The Last Concubine

knowing that a smile and word of commendation from him would ease their pain until the doctors could treat them.
    All the rest of the day, he worked, giving water, calling a physician to a severely wounded man, talking to his men, while in the back of his mind, he wondered, why had he heard nothing from Lan’xiu, Ning, or Captain Wen? Could they all have perished in the conflict? If so, that was too great a sacrifice for him to bear. He saw Jiang watching him and was careful to school his face not to betray his emotions, but with every fiber of his being he longed to fling himself upon his horse and go searching for his love.
    The sun was slanting low over the valley and painting it gold when at last his eye caught sight of a small band of armed men coming down from the mountains. Hüi froze, straining his eyes as he stared into the golden haze, willing it to be Lan’xiu and her guard.
    “There she is!” Jiang cried out. “She is alive!”
    The relief in his voice made Hüi decide to forgive Jiang for forcing him to keep to his duties. Apparently, Jiang had been equally worried but sufficiently in control to keep Hüi’s honor and dignity first and foremost. For the first time, Hüi thought of Zheng Guofang, Jiang’s partner and his own commander, worrying back in Yan over Jiang’s safety. He resolved to send Jiang back to him before the rest of the troops.
    He watched as the small band rode toward him and counted over and over again. One was missing. Surely it could not be Lan’xiu? No, he recognized her slim figure riding tall in the saddle, closely accompanied by the shorter figure of Ning. When the group reached the flatness of the plain, they spread out and he saw his count had been wrong. Lan’xiu was returning to him, whole and safe, with her entire guard having successfully defended her—against what?
    Jiang spoke up in an amused voice. “Go on, go to her. You’ve done enough today. Reassure yourself that she is safe. And find out what happened with Wu Min!” He shouted the last words for Hüi had already found his horse and was galloping across the plain.
    When Hüi saw Lan’xiu, his heart threatened to break out of his chest. There was blood on her face, but she smiled when she saw him.
    Captain Wen and Ning rode close together, and the rest of the guard brought up the rear. There were a few makeshift bandages to be seen, but the men were all alive and looking rather proud of themselves.
    “Princess Lan’xiu!” Hüi could not say more, he was panting for breath. By the look on her face—something of import had happened. “Where have you been?” he burst forth, aware that he sounded like a petulant child.
    “Guarding the rear,” Lan’xiu said. “We went up into the mountains. There was a signal from the plains. I was waiting for that, and the answering flash told me which pass my brother chose to ambush you.”
    “Wu Min is up there?” Hüi asked in astonishment. “I heard nothing and we had men keeping watch.”
    “We were up high enough that you would not have heard,” Lan explained. “Wu Min is still up there, but he is dead.”
    “You—you killed him?”
    “Not I. Ning did it.”
    Hüi turned astonished eyes upon the eunuch, who looked very proud of himself indeed and puffed up his chest, for he had met Wu Min, a man who stood at least a head taller than Lan’xiu and twice as broad, and vanquished him.
    “I thank you, Ning-xiānsheng, for keeping Lan’xiu alive.”
    “Thank her yourself,” Ning declared. “She kept herself alive. Even though I am the one who trained her.”
    “She is truly a warrior princess,” Captain Wen declared, pride shining in his eyes. “It was a most magnificent fight, General! You should have seen Ning vanquish Wu Min! It was a good day for us. Many of the Liaopeh forces are dead and the enemy is in retreat.”
    “Behold, my Warrior Princess,” Hüi said softly, pride and secrets in his smile.
    Lan’xiu laughed happily. “I have men here who need their wounds attended to, my Lord. And then you must tell me what happened in your part of the battle.”
     
     
    A S USUAL , soldiers stood on guard through the night, although both upstart provinces had been well and truly defeated. The hospitals gave comfort to the wounded, and the dead had been buried with full honors and their belongings gathered to be returned to their families.
    Hüi Wei had addressed his troops, thanking them for their brave fighting and assuring them of the