XIAO JIMING GATHERED HIS CLOAK around him as he waited under the hanging lanterns. Zhao Hui, standing guard behind him, spoke up. "He should have returned by now. The man who went to pick him up said the young master left by himself on his horse. How is he still not back?"
Xiao Jiming huffed into the cold air and turned his face to the sky. "Whenever he was unhappy at home, he would always take his horse for a gallop at the foot of the Hongyan Mountains," he said. "Old habits die hard."
"At the very least, the Imperial Army is a real post," Zhao Hui said.
Xiao Jiming shifted his gaze to him. "Do you know my father's biggest regret?"
Zhao Hui shook his head.
"It's that A-Ye was born too late," Xiao Jiming said. "Three years ago, we were ambushed at the foot of the Hongyan Mountains. Before our father's reinforcements arrived, A-Ye led twenty cavalry who were supposed to be his personal guards and crossed the Hongjiang River in the dark. He trudged around in a muddy bog for half the night setting fire to the Biansha provisions. When I saw him, he was filthy, and the wounds on his legs had festered. He was only fourteen at the time. I asked if he was scared. He said he had a blast.
"Our father often said the Lu Clan are the eagles of the desert, while the Xiao Clan became the dogs of Libei. I don't like this saying. But in recent years, the Xiao Clan has gone into battle like chained dogs; it's never as satisfying as it was in the old days. These long years of fighting have drained the ferocity out of me. The Xiao Clan are not dogs, but A-Ye is the only one of us who still possesses the heart of a wolf. He dreams of the mountains of Libei, yet now he must stay in Qudu and forget the freedom of galloping across the plain. Both Father and I have let him down."
After a moment's silence, Zhao Hui looked at Xiao Jiming. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Shizi. The young master is naturally impetuous; he was never the best choice to continue your father's legacy. Whether he was born earlier or later doesn't matter; the reins of Libei would never be his. The commander in chief must have the iron tenacity of a hammer forged by experience, and willpower as steady as an anvil. The young master is not up to the task."
Xiao Jiming was quiet.
The night wind set the lanterns swinging. Master and subordinate waited in the dark another hour before they spied someone riding toward them in the distance.
"Heir Xiao!" The man tumbled off his horse in his hurry to report. "Something has happened to the young master!"
Zhao Hui's hand went instantly to his blade. "Where?"
An hour earlier.
The squad leader shoved a shackled Shen Zechuan down the steps. "Sing." The squad leader prodded him from behind. "Quick, sing a few lines for the supreme commander!"
Shen Zechuan didn't utter a note as he looked at the man squatting in the shadow of the wall. As soon as he saw the gyrfalcon, his chest tightened. Without thought, he pressed his lips into a thin line and stood unmoving.
"Get over here," Xiao Chiye ordered.
Shen Zechuan exhaled, his breath white in the frigid air. He slowly shuffled forward to stand a short distance from Xiao Chiye.
Xiao Chiye rose to his feet. "Who was your mother?"
"A dancer from Duanzhou," Shen Zechuan replied.
"Then you know how to sing, don't you?" Xiao Chiye's gaze could chill a man to his bones. "That old dog Shen might not have taught you, but with a mother like that, you must have learned something."
"…I don't know." Shen Zechuan looked at the ground to escape his gaze, as if intimidated.
"Raise your head." Xiao Chiye nudged the lantern aside with his foot. "Are you afraid of me?"
Shen Zechuan had no choice but to do so. He smelled alcohol.
"Fine," Xiao Chiye said. "If you don't want to sing, get down and look for something for me."
Spreading his hands, Shen Zechuan showed him the shackles he wore.
Xiao Chiye frowned. "Those can stay on."
So Shen Zechuan squatted down and grabbed halfheartedly at a few handfuls of snow.
"Stand up again," Xiao Chiye ordered, staring coldly at the top of his head.
Shen Zechuan braced his bound hands on his knees and stood up.
"Your legs seem fine, if you can bend and stand so easily," Xiao Chiye observed. "Was the Embroidered Uniform Guard too gentle with their flogging, or is a worthless life easier to sustain?"
"Naturally, it's because a worthless life is easier to sustain," Shen Zechuan answered quietly. "I was lucky."
"That makes no sense." Xiao Chiye pressed the tip of his riding crop to Shen Zechuan's chest. "That kick was meant to end this life. Your martial arts foundation must be pretty good."
At the touch of the riding crop, Shen Zechuan shuddered. Cowering back, he pleaded, "I'm just…hanging onto my last breath is all. Er-gongzi is a righteous man—why make life difficult for a nobody like me? I've gotten what I deserve. Please spare me."
"Do you really mean that?"
Shen Zechuan sniffled with soft sobs. He nodded his head vigorously.
Xiao Chiye retracted his riding crop. "Words are easy. Who knows if they're true. How about this: bark for me, and once I'm satisfied, I'll spare you."
Shen Zechuan kept silent.
