why he had pretended not to know who I was. Why he was withholding knowledge from me and was treating me as he might any pretty girl he had interest in.
"My prince, are you trying to seduce me?" I asked, tone mocking.
He only smiled wider.
I laughed, taking his hand and allowing him to pull me up into the saddle in front of him. Sitting sideways, so my legs and the long train of my skirt fell to one side, I settled against him, his chest surprisingly firm beside me. Little Light whickered unhappily beneath us.
"You're ten thousand years too early to try and seduce ME, Little Prince" I said softly, smiling to myself.
Sanli took the reins, arms stretching on either side of me, and nudged Little Light into a gentle walk.
As he did, he leaned down and spoke into my ear, his breath causing my hair to waver.
"I never turn down a challenge."
*~*~*~*~*~*
When we arrived back at Chuanfang, the courtyard was filled with men on horses. The black uniforms and green cloaks gave them away. Soldiers.
Sanli cursed under his breath, and helped me dismount. A groom came and took Little Light, and we started toward the group.
The soldiers were in formation, grouped carefully around a rider in the middle on a magnificent dark chestnut horse. From where we stood, I could not see the man's face, only his head and back. He was dressed in a soldier's uniform as well, but of a superior tailoring and material. Instead of the moss green cloaks of the other soldiers, this man wore a pale green sash across his chest and back.
Interestingly, it was that pale green sash that caught my attention. It wasn't like the moss green of the soldiers cloaks, or the pine green of Sanli's eyes... it didn't feel natural at all. The closest comparison I could think of was the color of copper that's been exposed to the elements and gone green with age.
How odd, that it caught my attention so.
I forgot about greens altogether a second later, for the man turned and I was able to see his face. I felt my heart drop and my stomach twist.
Lu, I thought.
Except this man was much handsomer than Lu had ever been. In place of Lu's soft features were well defined angles, and Lu's blunt eyebrows had become sweeping eagles wings. Where Lu's awkward smile should have been, a confident smirk quirked this man's lips.
And of course, Lu had been dead near two centuries.
"Who is that?" I asked Sanli, never taking my eyes from the man's face.
"That," said Sanli. "Is the Second Prince, Zhangyu, Ermi's older brother and my nephew. You haven't met yet, Lady Yunyou?" Sanli said, putting emphasis on my new alias.
"No," I said. I wanted to talk to this man. I wanted to see if his voice sounded the same as Lu's. If he laughed the same.
"Kageyama Sensei," the man said by way of greeting, his voice breaking me from my trance. It's not the same, I thought.
I tore my eyes away from the Second Prince and saw that Kageyama had appeared at the top of the stairs leading down into the courtyard.
"Zhangyu, what can I do for you," said Kageyama, sounding pleasant enough, but I heard a hint of defensiveness in his voice.
"I came to request you attend me at the midsummer banquet, Kageyama Sensei. There will be many representatives from the Eastern Isles present, and your advice and help with translation would be most appreciated."
The man framed it as a request, but everyone present knew it for what it was. An order.
"It would be my pleasure," Kageyama replied, his words barely covering the sound of his grinding teeth. "You needn't have come all the way here just to ask me that though."
"I also came...." Zhangyu paused as the man on a horse beside him leaned forward and whispered something. The Second Prince turned, his eyes scanning the courtyard, coming to rest on me.
I noticed then, that while he had many of Lu's features, his eyes were not green. They were light brown, like Ermi's, but with a slight reddish tint. Like bronze, or copper.
The Second Prince nudged his horse and the crowd of guards parted to let him through. He stopped before Sanli and I, but didn't dismount.
"To welcome Uncle back, of course. Though forgive me for not dismounting, I must leave shortly," I struggled not to laugh at his insult of an apology. It was obvious the Second Prince didn't dismount so as to show his superiority of rank.
"Zhangyu," said Sanli, inclining his head.
"Uncle Sanli," Zhangyu replied, copper eyes calculating as he looked down at his Uncle. "How was... what were you out doing again?"
"Flood and drought relief," Sanli answered.
"Ah yes, I hope you were able to assuage the suffering of our poor citizens. I've been summoned to deal with the very pressing problem of security here in Zhanghai. The people want to feel safe."
"I'm sure they feel safer already, with your arrival,"said Sanli. I saw his lip twitch. I wondered if he was angry. Or trying not to laugh.
While making enquiries, I had gathered that there was something of a rivalry between Sanli, the Third Prince, and the Second Prince, Zhangyu. The men were close in age, Sanli only being a couple of years older than his nephew, and it seemed they were often compared.
I also learned from some tittering maids that both men were known for their good looks.
Now I watched their contention confirmed before me. I must say, I found it very enjoyable.
Zhangyu's eyes slid from his Uncle to me. "You must be the new instructor Ermi's told me about," his eyes traced my face, my body. "You're uncommonly pretty," he said, surprise coloring his tone.
"Some would even say beautiful," I prompted.
Zhangyu gave a sharp, short bark of laughter, as though it was something he was unfamiliar with, then grinned. "You will accompany me to the Midsummer banquet as well."
From the stairs, Kageyama spoke up. "I would advise against that," he said. "The girl doesn't speak anything but the common tongue, and won't be any help."
Zhangyu smiled down at me. "On the contrary. Nothing like a pretty, forgive me, a beautiful face to distract men from negotiations."
Beside me, Sanli's smile never wavered, but I could feel his displeasure. I was to be included in the rivalry, was I? That worked to my advantage. Nothing easier to manipulate than a man with his pride ruffled and something to prove.
"Brother, you said you would accompany me!" said Ermi, running down the steps to stand beside Kageyama, ruining another pair of house slippers in the process.
"I'm afraid I'll be terribly busy, Ermi. I'm sure you'll have much more fun going with our uncle."
"I'd rather go with you and Sho Sensei," Ermi wheedled.
"Kageyama Sensei and I will be very busy with negotiations. You will go with Uncle Sanli," replied Zhangyu, a finality in his tone that made Ermi sigh.
I glanced at Kageyama. He was almost visibly bristling, but his eyes were not on the Second Prince. His dark eyes were firmly concentrated on the man who had whispered in Zhangyu's ear earlier. The man's face was hidden by a large conical woven grass hat, the kind peasants often wore to keep off the sun and rain while they worked in the fields.
"Well then, Lady..." began Zhangyu.
"Yunyou," I supplied, eyes still on the man in the hat. He was dressed in a soldier's uniform as well, but without the cape. Something about him seemed familiar.
"Lady Yunyou, Uncle Sanli, if you'll excuse me," he nodded to Kageyama and Ermi, reminding his sister to 'behave', before riding for the entrance. His escort hurried to reform around him, the man in the hat taking his position beside the second prince once more.
As he rode away beside the prince, the man in the hat looked back, and I caught a brief flash of tapering, symmetrical eyes. The eyes of a Dashe.
Zhen.
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