Chapter Twenty-One
THE ANGERED guard was joined by another man.
Diminutive in stature but with a glare intense and wide as an owl.
His nuanmao denoted his status as a civil official; the hat with its wide upturned black brim and red thread-covered skullcap gave him a few extra inches in height.
But this man was not high in the rankings of officials.
His bufu was a telltale green, with the surcoat embroidered with a pair of silver quails, revealing him to be at the very bottom of the hierarchy; an official of ninth rank, a minor clerk.
But that did nothing to soothe Lim.
‘Come forward, get out of the shadows.’ The official’s lips were a thin line of impatience. ‘Show us your token, or perhaps you’d prefer to be taken to Mandarin Feng’s cells?’
‘No, I would not prefer that.’ Lim swallowed hard. It felt as though every eye in the residence was upon him now; a stark and frightening contrast to earlier when he’d felt like a ghost.
The laughter of the Lady Margaret and Sir William danced across the courtyard, distant now, but inspiring.
‘I brought lotus seeds for Sir William Black, a guest of Mandarin Feng’s.
’ He paused, wavering under the scrutiny.
‘The gentleman had not tasted such delicacies in his own land and was curious.’ He turned, sweeping a hand towards the courtyard.
‘See for yourself, excellent master. He carries the bucket I brought for him.’ Lim cast a furtive glance up to the window where he’d glimpsed Xian.
The fabric hung in its frame, with no breeze to stir it, and no hand lifting it aside.
A good thing; Lim had no wish for the prince to see him in such a predicament.
‘Then that yang guizi should have brought his own servants to be ordered about.’ The official named the Englishman a foreign devil with great zeal.
‘He insults the Mandarin’s hospitality with his self-indulgences.
You are weak, if you have allowed him to charm you, but you join many others in the residence who have succumbed.
’ His lips curled. ‘I have not. Now present your token.’
This was not a man the Seven Maidens themselves could have charmed. Song Lim made his way down the narrow passageway slowly, whilst he tried to find an inch of a lie to tell.
‘Blast, I am a fool. My token is in that bucket.’ Lim shrugged, secretly rather proud of himself for his quick thinking.
‘Sir William insisted on taking it from me, and as I am a lowly man, unused to those of the West, I dared not deny him. I hope Master Ren does not anger at me for losing the bucket.’
The official’s thick brows twitched, like black worms sensing a bird nearby. ‘Master Ren sent you?’ He glanced at the young guard beside him, still with his spear pointed towards Lim.
‘I was not at the gates when he arrived, Master.’
‘Then tell me who was,’ the official demanded.
‘Get on with you! There’s no time for standing out.’ The sudden shout sent the gathered crowd scattering.
As though he’d sensed his presence required, the guard with the unfortunate breath who had allowed Lim to pass at the gates arrived. His glare was centred on the younger guard, who looked like he might soil his trousers with the attention. ‘Did I not send you to the store rooms a half hour ago?’
‘Sergeant Ruilin, you were on the gates earlier, were you not?’ The official interrupted before the stuttering guard could push out a coherent reply.
‘Yes, xiansheng.’ The guard addressed the man as befitting the civil official’s rank, but his impatience was evident. ‘And I am needed there once more. What can I assist you with?’
The official gave him a sideways glance.
‘Do you not think that is obvious? This vagrant was found lurking around the inner courtyard. He claims he had a token, in a bucket of lotus seeds sent from Master Ren. But both the bucket and token have conveniently disappeared. Did you inspect the token, sergeant?’
The guard’s cheeks darkened. ‘If he is inside the residence, then he presented a token, xiansheng.’ This time the official’s title was bitten into, but his gaze flitted over Lim, and he was not quick enough to hide a small quirk of confusion.
‘Lotus seeds, you say? I have some recollection of such a delivery, but with respect, xiansheng, there are many deliveries from Master Ren. His lordship has ordered much from him for the feast tonight.’
‘So you admit, you have no memory of this man, nor his token.’ Came the snide reply from the official, who was clearly relishing the other man’s obvious discomfort.
‘If you are unhappy with his presence here, I shall have him escorted out.’
‘If am unhappy, Ruilin? You seem strangely unbothered by the fact an intruder got so near to the Mandarin’s quarters. Perhaps I need to speak with Captain Duan on the matter, and voice my concerns about his guards’ efficiency?’
