‘In the imperial court, every man is a conspirator.’
‘I have no interest in the imperial throne,’ he declared.
‘But I’m so rarely wrong.’
He smiled at her banter, but his expression intensified. ‘The empire is falling into ruin because it clings to the idea of one kingdom and one ruler. The Son of Heaven lording over the Middle Kingdom. That dream is over.’
She stiffened at his cynicism. ‘That sounds suspiciously close to treason.’
Speaking out against the Emperor with such scorn was enough to be deemed treason, but Li Tao also had an army at his command. He stood and she noticed he hadn’t touched the tea or any of the food. Cautious, even in his own home. She stared down at her own plate, recalling days in the palace when any bite could be her last.
‘Not close to treason,’ he replied. He moved behind her. A shiver travelled down her spine. ‘It is treason.’
His long fingers curled around the back of the chair, exerting his dominance. The skin of her neck burned. She was afraid to look at him. Afraid of what she’d see. His presence overshadowed her. The surrounding space closed in and she was trapped.
‘Emperor Shen has declared that we limit the strength of the provincial armies.’ His voice was cold and quiet.
‘And you refused?’
‘I will not let him cripple me. Our enemies are waiting to attack. All they need is a sign of weakness.’
She breathed with relief as he stepped away. The jiedushi had become too strong. Men like Li Tao and Gao Shiming listened only to their own ambitions. She wanted no part of it any more. Let the warlords fight their battle. All she wanted was to go home and be left in peace, but she was no longer safe there. Her past had come for her.
With Li Tao standing so close, his presence caging her in, she couldn’t help but consider the obvious solution. She could become Li Tao’s lover. From the way he devoured her with his eyes, she knew he wouldn’t refuse. She had yet to touch any part of him, but she could imagine how he would feel. Steel and fire. He would demand complete devotion, but he would be a fearsome protector. The idea sent a disturbing anticipation through her that she couldn’t comprehend.
But she had been bartered away too many times in her life. She would not sell herself again. Not when she had finally tasted freedom. She turned to him, but never had the chance to speak.
One of his guardsmen approached and stood a respectful distance away. Li Tao looked to him, and then left her with nothing more than a brief nod. One moment he was an overwhelming, overbearing force behind her. The next he was gone again as if she were too insignificant to be dismissed.
She watched Li Tao’s imposing figure as he left the courtyard. Her armed escort returned to her side. The soldier stood beside her, a pillar of unmovable rock as he waited patiently for her to stand. He would have probably waited until noon if she had decided to stay there.
Gao must be using her somehow to bait Li Tao. She needed information and Li Tao revealed so little. She needed to get away quickly. The two warlords were starting a civil war. It would pull the other warlords into the conflict as well the Emperor himself.
She stood and started back toward her chamber. The guardsman who followed her like a second shadow was perhaps a little beyond twenty years, not a veteran, but not a novice either. His face was by no means soft, but it was infinitely kinder than Li Tao’s.
The gardens were empty in the second courtyard. Ah, not completely empty. The boy with the withered arm crouched in the corner, pulling at weeds. He was so slight and unassuming, she had nearly missed him. Once again, he caught her eye before looking away hastily. When one was weak and vulnerable, the only defence was to watch and listen and learn, much like a frightened rabbit sniffing the air for the wolf. She had been that rabbit all her life, but the key was never to show the fear.
The guardsman urged her to keep moving. He lifted his hand to gesture towards the stairs. How steadfast were Li Tao’s people? Did they serve out of fear or loyalty?
‘What do you call yourself?’ she asked as she started up the steps.
‘Yao Ru Shan.’
She listened to the deliberate fall of his footsteps as they climbed upwards.
‘You must have accomplished great things to serve in such a trusted position,’ she ventured.
Nothing. Silence. She longed to find someone in this household who was not so stingy with words.
As she reached the door to her apartments, she let the end of her shawl slip from her shoulders. The delicate cloth wound down her body as it fell to the floor. She paused, allowing Ru Shan enough time to bend to retrieve it. He caught her eye as he straightened and bowed stiffly. He had a broad face, square in shape. His emotions were clearly evident in every movement. Proper, righteous, loyal above all else.
She forced back a triumphant smile as she lifted the cloth from his hands.
‘Thank you, Ru Shan.’
Loyalty could be shifted. She glanced at the soldier once more before pushing the doors open and slipping inside.
Of the servants she’d met, she wasn’t yet sure who was strong enough to stand up to Li Tao, but she needed to work quickly. She knew how this would end. Emperor Shen and the other warlords would come for Li Tao. They would cut through his barricades and destroy his army. If he hadn’t already fallen on his own sword, he would certainly hang.
Chapter Three
Li Tao’s captains assembled in a half circle before him outside the mansion. The canyon opened wide behind them. He had summoned them from their posts to give their reports in person. He needed to look each man in the eye. Now more than ever before, loyalty was critical.
‘Governor Li.’
Lady Ling’s voice rang out over the expanse of stone, much like the floating beauties of Luoyang. They would coo and flirt from windows that overlooked the streets, but their entreaties were never for him. He kept his back to her pointedly.
‘My lord, I have something to discuss with you,’ she said, with the carelessness of a breeze. ‘Oh, forgive me. You’re occupied.’
Grey-haired Zhao glanced upwards. ‘Ling Guifei?’
The other men seemed to lose focus at Zhao’s breach of etiquette. Their gazes drifted past him to seek out the infamous beauty. Even the most seasoned of them could not remain disciplined.
‘Gentlemen.’
A single, sharp reprimand brought all eyes back to him. The captains straightened with deliberate attention.
Suyin did nothing without a purpose. She’d chosen this moment for a display of will. By midmorning, word of the Precious Consort would spread through the barracks along with the rumours.
What an enticing picture she must present overhead, elegantly poised over the balcony as she held his men in rapture. He didn’t need to look upon her. He
