The Last Concubine

Princess Lan’xiu, seemed to be much addicted to keeping fit. Ning and the princess did early morning exercises in the courtyard behind the seventh house and often walked together around the inner square, sometimes for an hour at a time.
    They were almost always together, but Wen had noticed that sometimes Ning would run behind the houses by himself. Naturally, Wen would never have committed the solecism of approaching a concubine belonging to the general, so he had to wait to catch Ning alone, especially as it was Ning in particular he wished to speak with.
    And so when Ning began to trot behind the houses one crisp morning, Wen was able to surprise him when he stepped out from behind the corner of the last house.
    “Greetings, Eunuch Ning. I am Captain Wen, of the household guard.”
    Ning was panting from his exertions, but he hid his surprise. “Greetings, Captain Wen. What business have you with a mere eunuch, a servant such as I?”
    Wen was amused that Ning seemed a bit guarded and unconsciously let his hand rest over an imaginary hilt, even though he wore no sword. “I merely wondered if your mistress was partial to chicken.”
    Ning’s face became more guarded, even hostile. “And if she is?”
    “I only wondered why you did not order the kitchen maid to go to the henhouse.”
    Ning was caught without an answer. “I am new here and….” His voice faded away.
    “You need not fear any indiscretion. I haven’t written all my observations in my reports,” Wen said.
    “Then why challenge me in the street?” Ning looked about, as if realizing they were not exactly in the street.
    “I have noticed your habit of exercise. I admire that.” Wen bowed.
    “As a eunuch—” Ning began.
    “I know,” Wen said with an understanding smile. “I fear I am interrupting, but you are in no danger of encroaching plumpness if you forego a quarter of an hour to speak with me.”
    “What do you want of me?” Ning’s voice was sharp.
    “I want nothing. I do not even want the price of the chicken you, er, borrowed.” Wen seemed a bit embarrassed. “I came to announce that I am—ahem—partial to the third sex,” he said, as if only then realizing how awkward an approach this was.
    Ning’s wrath died down, and he looked perplexed. “A eunuch is not adept at the usual sexual practices.”
    “If you will forgive me for being rudely direct, it depends on how one was cut,” Wen said. “I have had many a pleasurable afternoon in bed with a eunuch.”
    “Pleasurable for you, no doubt,” Ning said irritably.
    “It would not please me if I could not please my partner as well,” Wen said. “I had wondered if you had ever considered….” He looked questioningly at Ning. “Of course, we should have to get to know each other a bit better first. Perhaps I could help educate you with some of our more customary chicken acquisition methods.”
    “I see! Blackmail?” Ning exclaimed wrathfully.
    “Calm yourself. I am merely teasing you. I shall never let you live that down, no matter what your reason was for that clandestine poultry rendezvous. I go off duty at four in the afternoon, if you would care to have tea with me.”
    “I shall consider it,” Ning said with great dignity but a gleam lighting his eyes. Then he abandoned dignity for practicality. “Where do you go to drink tea?”
    “I am permitted outside these gates, but as you are not, I suggest we have our tea in your kitchen.”
    “But Jia—”
    “Jia is an old friend of mine. She may laugh at us, but she will not begrudge us the tea or the space,” Wen said.
    “She will most definitely laugh,” Ning said gloomily.
     
     
    J IANG had spent the past two weeks without success trying to corner Hüi Wei for some private conversation. He had heard the clop of hooves before dawn on the day after Hüi had gone to see Lan’xiu and looked out his window to see something he had never witnessed before: Hüi Wei fleeing the city as if from a rout. He wondered if the princess had anything wrong with her, or worse, if Hüi had failed in his manly duty. Or even whether he had forced the princess to reveal some plot so dastardly it shocked him into flight. For some time Jiang had wondered whether Princess Lan’xiu’s lifeless body lay within her house, not that he cared about her death if she had threatened his friend. Within the day, however, he ascertained that she still lived, which confused him even more.
    He alone was privy to details of