Chapter 11: I, Linmei The Lotus Flower
I was almost there. I felt it. I had been riding a horse for the last couple of days, one I bought from a friendly merchant I had met on the road a while back. Tiang had been the only one to go North from where we had said our goodbyes. I had spent the first day of travel in the company of Jin, but he had left me behind. He had a far greater distance to travel, and therefore elected not to to rest at night. I, however, needed my sleep, if only to look good in the morning. My beauty was natural, but like all fair things it needed maintenance. I had lost track of the large man the first night and had travelled alone ever since. I had met few people on the road. One of the only ones I had met was the merchant who sold me the horse; he also mentioned that he had sold a horse to a man fitting Jin's description, which made sense to me. Jin had to go back and forth the entire Empire in one month's time while also making sure he possessed the 2 remaining Holy Scrolls. I had also met two young travelling warriors. They had flirted with me, obviously, being male. Being this beautiful had its disadvantages, not a single man could leave you alone or resist you. That is, until you kicked them in the face; which is exactly what those two guys got when they came on to me. Other than that, my journey had been uneventful. But that was soon about to change.
Zao the Abated's fortress came in sight as I called upon the horse to slow down. It resembled that of Saed Tisst, before Tiang had impressively sunk it into the ground, yet it had a slightly eerier atmosphere. As if time had taken its toll not only on the landlord, but also on his buildings. I got off the horse, which I had nicknamed Ponpon, after my father. I was surprised by the fact I spent so much time thinking about him. After all, we never had the most caring or loving of relationships. He had always used me, as his most prized possession, a tool to increase his standing among the local men and now, to gain maximum favour at court and wrestle his way towards the Emperor himself. And the Prince, whom he hoped would become his son-in-law sooner rather than later. I knew why I had been sent to court. It wasn't for my sake, it wasn't to 'grace the Emperor', it was for him, for his own ambition. Still, despite his intentions, I was glad I had been sent. It provided an opportunity to find me a man worthy of myself, one equally skilled and beautiful. Unfortunately, that hadn't happened. Tiang, as kind as he was, met neither of those standards. Of all the men I had ever met in my life, of all the boyfriends, admirers, warriors, peasants and princes, Tang was the only one who met my high standards. Yes, even surpassed them. Easily. But he was off-limits. And he was gone.
I turned my attention back to the fortress, nearing the gates. They were wide open. I peered inside to see a huge square, full of the usual hustle and bustle of a market. As I entered, holding Ponpon by the reins with one hand and my staff with the other, I saw that there was indeed some sort of market going on. Merchants from all over the Empire were selling the most curious, hideous and most wonderful of goods. From weapons, to wine, to robes, to decoration. I wondered what the special occasion for this even could be. Or maybe it was simply always like this. In any case, it didn't really matter. I had to find Zao, and I had to find the Scrolls.
It didn't take long before people started noticing me and staring at me. I had grown used to it over the years, but in this case it felt particularly unpleasant. Attention right now was a bad thing. As I soon experienced first-hand.
I was wearing an elegant outfit, but also a very practical one. Which meant that it had to be rather tight, so my clothes wouldn't get in my way when fighting. I had also bound a purple scarf around my waist to cover up some skin, as my shirt was a bit on the short side. Apparently, one of the commoners had noticed that. From behind, he pulled my scarf, jerking a couple of times before it came off. I turned around, dignified by his blatant disrespect and inappropriate behaviour. The man was definitely over twice my age. He was severely balding and had lost a couple of his teeth. He disgusted me. But I tried to stay calm, hoping to avoid attracting even more attention.
"Give it back," I calmly said. "Now."
"Nu-uh, don't think so, pretty," he grinned and sniffed my scarf with his mouth wide open and his eyes closed. "Hmm, that smells good. I think I can smell your..."
I lunged forward and pulled the scarf out of his hands, recovering it before he knew what had happened. I swiftly bound it round my exposed waist and turned my back to him, hoping that it would end the matter. But the guy was persistent. He grabbed me by the right shoulder and spun me around. He raised one hand in an attempt to slap me, but I effortlessly caught him by the wrist. I twisted his arm harshly, causing some bones to snap. I released him and he backed down, screaming and holding his arm in pain.