The look in Xiao Chiye's eyes terrified the squad leader. He urged Shen Zechuan with a few anxious shoves. Face drained of color, Shen Zechuan said timidly, "At least let me do it where no one else can see."
Xiao Chiye didn't waste words. "Move. Get rolling."
The squad leader relaxed immediately, saying happily to Shen Zechuan, "Get rolling! Yes sir, we'll roll right away…"
Xiao Chiye's cutting gaze fell on the squad leader's face. The captain went weak at the knees. Pointing to himself, he said, "Just m-me? Sure—sure thing!" Gritting his teeth, he curled himself into a ball and rolled a few times in the snow before standing up a short distance away.
Shen Zechuan coyly shifted closer. He leaned in and whispered into Xiao Chiye's ear: "Even if you spare me, do you think I will spare you?"
Snow scattered into the air as Xiao Chiye gripped Shen Zechuan's bound hands, his expression scathing. "So, the fox shows its tail. I was wondering about that pitiful act of yours!"
The two tumbled into the snow. Hands still trapped in handcuffs, Shen Zechuan landed a boot in Xiao Chiye's stomach and scrambled to brace himself. "The emperor ordered me confined, yet the Xiao Clan dares defy the throne and take my life. After tonight—" Xiao Chiye dragged Shen Zechuan toward him by the shackles. Shen Zechuan crashed to the ground, snarling through clenched teeth, "—every one of you are accomplices to the Xiao Clan's rebellion! My death means little, but when I go to the grave, the whole Imperial Army will be buried with me!"
Xiao Chiye grabbed Shen Zechuan in a chokehold from behind, forcing his head up, and barked a laugh. "You sure think highly of yourself. You imagine you're a precious treasure worth being buried with? Killing you is like pulling weeds!"
Struggling for breath, Shen Zechuan swiftly reached up and looped his shackles over the back of Xiao Chiye's neck, summoning all his strength to wrench him to the ground. Xiao Chiye was caught off guard, and as he scrambled, Shen Zechuan kicked him square in the chest. In an instant, their positions were reversed.
"Like pulling weeds?" Shen Zechuan leaned down, finally meeting Xiao Chiye eye to eye amid the tumult. "You squandered your opportunity," he spat hoarsely. "From here on out, we'll see who will be the hound and who the quarry!"
Xiao Chiye seethed with murderous rage. "Who is bold enough to help you in secret?! If I find them, I'll kill them!"
The squad leader, horrified at this sudden turn of events, rushed over. "Your Excellency! Your Excellency, you mustn't kill him!"
"That's right!" Shen Zechuan cried. "The second young master means to kill me tonight!"
"Shut up!" Xiao Chiye attempted to smother him with a hand. To his shock, Shen Zechuan bit down mercilessly. He pinned Xiao Chiye to the ground as his teeth tore through the fleshy web between Xiao Chiye's thumb and forefinger.
You think you can hide behind a tantrum?" Xiao Chiye's voice was frosty. "No way are these the moves of someone on his last breath!"
When his exhortations had no effect, the squad leader cried out, "Pull them apart—quick!"
Blood oozed from between Shen Zechuan's teeth, but he refused to let go. Xiao Chiye was perfectly sober now. He grabbed Shen Zechuan by the back of his collar and tried to drag him off. The pain in his hand felt like it would pierce straight through to his heart, yet it was Shen Zechuan's eyes that seared themselves into Xiao Chiye's memory.
"Gongzi!" Zhao Hui called as he raced in on horseback.
Xiao Chiye turned and saw his elder brother as well, already dismounting and rushing toward him. Instantly, he was overcome with shame. It was as if he'd been stripped bare of his cultivated bravado and returned to his worthless primal state.
Xiao Jiming dropped to one knee beside them, and Shen Zechuan immediately released Xiao Chiye's hand. The skin between his thumb and forefinger was a mess of flesh and blood, the teeth marks sunk deep.
Zhao Hui, close behind, saw the wound at once. "What happened here?"
"Take him back inside." Xiao Jiming's voice was low. Zhao Hui dragged Shen Zechuan up and into the temple. "The young master is drunk." Xiao Jiming glanced at the squad leader. "Word of what happened tonight needn't spread; His Majesty will hear the apology from me directly."
The captain kowtowed several times. "Of course, as you say!"
Xiao Jiming rose to leave. Zhao Hui had already shoved Shen Zechuan back into the temple; after appraising the situation, he turned to the squad captain. "Many thanks to our brothers in the Imperial Army tonight for escorting our young master back to the manor safe and sound. It's not easy standing guard on a winter night. I hope our brothers will accept my offer of a round of warm wine."
The squad leader, terrified to offend him, very sensibly agreed.
Only then did Xiao Jiming look silently at Xiao Chiye.
Xiao Chiye hadn't even moved to clean the blood off his hand. By the time he opened his mouth to speak, his brother had already turned away and mounted his horse.
"Dage." Xiao Chiye called to him softly.
Xiao Jiming heard him, but rode away without a word.