My Fair Concubine

chapter Twenty-Four



The procession wove though the street like a dragon toward the front gate. At its head was a gilded palanquin carried by four porters. A parade of musicians with cymbals and horns struck up a festival tune and a long stream of additional attendants followed at the tail.

‘Inspector Tong isn’t among them,’ Fei Long reported. He stood at the gate, representing the head of the household as well as acting as a lookout.

Yan Ling and Dao waited behind him in the privacy of the courtyard. Dao wore a fitted red jacket and skirt. The embroidered jacket was a mix of the fashion of Changan and the tribal clothing of the northern lands. Yan Ling stood beside her in a plain grey servant’s robe with her hair plaited in a simple braid. Once again, Yan Ling was trying to disappear, but Fei Long would always seek her out. She captured his attention more so than Dao in her red silk and jewels.

The ladies embraced once, holding on to each other until the sound of the cymbals neared. When they let go, Yan Ling retreated along the courtyard wall toward the front parlour. Fei Long caught the quick motion as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve before disappearing. In contrast, Dao was clear-eyed and bright as she came to stand next to him.

‘I wish you a hundred years of health and happiness,’ he said. The corners of his mouth lifted as he added, ‘Little Pearl.’

‘Thank you, Elder Brother.’ Her tone lowered reverently. Dao stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

The brief contact lingered with him. A remainder of things unsaid and long overlooked. They had grown up in the same household. Servant and master. He’d never questioned it because of the boundaries he held as sacred.

Dao took one last look around the familiar courtyard, then flashed him a wide smile before pulling the red veil over her face.

The sedan stopped right before gates and as soon as the porters set the poles down, the music also halted. Fei Long bowed formally to the palace official and gave his well-wishes for the journey while Dao stood absolutely still, face covered, beside him. The veil would be removed as soon as she was secured in the wedding sedan, but for now that part of the ritual served their purpose. When it was time to go, he held out his arm to guide Dao to the transport and pulled aside the curtain for her to step inside and be seated.

‘Take care,’ Fei Long said.

She nodded and he let the curtain fall back. To think it could have been that easy all along. Everyone was off to their proper destiny, like pieces of a wooden puzzle, all falling into their rightful place—

‘Fei Long!’

Until an all-too-familiar voice called out. Minister Cao Wei had arrived in his private litter. The elder statesman came cheerfully up to him.

‘Brilliant work the other day in the park, my son!’ Minister Cao gripped Fei Long’s shoulder proudly.

Fei Long swallowed, but his throat remained parched. ‘I’m not certain I understand, honoured sir.’

Cao cast him a sideways glance and chuckled. ‘Always so humble.’ The minister looked to the palanquin next. ‘Ah, good. I came in time to say farewell to Pearl. An unusual circumstance detained me from coming to see you last time.’

Fei Long’s jaw clenched. They couldn’t be thwarted now. Not after all the elaborate ruses and schemes.

‘Minsiter Cao,’ he called out in desperation, ‘we can’t keep the Khitan delegation waiting.’

‘What’s a few moments? I’m certain the ambassadors won’t mind.’

Fei Long had never, never been adept at making excuses. Minister Cao reached the opening of the sedan and Fei Long tried desperately to remember all of the schemes Li Bai Shen had spoken of. Since it wasn’t reasonable to wrestle the minister in the street and steal his money, Fei Long could only watch in horror as the minister reached for the curtain.

‘Your father was a dear friend of mine and I’ve known the two of you since you were children. Of course, I had to come today.’

Cao opened the curtain and stopped short, his brow wrinkling into a frown. Fei Long started to stutter out an explanation, but Dao found her voice first.

‘Uncle Cao. How kind of you to come and see me!’

The sides of the sedan blocked Dao from view, but her tone was cheerful. Unfortunately, she didn’t sound anything like Pearl and Cao would know it even with the veil.

‘What is the meaning—?’

‘I remember sitting in your lap and pulling your beard, my lord,’ Dao went on, undaunted. ‘How time goes by.’

Cao’s frown remained fixed for a few moments more before he broke out into a grin. ‘Ah, yes. Have a safe journey, my dear Pearl.’

The minister let the curtain drop back in place and turned to Fei Long, who was prepared to have the imperial guards sent after him at any moment.

‘You.’ Minister Cao wagged a finger at him, smiling broadly. ‘You might have the potential to be a good politician after all.’

‘No, sir.’

The carriers took their positions and lifted the sedan up to return to the palace. From there, the caravan would be meeting up with an entourage of bodyguards and emissaries from Khitan and then Dao would be on her way as an imperial princess.

‘I should accompany her Highness as she goes to meet the Khitan ambassadors,’ Minister Cao offered. ‘Make sure our girl is sent off safely.’

The procession departed in the same way it had come, in a blaze of ceremony and trumpets. Yan Ling returned to stand beside him as the cymbals faded.

‘You did know about Dao, didn’t you?’ she said.

‘We…we don’t speak of such things so openly,’ he stammered.

But he’d always suspected. He supposed Minister Cao had known as well. Dao had lived her entire life keeping a secret that everyone had known, but no one openly accepted. His other Little Sister.

‘Now that your sister will be auspiciously wed, you should think of starting a family of your own,’ Yan Ling suggested innocently.

‘Perhaps I should consult a matchmaker.’

She snorted. ‘If you see fit.’

He took her hand. Her fingers were cool and calming beneath the summer sun. ‘I need a woman, you know. And only one woman will do.’

They looked at one another for a long, contented moment before heading back into the house together.

* * *

The neighbourhood gossips chirped louder than the cicadas that summer and indeed they had much to talk about. Chang Fei Long, the favoured son of a government official, fell in love with a humble servant girl. By the end of the summer, news of the wedding spread to every teahouse and tavern.

It was said that Fei Long wore a red scarf on the day of the wedding, much like the red scarf worn by a mysterious bowman in an illicit archery tournament a month earlier. He also wore a pair of felt shoes embroidered with tigers. As malnourished as said tigers were supposed to be, it was rumoured that Fei Long wore them proudly wherever he went. His new wife set about completing a new pair to exonerate herself.

For all her faults, the tea girl Yan Ling, now Chang Tai-tai, or Madame Chang, was praised as the embodiment of industriousness and determination; truly a carp who had jumped through the dragon’s gate.

The match must have been an auspicious one for the Chang family. A month after the wedding, the Emperor invited Fei Long to the palace at the north end of the city. Several targets were set up and Fei Long instructed the crown prince himself. An appointment as archery master of the city guard quickly followed.

* * *

Many, many months later, a letter came from Khitan. It was the last one before the winter season made the grasslands difficult to pass. The khagan noted the grace, charm and unnaturally sharp tongue that their Tang princess possessed.

It might be quite a while before the Khitans asked for another princess.

* * * * *