Day One, Part -1

Leopard Sword leaned casually against a tree. He had been waiting for Chariot, the Yan family's household minister, to pass by on his afternoon walk, for much of the afternoon. It was no longer afternoon, and leaning casually was becoming more difficult as the minutes crawled by. Finally, he heard the high-pitched babble of the minister reviewing figures as he walked by. It was Chariot's custom to commit all the mansion's expenses and revenues to memory, even though he kept precise and detailed record ledgers, and even sent copies of these to the accounting school in Chang'an as an educational example of excellent practice. "Three dan of rice, one dou wheat flour, eight pigs—Chengde, what are you doing here?" the minister squeaked, startled. He began muttering again without waiting for an answer. Hun Chengde stretched and bowed carefully, surreptitiously holding on to the tree trunk for balance. "Simply enjoying the gardens of Yan, Minister Chariot, just as you are." "Oh," stammered the minister, interrupting his stream of figures, "of course. What else would you be doing?" He gripped the bundle of scrolls tied to his staff for reassurance. Hun 'Leopard Sword' Chengde was no lovely woman, whom, upon being seen unexpectedly in a garden, makes the onlooker's heart leap for joy. No, he was a battle-hardened man whose looks brought to mind, not either of his parents, but the family dog Jang-jang. Upon seeing him unexpectedly in a garden, the heart of an ordinary man might leap for cover. "That is a good question. Come, walk with me, and we will discuss it." He gave the minister a conspiratorial look. That is to say that he attempted to, and succeeded in finally convincing a particularly frustrating cuckoo to move its nest to friendlier climes. "As it happens, master Hun," said Chariot, "I was even now silently lamenting my lack of company." "You are, perhaps, acquainted with the maiden Ceramic Dove?" Chariot nodded. "One would almost think she is the daughter of my employer, in fact." He had recovered his composure, as is the habit of ministers, at the first sign of malfeasance. Leopard Sword raised an eyebrow theatrically. "What a revolutionary concept! Tell me, what was it that gave you this idea?" "Why, her behavior." "Her behavior?" "Yes, exactly." "I confess to finding your answer difficult to interpret, as I am not well-acquainted with the behavior of the lady in question." The indirection was visibly straining Chengde by this point; like the branches of an oak tree, veins throbbed across his forehead. "At intervals," Chariot explained, "she will come to me in my offices and proceed to discuss fiscal matters with me, or consult me for advice regarding purchases, viz., who is a good supplier of this sort of silk; we must arrange a trip to Kwang Ting, where the best ducks grow; these pearls are a strange color, supposing they are false!?, and so forth." "I propose that Yan Xiangling has an enquiring mind," Chengde ventured. "It is something I have noticed, yes." "Perhaps, Minister Chariot, you would be able to convey something else for her to enquire about?" "Most certainly. She will be as glad as I to have a new item to direct her attention toward." "Then," he produced a scroll, "give her this map that I promised would reach her hands, and perhaps the maiden's active mind will find a new mountain to climb there." The scroll was conspicuously sealed in green wax, with a figure of two cats biting a sword stamped into it. Chariot took the scroll gratefully, noticing Chengde's clumsy allusion and his distinctive signet ring. "Who sends this?" "The terms of my promise require that I do not say, good Chariot, or I would have already done so." "That is proper, then." Chengde nodded piously. "I neglected to note earlier that your imitation of the young princess is excellent. Tell me, do you do any others?" They walked along the path until the moon rose above the trees.