Dragon Moon (6 page)

Most people were forbidden to speak directly to the Emperor. Speaking to him in this way could have resulted in a death sentence—if there had been anyone to hear. She waited for him to defend himself. He said nothing.

“The people of the Empire are your subjects, but to
get the best out of them you must treat them well. Even the humblest gardener knows that he has to feed and water his plants to make them thrive. Give them any less than what they need and they’ll yield less fruit. If you want your people to serve you well, you must nurture them—with food and with thanks. Punishment and ill-treatment will never make them achieve their best.”

The Emperor licked his dry lips before he spoke.

“Before I woke, I was dreaming of a golden dragon descending from the sky to take me to Heaven. I would be dead if it weren’t for you, Ping. My search for immortality was pointless. Heaven decides the time to live and die—even for me. I am truly sorry for what I did to you and Kai.”

Ping’s raised voice had woken Kai. He got up to pee and then came over to see how the Emperor was.

“Lu-lu looks better,” the dragon said, making happy tinkling sounds.

“Can you forgive him after what he did to you?” Ping asked.

The dragon nodded his head. The Emperor couldn’t understand the dragon’s sounds, but from Kai’s soft tone and the look in his brown eyes, he knew that he had been forgiven. Kai yawned and went back to his bed.

Ping turned the dragon-stone shard over in her hands. She had washed it and it shone in the lamplight.

“Why were you carrying this?”

“I thought it would bring me luck,” he said.

A mirthless smile twisted Ping’s mouth. “It didn’t.”

She felt the sharp end of the shard with a fingertip.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, Ping,” the Emperor said. “Not yet anyway.”

He reached out and took her hand in his.

“The shard did bring me luck. I am alive and I have changed. If Heaven grants me a safe return to Chang’an, I will abandon my quest to live forever. I already have. I am content with however many years of life Heaven chooses to give me. I will call back the expedition searching for the fungus of immortality. All my attention will be on ruling the Empire well, for the good of all my people.”

Ping pulled her hand from his and checked the bandage on his leg wound.

“I hope that in time, when you see that I have truly changed, you will forgive me. Death has breathed in my face. I have learnt the value of true friendship. It is precious. I won’t discard it again. Not ever.”

“You’ve given me your friendship before and then snatched it back.”

“I’m offering you more than friendship, Ping.”

She put fresh staunchweed on his stomach wound.

“I don’t want an imperial position, it’s not my destiny.”

The Emperor smiled. It made his lip crack and bleed.

“I’m not offering you a job either. I’m offering you my heart.”

Ping looked at him in surprise.

“You are strong and good,” the Emperor said. “The only true friend I’ve ever had. Will you come with me, to be at my side for life—however long that might be?”

Ping tried to hold on to her hatred, but she couldn’t stop images forming in her head—of the time she had spent with Liu Che at Ming Yang Lodge. He was just a boy then, with a beautiful smile and eyes that sparkled with the pleasure of life. They had walked together as the petals of spring blossom drifted in the breeze. He had given her unexpected friendship, something no other person had ever given her before then. For the first time, she admitted to herself that her feelings for the Emperor had been more than friendship. Now he was offering her a place at his side. Not as an Empress, of course—an ex-slave could never sit on the imperial throne—but he was offering her his love for his lifetime.

She gently squeezed his hand and smiled at him for the first time in a long while.

“Once I would have been filled with joy at such a proposal,” she said softly. “I did love you once, Liu Che, but not anymore. I can never forget what you did to Kai. I am taking him away from the world of men. You might no longer wish him ill, but there will always be others who do.”

“Isn’t it time you did what you want to do, Ping? Haven’t you served others long enough?”

“This
is
what I want to do.”

“Are you refusing my offer?”

“Yes.”

He didn’t argue. He closed his eyes. The conversation had drained away the little strength that he had. He slept. Ping felt suddenly very tired. It was not long until dawn, but an hour or two of sleep would be better than none. Kai’s scales were glowing faintly in a band of moonlight. She went to him, touched his scales gently and he stirred.

“Is Lu-lu all right?”