Lim worked at keeping his panic hidden, staying still and silent as a rabbit avoiding the eagle.
‘I hardly think the matter worthy of the captain’s time,’ the guard spoke through gritted teeth. ‘Considering how preoccupied he is with preparations. I will see that this man is removed, you have my word.’
With his heart sinking lower at each word, Lim’s mind worked frantically; keeping silent was doing him no good.
‘I was to go to the kitchens,’ he blurted. ‘Master Ren seeks the return of crates and buckets he’s already sent…he’s running low…and needs more for the rest of the deliveries.’
‘Then your master will need to send another man to collect them,’ Sergeant Ruilin said. ‘Now move. You, soldier, get to the storehouse as I told you. I won’t have a single firework go missing, do you hear? And I know exactly how many of them we have for tonight’s celebration.’
‘Too many by half,’ muttered the official, as the young guard bowed to his superior and spun away so fast on his heels Lim swore he saw dust rise. ‘Such waste to please those ghost-faced yang guizi.’
‘Are you suggesting his lordship foolish in his willingness to indulge those who bring us great fortunes on their ships, xiansheng?’ Ruilin’s relish at being able to make such an accusation lit up his dour face.
‘Perhaps you’ve not been made privy to Mandarin Feng’s vast collections of treasures?
Gifts from those foreign devils, who seek to be favoured in our port. ’
‘Of course I know of our lord’s collection.
’ The official’s effort to stifle his anger had the veins in his neck straining.
‘His lordship has brought untold prestige to Manhao, I’ll not deny it.
But I am eager to see more agreements within the Middle Kingdom, like those made with Kunming, used to grow our coffers.
’ An oily grin split his lips. ‘More princes to add to the collection.’
The men, at odds till mention of Xian, now shared a look between them that had Lim’s skin crawling.
‘A fortuitous agreement indeed. Now, I must beg my leave, xiansheng.’ Ruilin bowed briefly, then stepped forward and grabbed Lim’s arm, dragging him from the shadows of the corridor. ‘Move, or it will not be the gates but the cells you’re headed for.’
Lim struggled against him. ‘Master Ren will not be pleased.’
‘That’s your problem to deal with. Not mine.’
The official stood aside, looking far too pleased with himself, smoothing his hand over the embroidered quails at his chest as though they were first-rank cranes.
Lim was hauled through the restless crowd, where mutterings abounded and curious stares were plentiful.
Some appeared fearful, but most were relishing the pause in their work, whispering gleefully between themselves, dragging their gazes up and down his length.
He had no time to interpret their looks, Ruilin almost dragging him off his feet in his haste; no small feat considering Lim’s own solidness.
Though Lim’s mind worked feverishly, he could see no easy way to extricate himself from the situation.
Whatever charms Master Ren’s bucket of lotus seeds had brought him were now gone with Sir William; a man who had evidently brought little but ill-fortune Lim’s way.
But what of his talk of finding Xian before midnight?
And had he truly known of the slipper, or was he simply clever with his tongue?
‘Clear the way,’ Ruilin bellowed. ‘Stand aside.’
And they did, scurrying like a plague of mice chased by a cat.
‘Easy now, I do not fight you,’ Lim protested.
He was man-handled along like a child’s doll; the surly guard rough and vigorous.
But Lim was grateful for small mercies. He was being held by his right arm, placing the guard away from where the pouch hung; lest he feel the protrusion of the slipper and decide to investigate.
After tripping over his toes a dozen times, and fearing his arm was to be wrenched from its socket, Lim spied the gate up ahead; the same one he’d passed through with such hopes just a short time earlier.
The crowd was only mildly thinner than when he’d entered; a seemingly unending parade of merchants and farmers and servants.
Lim dug in his heels, pulled at his captor harder, delaying an event that seemed hopelessly inevitable. The sergeant shouted at him, jerking him back so hard Lim heard his neck crick.
His thoughts were a maelstrom of conflict: tell him you are here for Xian, his common sense implored, whilst his instincts bade him, no, no, no. Not now.
‘Sergeant Ruilin,’ came the call. ‘Why are you not at your post?’
A quiet curse came from his guard. ‘Because you give me too much to do, and I only have two hands.’ Louder, he replied. ‘One moment, Captain Duan, let me see to this matter.’
Lim lowered his head, shrinking in on himself. He wasn’t entirely sure where the captain stood amongst the crowd, but he was not about to search to find out.