Dragonwall (24 page)

Finally, the archers that Batu had assigned to guard the canal running out of Yenching began to fire into the water. The young general instantly realized that the barbarians had reached their breaking point. They were attempting to escape the burning city by swimming under the river gate.

“Recall Kei Bot!” Batu ordered, pointing at the archers. “Warn the other generals to expect the enemy to sally.”

Pe bowed and left to relay the commands. Aside from the instruction for Kei Bot to withdraw, the orders were unnecessary and tardy. Before the messengers could reach the valley floor, Yenching burst open like an agitated anthill. Heedless of the Shou armies awaiting them outside, the barbarians rushed from every gate in Yenching, madly firing their bows.

The Shou armies greeted the Tuigan with wall after wall of arrows. The men did not pause even an instant to give the barbarians a chance to surrender. The sight of Yenching’s citizens choking the Shengti river with their bloated bodies was too fresh in the soldiers’ minds.

For many minutes, the Tuigan poured out of the burning city in a steady flow. From seventy yards away, the Shou ranks met the barbarians with an equally steady stream of arrows. Soon, the bodies of horsewarriors lay piled in front of the gates in fan-shaped heaps. Still the barbarians came, scrambling over their dead and wounded fellows without regard. Billows of smoke rolled over the city, and great tongues of flame shot out of every opening in the wall.

Finally, the bell towers collapsed and disappeared into the city’s ruins. The Tuigan rush dwindled away to nothing. The air reeked of burned flesh, and Batu knew that thousands of Tuigan had not escaped the fires inside Yenching. The largest part of the army, however, lay outside the walls, one or more bamboo shafts protruding from their bodies. The loud, steady hum of thousands of groaning men filled the valley.

The Shou ranks stared at the heaps of Tuigan bodies in dazed silence. After a few moments, a single soldier drew his chien. The man walked to a wounded horsewarrior, then quickly and efficiently beheaded the moaning barbarian with his sword. As if by command, the rest of the pengs drew their swords and followed the man’s lead.

It did not cross Batu’s mind to stop the slaughter.

One thousand miles east of Yenching, Batu’s wife lay half-awake, oblivious to the great victory her husband had already won that morning. It was well past dawn, and golden sunlight filled the sleeping hall. By now, Wu realized, Ji and Yo would be anxiously awaiting her presence at breakfast.

The general’s wife tried to sit up, and her stomach filled with fire. Wu cried out, then collapsed back onto her pillows. She placed a hand over her stomach. A wet bandage swathed her midsection.

Qwo appeared out of a corner and dabbed a wet cloth on Wu’s forehead. “Be still, mistress.”

Wu withdrew her hand and stared at the blood on her palm. “What’s this?” She was still struggling against her sleepy confusion.

“You know better than I,” Qwo replied pointedly. She wiped the blood off her mistress’s hand. “You came home in this state last night.”

As Qwo turned away to rinse the cloth, the events of the previous night returned to Wu: following Ju-Hai to Ting Mei Wan’s house, the hurried search that yielded only the ebony tube Ting had been carrying when the Minister of State arrived, meeting the unexpected guard on the way out of the house. The sentry had taken Wu by surprise, stepping out of a kiosk that had been empty when she had passed it earlier.

If the guard had challenged her before attacking, he might still be alive. When she had felt the blade of his chiang-chun burning across her abdomen, however, Wu had reacted instantly. She had lashed at the bone in front of the man’s ear with an eagle-beak finger strike. The sentry was dead before he dropped his weapon.

Doing her best to staunch the bleeding, Wu had rushed home without regard to silence or stealth. She had not dared to examine the laceration’s severity. As soon as the stinging blade had slid across her abdomen, Wu had known that she was badly hurt. Inspecting the wound would have increased her chance of fainting before reaching help.

At her house, only the gate guards had returned from searching for Ju-Hai’s mysterious spy. Even wounded and dizzy from the loss of blood, Wu had scaled the wall and slipped into her home in silence. The last thing she remembered was stepping into the courtyard, feeling her knees buckle, and calling for Qwo.

Qwo finished rinsing the cloth and turned back to her patient.

“The tube,” Wu asked. “What was inside?”

Qwo sighed. “I didn’t look. Spying is not a woman’s business.”

Gritting her teeth against the pain, Wu pulled herself into a half-seated position. “Bring it here.”