“Yes, he’ll get well again.”

Kai turned over and went back to sleep. Ping pulled her bearskin around her. Sleep dragged her into unconsciousness, like the powerful pull of the tide.

The next morning, Ping unloaded all the baggage from the carriage.

“What are you doing, Ping?” the Emperor asked.

He was still pale, still far too weak to stand, but his eyes were clear and bright.

“You need to be in the care of physicians. The soldiers must take you to Beibai Palace.”

“I don’t know if I will be welcome there,” he said.

“Your sister will receive you with open arms.”

“Won’t you come with me?” he asked.

“There isn’t enough room for us all. Kai and I will wait here until the soldiers return, then we will continue on our journey.”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to a place where no one can find us.”

“Where is this place?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’ll never trust me, will you?”

“It’s not a matter of trust. I really don’t know where we’re going. Danzi sent me a map, but it isn’t clear.”

“Show me, I might be able to help.”

“I can read now, Liu Che, I don’t need your help.”

Ping felt a slight tug at her waist. She turned and discovered Kai pulling the silk square from her pouch.

“Kai!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing?”

She snatched the silk square back.

“Kai trusts me, even if you don’t,” the Emperor said.

“Lu-lu might know where Dragon’s Lament Creek is.”

“He doesn’t know every place in the Empire,” Ping hissed at the dragon. “And I don’t want him to know we’re looking for Long Dao Xi.” She stopped abruptly. She had been speaking aloud.

“What did you say?” Liu Che asked. “You’re taking Kai to a robber’s ravine?”

Ping was relieved he’d misheard. “No, I told you, I don’t know where we’re going exactly.”

The Emperor sighed. The soldiers lifted him into the carriage.

“There’s one more thing I have to ask you, Liu Che.”

The Emperor turned his head towards her.

“What happened to Jun?”

“Who?”

“The boy who was pretending to be a Dragonkeeper. The one who you made Imperial Dragonkeeper when you imprisoned me.” Ping waited for anger to bubble up inside her again, but it didn’t.

The Emperor didn’t answer straightaway. He swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“You didn’t have him executed?”

“No, but I can’t remember what happened to him. I’m sorry, Ping.”

The horses were harnessed to the carriage. The driver took his seat.

“I owe my life to you,” the Emperor said.

Kai bounded up to say goodbye.

“I wish you well on your journey, Kai, wherever it is you’re going. I will issue a decree forbidding dragon hunting anywhere in the Empire.”

Kai made his tinkling wind-chime sound.

“May Heaven protect you both,” the Emperor said.

Under the cuts and bruises, Ping could see the handsome face of her friend again.

She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“I’m glad we met again,” she said.

One of the soldiers shut the carriage door.

“Drive slowly,” Ping said to the driver. “And take the smoothest way, not the quickest.”

She waved goodbye.

“Bye bye, Lu-lu,” Kai said sadly.

Ping watched the carriage slowly trundle away until it disappeared from sight. Kai was busy chasing butterflies, jumping over rocks and pouncing on tussocks of grass. She smiled. It was good to see him carefree and with space to play. She remembered the second line of her divination.
A dragon in the fields. It is advantageous to meet the great man
.

There was Kai chasing butterflies in the field. They had met a great man—the most powerful man in the Empire. It had certainly been an advantageous meeting for him. He would have died if Kai hadn’t found him. If he did keep his promise and concentrated on ruling well, then it would be advantageous for the whole Empire. But the meeting had also been good for Ping. The anger and hatred had left her. Such bitter feelings could poison like dirt in a wound. It was good to be rid of them. A shard of dragon stone had been returned to her as well. It had proved useful before, strengthening her second sight. It might well be useful again. The soldiers had left too. Perhaps that was also a good thing.

