The Last Concubine (29 page)

“Princess Lan’xiu!” Hüi could not say more, he was panting for breath. By the look on her face—something of import had happened. “Where have you been?” he burst forth, aware that he sounded like a petulant child.

“Guarding the rear,” Lan’xiu said. “We went up into the mountains. There was a signal from the plains. I was waiting for that, and the answering flash told me which pass my brother chose to ambush you.”

“Wu Min is up there?” Hüi asked in astonishment. “I heard nothing and we had men keeping watch.”

“We were up high enough that you would not have heard,” Lan explained. “Wu Min is still up there, but he is dead.”

“You—you killed him?”

“Not I. Ning did it.”

Hüi turned astonished eyes upon the eunuch, who looked very proud of himself indeed and puffed up his chest, for he had met Wu Min, a man who stood at least a head taller than Lan’xiu and twice as broad, and vanquished him.

“I thank you, Ning-xiānsheng, for keeping Lan’xiu alive.”

“Thank her yourself,” Ning declared. “She kept herself alive. Even though I
am
the one who trained her.”

“She is truly a warrior princess,” Captain Wen declared, pride shining in his eyes. “It was a most magnificent fight, General! You should have seen Ning vanquish Wu Min! It was a good day for us. Many of the Liaopeh forces are dead and the enemy is in retreat.”

“Behold, my Warrior Princess,” Hüi said softly, pride and secrets in his smile.

Lan’xiu laughed happily. “I have men here who need their wounds attended to, my Lord. And then you must tell me what happened in your part of the battle.”

A
S
USUAL
, soldiers stood on guard through the night, although both upstart provinces had been well and truly defeated. The hospitals gave comfort to the wounded, and the dead had been buried with full honors and their belongings gathered to be returned to their families.

Hüi Wei had addressed his troops, thanking them for their brave fighting and assuring them of the rewards of victory. He never allowed his troops to loot and pillage, but tribute would be enforced and they would get their share of the treasure that way.

Food had been savored and alcohol had flowed freely among the men off duty, fires were lit and stories told around them, not the least the story of their own warrior princess, who had gone to meet the Liaopeh forces and vanquished them, saving them and the general from the ignominy of defeat—or at least more losses, because Hüi Wei’s men could never believe anyone could best
them
. At least not with the general leading them.

Ning had made sure that members of the princess’s guard had spread the story of the confrontation in the mountains, suitably embroidered, in order to win the acceptance and appreciation of the troops. They already thought her beautiful, now they knew she was brave as well.

Captain Wen had had his arm wound bandaged by the princess herself and told her all the while that her guard was sworn to her for life and would be proud to obey her orders in any battle. Then of course, Ning had relieved her and given her to understand that she might safely leave his lover in his care.

Together, still dressed in their armor, although Lan’xiu had had a chance to wash the blood from her face, General Hüi Wei and the Warrior Princess went to the hospital to commend and comfort the wounded.

Jiang awaited them at a fire, round which some of the commanders and soldiers had gathered to cook a simple meal.

Lan’xiu was silent at first, listening to the stories of what had happened on the field of battle. She was glad she had missed it, certain that some of the risks Hüi Wei had run would have made her die of fright.

Of course, eventually Jiang and Hüi Wei demanded to hear what had happened in the mountains.

Lan’xiu was glad to praise her friend Ning. “If not for him, Wu Min would yet be alive, for I could never have killed him.”

“He is truly dead?” Jiang asked thoughtfully.

“He is. We could lead you there tomorrow if you wish to see the evidence with your own eyes,” Lan said.

“Why would his soldiers not simply bear his body away?” Jiang demanded.

“He made cruelty a sport and entertainment,” Lan said simply. “Once his soldiers discovered he was dead, they would have no motivation to continue his fight.”

“I thought you had piled the bodies so high that the gap is impassable?” Hüi asked, his eyes twinkling.

“We did,” Lan said, her dimples showing. “But it is a very small gap. And they were easily discouraged.”

“So Ning exaggerates?” Jiang laughed.

“Perhaps a bit. It was a short battle, but many men gave up their lives needlessly before they realized with Wu Min dead there was no point.” Lan’xiu looked serious. “I am truly free now, thanks to you, my Lord. As long as Wu Min lived, I owed a debt to my mother to avenge her death.”

Jiang drew a deep breath. “Do you wish to return to Liaopeh, to rule in your brother’s stead? You have the throne, by right of birth.”

“Of course not! That is, not unless my Lord wishes it.” Lan’xiu peered at Hüi anxiously, dreading that she might be sent from his side.

“Your Lord wishes his warrior princess to remain by his side,” Hüi answered. “Liaopeh will have to make do with a steward on the throne, one who answers to me.”

A
S
THE
discussion wore on, Lan’xiu yawned and retired to the tent that had been set up for the general. Without Ning to help, she struggled a bit to free herself from the armor. Then she shivered as she bathed herself from a basin, hurrying because the water was cold and she didn’t wish to be observed naked.