Qwo fetched the tube from the night cabinet. When Wu moved to accept it, her hand was sticky with blood. “You’d better read it to me,” she ordered.

Scowling with disapproval, the old servant opened the end cap and removed a piece of paper. She unrolled it and squinted at the writing. Speaking slowly, she read.

” ‘Mighty One: Your humble servant begs forgiveness for her lengthy silence. The guards captured your messenger of three fortnights ago as he fled the summer palace. Though he died rather than reveal my identity, security within the grounds has been tightened. Illustrious Emperor of All Peoples, not even I can pass freely, though I have tried several times to reach your agents in the city.’”

Qwo paused to look at Wu. “Who is this ‘Illustrious Emperor of All Peoples?’”

“The enemy commander,” Wu said anxiously. “Read”

Qwo turned her eyes back to the paper.” ‘I have much to report. The emperor has relieved General Kwan of responsibility for the war against your indestructible armies, and surprised the Mandarinate by placing a young general from Chukei, Batu Min Ho, in command of the war. Batu is highly regarded by the wisest men of this court, who are but candles next to your brilliance. It is whispered that Tuigan blood runs thick in his veins. If he is as cunning as they say, perhaps this is the reason.’ “

The old servant paused, unable to suppress a smile at the flattering reference to her mistress’s husband.

“Go on,” Wu urged.

Qwo scowled at Wu’s impatience, but did as instructed. ” ‘The emperor has given Batu one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. These troops consist of five provincial armies numbering twenty thousand apiece. The balance comes from twenty-five small noble armies. You have already engaged and defeated the noble armies under the leadership of Tzu Hsuang Yu Po—’ “

At the mention of Hsuang’s defeat, a catch developed in Qwo’s throat. She paused to clear it, then continued reading a moment later. ” ‘—and news of the outcome was received quite sorrowfully by the court.

” ‘I can tell you nothing of General Batu’s armies. He has disappeared with his entire force, and no one knows how. I will attempt to discover where they have gone. In the meantime, I have taken advantage of his disappearance to start several rumors suggesting General Batu has deserted and joined the mighty forces of your irresistible horde.’ “

“I’ll choke her with her own eyes!” Wu spat. The fervor of her words sent a wave of pain through her abdomen. She could not stifle a groan.

“Not soon, you won’t,” Qwo observed.

“Keep reading,” Wu instructed. “I must know what else this traitor has done to my family.”

Qwo returned her eyes to the document. ” ‘I have only one other item to report, Dispenser of Ultimate Justice. Emperor Kai Chin had nothing to do with the attempt on your life, and even now does not know of Shou Lung’s involvement. Two of my fellow mandarins, Ministers Kwan Chan Sen and Ju-Hai Chou, were the ones who sent the hu-hsien assassin against you. After your ultimate victory, it will give me great pleasure as your Shou regent to dispense the final punishment to these murderous dogs. Until we meet, I remain your dedicated and faithful servant.’”

Qwo looked over the top of the paper. “Can this be true?” she asked. “Did it take only two men to start this war?”

“Perhaps,” Wu said, astonished by this last revelation. “It doesn’t matter. The war can’t be stopped now, perhaps not even by one hundred thousand men. We must take this message to the emperor.”

Rolling the scroll, Qwo said, “I’ll fetch Xeng and have him take this to Minister Ju-Hai—”

“No!” Wu snapped, her abdomen once again filling with fire. “It must go directly to the emperor.”

“But Xeng will never get an audience,” Qwo protested.

“He must,” Wu countered. She was simultaneously afraid to charge Xeng with such an important mission and resigned to the fact that she had no other choice. Clearly, she could not deliver the message herself.

“We can’t trust Ju-Hai,” Wu continued. “This letter accuses him of some terrible acts. He might not wish it to reach the hands of the Divine One.”

The old servant frowned. “But your father trusts him.”

“My father didn’t know of the minister’s involvement in starting this war,” Wu said, “and my father didn’t see him sharing a spy’s bed.”

“That can’t be possible,” Qwo objected. She raised the hand holding Ting’s message as if warding off an evil spirit. “Your father’s alliance with Ju-Hai goes back ten years. There must be an explanation for what you saw.”

“Perhaps,” Wu replied, “but I’m not willing to take that chance. Summon your son, then get a brush and paper. An explanatory letter might gain him a faster audience.”

Qwo left the hall, then returned a few moments later with a brush and paper.