The pile of baggage and the colourful tent looked out of place on the bleak plain as if they had dropped
unexpectedly from the sky. There were six baskets of food, a chest of clothing, several large jars of wine, rugs, cushions and cooking pots. It was a ridiculous mound of baggage for one girl and one small dragon. Ping started unpacking. From her clothing chest, she pulled out another pair of shoes, some socks, a jacket and a pair of trousers. From the basket of cooking equipment, she retrieved a small pot, a pair of chopsticks, a cup and two bowls. From the food supplies, she took bags of grain and lentils, some dried beancurd, a jar of plum sauce, dried fruit, nuts, and powdered ginger for flavouring hot water. She also pulled out two small bearskin rugs, a water bag, her knife, the jar of red cloud herb ointment and the fire-making sticks. Kai stopped to watch her.

“Ping isn’t waiting for the carriage?” he asked.

“No,” Ping replied. “We’re going to go on by ourselves, just you and me.”

“That’s good,” the dragon said.

Ping scratched him under the chin.

“You don’t mind?”

He shook his head. “Just Kai and Ping.”

Ping packed their things into a leather saddlebag. She had always intended to dismiss the soldiers before they reached their destination, but hadn’t suspected that it would be so soon. Kai looked wistfully at the things they were leaving behind.

“Not taking any cushions?” he asked.

Ping shook her head.

“No backscratcher?”

Ping laughed. “No.”

She hoisted the saddlebag onto her shoulder. It was very heavy. She put it down again.

“I’ll have to take something out,” she said.

She pulled out the spare pair of shoes and a bag of jujubes.

“Must take the jujubes!” said Kai.

“But the bag’s too heavy,” Ping said.

“Kai will carry the bag.”

Ping argued that he wouldn’t be able to manage it, but he insisted. She strapped the saddlebag just behind his shoulders. It fitted surprisingly well. She repacked the shoes and jujubes.

It was a cold morning. A strong wind whipped up dust. Ping put on her cloak and pulled up the hood. They set off. Kai’s ears drooped. He was nearly two now. He had changed a great deal in the time they had been at Beibai Palace, growing from a dragonling to the young dragon who was walking alongside her. He carried the bag without complaining and easily kept pace with her.

“It’s good to finally start our journey,” Ping said.

Kai made a tinkling sound. She was glad he agreed.

The hills that had looked soft and low through the carriage window seemed steeper now that they were climbing them on foot. Ping’s leg muscles were aching
before midday. Most of the day Kai walked at her side, but sometimes he scampered off, darting this way and that as he played some game or other. When he wandered too far away, she flashed her mirror and he came back to her side.

“What were you playing?” she asked.

“Looking for dragon stones,” he replied.

Ping felt a stab of sorrow. Kai had never said so, but she guessed he’d be lonely when they reached the dragon haven. He’d had many human friends at the palace, and he’d also had dogs to chase, goats to annoy. She’d never considered that he might also yearn for the company of other young dragons. She pulled out the silk square and peered at it. Was that what they would find? Another dragon egg, perhaps a cache of dragon stones. Now that she knew about raising a baby dragon, rearing a whole brood of them would be no trouble at all. In fact, she would enjoy it.

As she walked, Ping thought about Danzi and the long journey they had made together. They had travelled from the western border of the Empire to where it ended in the east on the shores of Ocean. The Empire was green and lush when she had travelled with Danzi. Now it was dusty and dry from lack of rain.

Danzi was a dragon of few words, but his son was a chatterbox. As they walked, Kai talked endlessly. He pointed out interesting things—a hill shaped like a sleeping animal, a snaking riverbed, a large bird’s
nest. Because of his exceptional eyesight, most of the things he indicated were too far away for Ping to see. He also enjoyed recounting his own adventures, most of which Ping already knew about, though occasionally she would discover some mischief that he had caused at Ming Yang Lodge or at Beibai Palace when her back had been turned. The only time he stopped talking was when someone approached them on the road and he had to shape-change. Ping was glad Kai had mastered this dragon skill. She didn’t want to attract any attention.

Ping was also relieved Kai had grown out of the stage where he constantly asked questions. Now he preferred to show her how clever he was—naming plants, birds and animals—and telling her how brave he would be if they met a tiger or a dragon hunter. Ping grunted occasionally to show that she was listening, though much of the time her thoughts were elsewhere.