Nothing could be done about her hair, so she left it in the braid, but she donned one of her pretty cheongsams to wait for Hüi to come to her.

When the tent flap lifted, she was sitting within the golden pool of light from the oil lamp, waiting for him with a smile.

“My beautiful Warrior Princess, you have made me proud today, but never do so again! The idea of you going off into the mountains without telling anyone—”

“Ning and Captain Wen were with me, as well as the guard you provided me.” Lan’xiu allowed Hüi to pull her to her feet and surround her with his arms, leaning gratefully against his strength.

“And both of them are boasting of your courage and skill with a bow,” Hüi said. “If you wanted it, I would embrace you in front of my men and my people as a man. You could dress like a man and go into battle by my side. My men would follow you, they proved that today.”

“But I don’t want to. I will go to battle with you again, but I will go dressed the way I prefer,” Lan’xiu said, laughing. “I like dressing like this. I love that you love me no matter what, but it makes me happy to be this way.”

“What else can I do to make you happy?” Hüi growled, sliding his hand under Lan’s robe.

“Take me, my Lord,” Lan answered a bit breathlessly.

“Your order is my great pleasure, my Warrior Princess.”

The cries and moans that came from the general’s tent that night made his soldiers laugh with ribald merriment, but that belied their secret pride that their leader had found happiness with such a courageous warrior princess who pledged her loyalty to him.

A
ND
so it was that General Hüi Wei, servant of the emperor and protector of the northern border and the provinces of Yan, Qui, Henan, and Liaopeh, ruled long and wisely upon his throne. He was accompanied every day of his life by his beautiful warrior princess, Lan’xiu; together they fought many battles and put down many rebellions to protect their borders. Lan’xiu led troops in numerous military campaigns, and General Hüi Wei placed great confidence in her. Although their union was never fruitful, due to the grievous injury inflicted upon her by the traitor concubine Ci’an, they lived a long and happy life together.

Lord Jiang and his partner, Zheng Guofang, were often guests of Hüi Wei and Lan’xiu, and fought in their command. Lan’xiu instituted reforms in the harem, by which the gates were kept open and the remaining wives were permitted to go shopping and to tea accompanied by their guards. The Sixth Wife Bai was released as a concubine, and rumor had it that Lan’xiu had found her a husband who accepted the two sons she had adopted. In the passage of time, Bai and her husband had sons of their own and lived happily in their own province.

The concubines Fen and Huan lived together in one house for the rest of their days, and it was noted that neither of them greatly missed Hüi Wei’s presence. Their lanterns were never lit again.

It was otherwise with Mei Ju. Her lantern was faithfully lit once a week, when Hüi Wei would come to her, and what transpired behind their closed doors no one knew. However, it was seen that Lan’xiu and Mei Ju sustained a great friendship, and First Wife was often within the palace with her children. Lan’xiu was beloved of them, although she insisted they mind their education, for she said if they were to grow up to govern as well as Hüi Wei, they would need to have knowledge of the world.

Mei Ju often was heard to say that Lan’xiu was their mother as much as she was. Inevitably she grew old, and when she died, she commended the care of her children to Lan’xiu, who guarded them carefully and with love. In the sequence of time as they came of age, each of the four sons was given the responsibility to govern one of the provinces their father ruled. The two daughters were permitted a say in choosing their own husbands and visited the palace of their father often with their children. After the prescribed period of mourning for Mei Ju, Hüi Wei married Lan’xiu in a small, private ceremony and made her First Wife.

When at last in old age, Hüi Wei died, Lan’xiu did not live past him more than one week. The legend went that she died of grief, so greatly did she miss him. They were buried in the same tomb, surrounded with food, armor, and swords. The aged eunuch Ning allowed none to prepare his precious princess for her journey to the heavens except himself, and he was heard to comment to his lover, Wen, that they had no need for treasure in the next world—they were each other’s treasure and all they needed.

And so endeth the tale of Lan’xiu, the Great Warrior Princess of the North, and her lord, the General Hüi Wei, forever twined in love that lasted throughout life and beyond death.

C
ATT
F
ORD
lives in front of the computer monitor, in another world where her imaginary gay friends obey her every command.

She likes cats, chocolate, swing dancing, sleeping, Monty Python, Aussie friends, being silly, spinning other realities with words, and sea glass. She dislikes caterpillars, cigarette smoke, and rude people who think the F-word (as in faggot, or bundle of sticks) is acceptable.

A frustrated perfectionist, she comforts herself with the legend about the weavers of Persian rugs always including one mistake so as not to anger the gods, although she has no need to include a mistake on purpose. One always slips through. Writing fiction has filled a need for clever conversations, only possible when one is in control of both sides, and erotic romances, where everything for the most part turns out happily ever after.

Visit Catt’s blog at
http://catt-ford.livejournal.com/
.

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ATT
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