The Last Concubine

opposite, he knew he could delay no longer. It was time for Hüi Wei to go. It would be unseemly for his dependents to know the general had spent an entire night in the company of any of his concubines. That was simply not done.
    Ning stood up and knocked quietly at the door. There was no response from within. He knocked a little louder. Still nothing.
    Finally, he turned the knob and eased the door open. He paused then, not knowing precisely what to do in this situation. Nothing had fitted him for this in his training. Then he found himself wishing that he knew how to paint so that he would have a tangible image to look at for all his days to remember the scene of the two lovers lying together.
    Hüi Wei slept on his back, holding Lan’xiu close so his head was nestled upon his muscular shoulder. Their legs twined together, the darker skin of Hüi Wei’s thighs making Lan’xiu’s gleam ivory in contrast. Lan’s long hair covered his face and his naked body was relaxed, the elegant line of his spine leading to the curve of his buttocks.
    Ning realized that Hüi Wei had opened his eyes and was looking at him, moving one hand to caress Lan’xiu’s naked shoulder as if protecting him from harm.
    “My Lord, it is almost dawn,” Ning whispered.
    “Thank you.” With infinite care, Hüi eased himself away from Lan’xiu, positioning a pillow for support in his place. He climbed out of the bed and stretched with no apparent worry for his display of nakedness. Then he stooped to retrieve his clothing, sorting them from where they lay upon the floor mingled with Lan’xiu’s ruined hanfu. When he was dressed, he bent over the sleeping young man and pressed a kiss to the tumbled hair.
    He came toward Ning with an intent look in his eyes.
    Ning held up a hand to stop him. “Your sword, my Lord.”
    Hüi nodded and looked vaguely about for it. Ning came forward silently and drew it out from under the bed where it had landed, handing it to the general. Hüi Wei led the way out of the room, and Ning closed the door softly.
    “This way, my Lord,” Ning said. He led the way downstairs through the sleeping house. He went to open the front door, but Hüi Wei stopped him.
    “I have decided not to execute the princess for the time being,” he announced.
    Ning had to force down his untimely laughter. It would never do to offend the man at such a delicate moment, but after having witnessed the tender kiss Hüi Wei had bestowed upon the sleeping princess, Ning would have placed bets that the general was more likely to declare his undying love for her than to kill her. “Princess Lan’xiu will be most grateful to receive this auspicious news when she awakes, I am sure. I thank you humbly on her behalf.”
    Hüi Wei peered sharply at the smooth, impassive face. His lips twitched as if he noticed Ning’s suppressed mirth and might have joined in, if it had not been unseemly to indulge a servant in this way. “You do know that the princess is not—”
    Ning raised a finger in front of his mouth and gave a quick wink. “I know everything there is to know about Princess Lan’xiu.”
    “You call her ‘she’.”
    “It is safer for all concerned,” Ning answered. “Did you hear that? The first cock begins to crow.” Again he had to resist the urge to cackle at his own lewd wit.
    “Thank you, Ning.” Hüi Wei rested his hand on the eunuch’s shoulder for a moment and then was gone.
    Ning shut the door and rubbed his hands together in glee. “I know not how long we have left to live, but at last, it is my turn to poke fun at Lan’xiu! I thought the day would never come! I wager she will be eating her dinner standing up for a day or two!” Then he composed his face, thinking of the tasks at hand. “First, I must discover where these people keep their chickens. And I am sure Lan’xiu will enjoy a bath when she awakes.” Chuckling to himself, Ning went to the back of the house and down the stairs to find Jia.

Chapter 8

    H ÜI W EI hurried to put the harem square behind him before the sky grew light. He had never yet been spied having lingered so long in one of the houses. As a soldier, one did not wish to give the curious reason to suppose one could be seduced from one’s duty by the pleasures of the flesh. Hüi made it his custom to be sparing in all things in the name of discipline. Besides, if only to save Mei Ju pain, he would prefer to be gone before she took her accustomed place at her window.
    He had seen