The Last Concubine

Hüi’s relationships with his many women—although the stories were few because his friend was a gentleman—but usually there was some small anecdote to be shared. Never had Hüi avoided him so comprehensively. Therefore, he had taken to watching Hüi, trying to decipher what was in the general’s mind. His initial thought that Hüi might be planning a new campaign or had received a secret missive from the emperor was dismissed. For too long Hüi had relied on Jiang for strategy, be it political or military, and he had done nothing to warrant changing that.
    Then it occurred to him that perhaps Hüi was spending time elsewhere in the household, although the idea puzzled him. Hüi had always been disciplined about his bodily pleasures; he never drank to excess, nor ate too many sweets. And Jiang had never observed that Hüi was especially lustful; he seemed motivated more by affection and the need for heirs in his visits to the household, except for that fiery infatuation with Ci’an, which lasted only long enough to produce one sickly daughter. With her alone the flame of desire had burned hot for a short time, but the embers were long since cold.
    Mere beauty could not hold Hüi for long. Ci’an was stunning, but her underhanded scheming disgusted him. Mei Ju had an affectionate nature, but although warm and welcoming, she was not interesting enough to hold his attention for long. After the disaster of Ci’an, Hüi had shrewdly taken concubines for political reasons alone. Jiang would not have been surprised to learn, if Hüi had had the bad manners to confide in him, that he visited their houses only for reasons of etiquette and ceremony. Hüi would not want to fall prey to the sexual power of any woman again.
    Hating himself for doing so, Jiang had begun to follow Hüi. He had to know what was going on with his friend. Of course, with a soldier as alert and well trained as Hüi, it was not easy to maintain surveillance on him without being obvious, so there were times when Hüi Wei managed to evade him. It took a full week before any light dawned to elucidate the problem, and that came when Jiang trailed Hüi to the jeweler’s shop in the city that lay within the fortress.
    When he noticed Hüi disappear within the doors, Jiang racked his brain to think of a reason why Hüi might be patronizing the goldsmith. When it finally occurred to him, he started to shake with laughter.
    Not the most gallant of men, Hüi had not been in the habit of giving jewelry to his wives. He tended toward more domestic sorts of gifts, like tea services or furniture. Therefore, something must have happened to change his usual habit of thought. Jiang took the chance of being observed and edged closer to the door, trying to overhear what was being said.
    Apparently, five gifts had already been selected, but Hüi was indecisively wavering between the comparative merits of emeralds or rubies. Jiang retreated, wondering if he should return to the palace immediately or keep watching his friend.
    Jiang began to have a glimmering of which way the wind was blowing when he next followed Hüi Wei to the silk shops, where he chose several items of women’s clothing.
    He calculated that the only new variable that had entered the equation was the Princess Lan’xiu. Then he shook his head in confusion once more as he watched Hüi go to the ironmongers that made weapons. Now nothing about this shopping trip made sense to him.
     
     
    A S ALWAYS , Lan’xiu braced herself before she went to sit with the other wives. She knew they watched as avidly as she when the servant who bore the torch came to the square and that they knew well that her lantern had not been lit again. The competitive nature of the household guaranteed that some would slyly jibe at her with her lack of fortune in order to point out their own good fortune. She dared not let slip that Hüi had come to her without the formality of the usual public announcement.
    If they had but known it, Lan was certain jealousy would be immediate, and in Ci’an’s case, potentially violent. If the other wives were privy to all he had said to her, it would have been even worse.
    The smooth running of this household was based upon a certain uneasy openness, and now the secret she must keep from them wasn’t only about who she was, but also that Hüi had come to see her on the sly. If he was not ready to accept her as she was, it made her sad, but she understood. She could not turn her face