"Ahhh! You bitch!" he shouted all over the square, and I soon realised what a mistake I had made. People all over the square turned around and looked at the two of us. A young man, just over my age, emerged from the crowd and ran towards the man whose arm I had just broken.
"Uncle!" he said, supporting the man by the shoulders, hopelessly trying to relieve his pain. "Are you all right?"
"That fucking bitch broke my arm!" the man angrily shouted, pointing his good hand at me. The young man looked up at me. He was stunned for a moment when he saw me, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Why'd you do this to my uncle?" he asked. His voice was shaky, but I couldn't tell if it was because of anger or because of desire.
"He persistently disrespected me," I simply explained, hoping to gain his favour by victimizing myself, but I had severely misinterpreted the guy's sentiments.
"Oh, you feel you're so high and mighty, don't you? Just because you're so pretty we common folk ain't good enough for you?" He approached me with a threatening composure. This guy had obviously been through a bad breakup recently, or had a lot of sexual frustration. I could understand why, the guy wasn't exactly good-looking. Compared to him even Tiang looked divine.
"I assure you..." I said, trying to reason with him, but he cut me off.
"You're all just the same, aren't you? Drawing attention to yourselves, by dressing like... that," he shouted, waving a hand at me, "and when we show interest you dismiss us like a sack of dirt."
He approached me even more and looked like he was about to attack me.
"Don't," I warned him.
"Or what? What are you gonna do?" he rhetorically asked me.
"I can assure you, you do not want to find out."
"We'll see about that!" he shouted and swung a punch at me. I ducked underneath, spun around and landed a crushing blow with my right foot on his chest. The guy was sent flying, landing right next to his uncle. He did not get up.
The people on the town square, all of which had been following the incident closely, started an indignant roar. They encircled me, shouting and pointing at me. I felt threatened and took on a defensive stance in case they would try and overwhelm me. This is not at all how I had planned this visit.
"Damn it," I whispered under my breath.
"All right, what is going on here?" a thunderous, roaring voice rumbled over the mob. The crowd grew silent almost instantaneously and I saw a large man making his way through the merchants and commoners, towards the clearing that had grown around me. The man reminded me of Jin. He was big and muscled, yet not bulky. His hair was a lot shorter than Jin's and he had a pointy beard that easily reached his adam's apple. But what was most striking about him were the two giant hammers bound to his back, a very unusual weapon around these parts of the world. This man was obviously an enforcer or guard of some sorts.
"These two men attacked me," I truthfully said in my defence. "I merely retaliated to assure my own safety."
"I see," the guard said, towering out over me and folding his arms. "And where exactly does a pretty, slender little girl like you learn to fight like that? And where does a simple woman like you get a staff like that?"
I was rather shocked. I had never, ever been described as simple before. Songs had been sung about me, poems had been written for me, a star had been named after me,... I pondered for a moment, internally discussing whether I should reveal my true identity or not. It was highly unlikely they would believe me and very likely they wouldn't care even if they did. Or maybe they would care, just not for the right reasons.
"I won't tell you. But I'll tell your boss," I gambled, hoping this meeting would provide a shortcut right to the person I needed.
"It is my task to protect Zao the Abated with my life. Do you really think I will let you anywhere near him before I know who you are and what you want with him?" he said. He spoke in a calm manner, but I also sensed there was no room for argument. Not with this man.
"I have a business proposal," I lied. I was acting on instinct, but my gut told me I was doing it wrong. Even if I got anywhere near Zao, how would I get him to listen to me? How would I convince him to hand the scrolls over? And if I couldn't and just took them, could I escape unharmed from all of these people without resorting to bloody mass-murder? I highly doubted it.
"Oh? And what could you possibly have to offer? The only thing he would be interested in would be situated somewhere in your nether regions."
I repressed a blush and continued the discussion. "Well, if you're so sure about that, there's no real risk in letting me see him, is there?"