Wu dictated a message to the emperor. In it, she apologized for disobeying his command, then explained what she had discovered. As she signed the letter, she hoped the Divine One would not be offended by the blood that smeared off her hand onto the paper.

Xeng arrived just as his mother sealed both Wu’s letter and Ting’s message into the ebony tube. Wu quickly explained what she wanted, telling him twice to ask the emperor to send a contingent of his troops to replace Ting’s.

After Wu finished, Qwo handed the ebony tube to Xeng, then kissed him on the brow. “Take care, my son,” she said. “If Ting’s troops see you leave, I doubt you’ll reach the emperor alive.”

Xeng placed a hand over the jade pendant hanging beneath his robes. “There is no need to worry, Mother,” he said. As he spoke, his body and clothes changed colors to match the hues of the chamber walls. “I won’t fail Lady Wu.”

By the time Xeng finished speaking, Wu could no longer see him. Qwo’s son was not so much invisible, she knew, as perfectly camouflaged. As her father’s steward slid aside a wall panel and left, the one weakness of his magic medallion became apparent. When he moved, Wu saw a watery, man-shaped blur against the backdrop of the wall.

After Xeng left, Qwo peeled Wu’s cover back to reveal a thick swath of crimson bandages. “You need a doctor,” she said, her tone almost chastising.

Wu nodded. “After Xeng returns with help, but no earlier. Ting may not know who stole her message. Until the emperor arrests her, it’s too dangerous to reveal my injury. A doctor could lead her right to us.”

“We must hope Xeng reaches the emperor soon,” the old maidservant said. She unfastened the bandage and changed the dressing. As Qwo finished, two sets of small feet sounded in the stone courtyard outside.

“The children!” Wu gasped, pushing her maidservant away. “Don’t let them see me like this!”

Qwo threw the cover over Wu, then stepped to intercept Ji and Yo.

She could not move quickly enough. A wall panel slid aside, then Ji burst into the room, his sister in tow. “Mother!” he cried, pointing a slender finger toward the front of the house. “The emperor’s wife is coming!”

Wu and Qwo looked at each other, confused and alarmed. “The Shining Empress?” Wu asked. “Are you certain?”

Ji nodded. “She has a whole bunch of soldiers!”

“How do you know it’s the empress and not a consort, child?” asked Qwo, fixing her eyes on the boy.

“Because I saw her before,” Ji responded, scowling at being doubted. “In the emperor’s house—”

“You’ve never been in the Forbidden Halls,” Wu objected.

“Yes we have!” Yo interrupted, stamping a foot. “You remember. I went to sleep!”

“We weren’t in the Forbidden Halls,” Wu explained. “We were in the Hall of—” She stopped in midsentence, realizing Ji and Yo were mistaken about more than the building they had been in. Aside from Wu, the only woman in the Hall of Supreme Harmony that night had been Ting Mei Wan.

“Qwo,” she gasped, “they’re talking about Ting!”

The old woman’s face blanched. “What are we going to do?”

Wu threw her covers aside and tried to rise, but the effort hurt too much. Fleeing was out of the question. It would be a marvel if she made it out of the room.

“Meet them at the gate and then stall,” Wu instructed her servant.

“Stall,” Qwo repeated, half dazed. “I’ll try.” She scurried toward the front of the house.

Wu turned to Ji and Yo. They were both staring at her bandage with big, frightened eyes. A lump formed in Wu’s chest and she almost began to cry. She was more frightened than she had ever been, but only for her children.

“Come here, little ones,” Wu said, holding out her arms.

They obeyed, their eyes still fixed on their mother’s wound. Tears came to both their eyes, and they began to sob.

“Shhh,” Wu urged, embracing them closely. She could barely restrain her own tears. “Mother has been hurt, but you must be brave. Some bad people are coming.”

“What should we do?” asked Ji, choking back his sobs and wiping his eyes.

Wu wished that she had an answer. She might be able to move long enough to help Ji and Yo climb over the exterior wall. Even if they escaped, though, the little ones would be lost and alone in the immensity of the summer palace. Her only choice was to hide her children and hope Xeng returned with help soon.

Releasing her son and daughter, Wu said, “Do you know a good place to hide?”

“Under the floor!” Yo said, pointing a stubby finger toward the center of the room. “When I hid there, Ji couldn’t find me.”

“You were cheating!” Ji objected, furrowing his smooth brow.