The Last Concubine

read the love and concern written there, but he only said, “You look tired, my Lord.”
    Hüi smiled reassuringly and sat beside him, taking Lan’s hand as if he could not bear to be near him and not touch him. “I have had much to do.”
    Lan’xiu winced slightly when Jiang eased the bandages off the wound.
    “You are healing nicely,” Jiang said. “I shall just dress this again with some healing herbs.” He busied himself with his task, pretending not to notice the soulful glances and gentle touches between the two.
     
     
    “ W HY can’t you settle down?” Ning demanded. “Read a book. You should not be tramping about in your room.”
    “I am completely well,” Lan exclaimed, continuing to stalk around the room restlessly. “You treat me as if I were some delicate porcelain vase, and you have not let me set foot out of this room in a week!”
    Ning came closer and grabbed the edges of her gown, bringing her closer so he could speak quietly. “You are not completely well, I know your arm still pains you, and you don’t eat enough to keep a bird alive.”
    “I am well enough to walk about the square,” Lan said.
    “And you would have if I hadn’t hidden all your shoes.”
    “Stolen, you mean. I want them back,” Lan threatened.
    “Everyone believes you to be too weak to even be out of bed. Moreover, perhaps you might recall you are recovering from a miscarriage, hmm? In mourning. Now act the part, and you shall have a reward.”
    “My shoes?”
    “Better than that. Sit.” Ning pointed at the chair by the window. “Or I shall make you go back to bed.”
    “All right, you tyrant!” Lan wrenched free and sulkily asked, “What are you keeping from me now?”
    “The general plans to take you to consult with a doctor.” Observing the look of panic on the princess’s face, Ning hastened to soothe her. “He will take you to a specialist, outside the city walls, because your health is so uncertain. We will be away for three days.”
    Lan realized what Ning was trying to discreetly convey, and her face glowed with excitement. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “It has only just been decided.” Ning fell silent and looked at her speculatively. “We must be accompanied by a special guard. Lord Jiang will stay behind to govern in Hüi Wei’s place.”
    “And you wish me to request a certain captain to accompany us?”
    Ning nodded.
    “Naturally, you can put any such nonsense right out of your head—”
    “Lan’xiu!” Ning protested.
    “Hush, Ning, you silly goblin.” Lan smiled at him. “I’m only teasing. I’m sure your Captain Wen will be pleased to come along with us.”
    “Hüi Wei comes to inform you of our journey tonight, so act surprised,” Ning instructed. “Then ask for Captain Wen.”
    “Who is servant and who is mistress here?” Lan demanded.
    “If you need to ask….” Ning grinned at her and went to fetch a traveling trunk.
     
     
    O NCE outside the city walls, Hüi Wei smiled to see Lan’xiu’s delight. He seemed to sit up straighter in the carriage and leaned out the window as if the very air smelled different to him.
    Since the day Lan’xiu had startled him by revealing how trapped he felt, Hüi had thought deeply about what it would be like to have one’s every movement scrutinized and governed by the whims of another. Lan had opened his eyes to the sort of life his wives led, and he had to admit that in Lan’s place, he would also have felt as if he were in some sort of jail.
    It was Jiang who had engineered this outing for Lan’xiu. At first, Hüi Wei had thought his friend crazy when he suggested taking Lan to a doctor, but when the entire plan was explained to him, it seemed genius. Hüi would not have admitted it even to Jiang, but where Lan’xiu was concerned, he couldn’t seem to think straight, so he would never have plotted this out for himself.
    And yet now he was the one reaping the benefits. Jiang had stayed behind in Hüi’s place and was not here to witness the joy on Lan’s face as he looked out upon the open fields and houses of the villages that surrounded the city.
    To Hüi, Lan was the most exquisite sight he had ever beheld. A fur hat framed his beautiful face, and Ning, given free rein with the tailors, had ordered a fitted leather jacket for him, new riding boots and a sturdy woolen skirt with a split that was concealed by an embroidered panel that hung from the waistband at front and back. The brown and caramel tones