"Maybe not. And maybe there is." He paused. Some people were still watching us, although a lot had already gone back to their stalls and their wares. The lack of real action had discouraged most viewers.
But then, a mighty, commanding voice boomed through the air, making the soldier stand to attention in the blink of an eye.
"Bring her to me!"
I turned around, my eyes looking for the source of the order. When I laid eyes upon him, it was unmistakable. I had seen Zao the Abated.
He was an old man, and walked towards us with a determination and flair that was the product of years of experience commanding strong men and women. His robes were magnificent, a harsh contrast with the bits and pieces of ragged cloths most merchants used to cover themselves up. The bright yellow silks were so radiant that I almost didn't notice the grey hairs he tried to hide under his hat. But they were there.
"Fai, bring her to my quarters," he commanded his guard, not even looking at me as he passed me by. "Make sure she is left... unscathed."
"Very well, my Lord," the soldier agreed with a bow before his master disappeared almost as quickly as he had come. When Zao had left, he turned his attention back to me. "It didn't look like you need protection to me, though."
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I was standing in his room. It was big, with fancy ornaments livening up the place. Zao was obviously very rich, but while he bathed in luxury, the people outside went hungry. The contrast between what was inside of the walls and outside of them was frustrating for someone like me, who was destined to shape the Empire alongside its ruler. At least, that's what I was supposed to do.
Zao was standing in front of me. Without the glare of the sun to enrich his aura of mental power, he looked more like an old man in a fancy dress than a powerful man posing a threat to the preservation of the Jade Empire. He looked at me lustfully, his eyes inspecting every inch of my body and resting on the more voluptuous parts. I was not surprised. And I was not impressed by his predictable reaction to my presence. But it could work in my favour. Very much so, in fact.
"Do you know why I'm here?" I asked him bluntly, deciding a direct approach would save us both some time and leave us without the need to develop a façade. I was tired of façades after all those years.
"I have a pretty good guess," Zao answered. Just like his general presence, his voice had changed a lot just by moving indoors. It wasn't as booming and resounding as it had been. I suspected Zao was a master of keeping up appearances, sensing the need for one better than most. It had allowed him to control such a large force and have gained as much influence as he had.
"You don't look like an ordinary woman," Zao continued, "so you must be here for a reason. Either it's because I have crossed my boundaries and you're here to punish me; or you're here for the Scrolls. In the first case, you would have brought an army; in the second case, you would have come here alone, in secret. As you are trying to hide the fact that you are Linmei the Lotus Flower, the soon-to-be betrothed of Prince and heir to the throne Tiang, I suspect you are here for the Scrolls. To save the Emperor."
I changed my mind about not being impressed by him. Behind his superficial reactions had crept a brilliant chain of thoughts, connecting dots instantaneously.
"How do you know who I am?" I asked, somewhat perplexed by his ability to find out who I was.
"Beautiful beyond comparison, skilled in the ways of the staff, legs like steel bars, gone from the Palace and headed straight here? Those things boil it down quite a bit."
"How do you know all those things?"
"I have spies," he stated matter-of-factly. "Lots of them. And so have the others. We know everything that has been developing in the Imperial Palace for quite a while now. We know about the Emperor's illness, and we know that he will die. It just can't be helped."
"Wrong," I corrected him, "there is still hope."
"Ah, yes, the Scrolls."
"The Scrolls," I said affirmatively.
He took a seat in one of the nearby chairs, and gestured towards one of the others, signalling I had to take a seat as well.
"I know you have some of them. Don't bother denying it. I want them."
"And why would I just give them to you?"
"Because you want to live."
Zao laughed. Not a loud roar, just a snicker. It was quite humiliating.
"Listen, girl, let me be honest with you. At my age, death is something you expect to arrive every single day. It's hardly something you can threaten me with. And the Scrolls? I have no need for them. When I agreed to do this, with Zong the Wicked and Lang the Barbaric, it was the last act of a desperate man. A last-ditch effort to carve my name into the books of history. But I am an old man, and I feel my strength waning every day. I no longer have what it takes to carry out the grand scheme the three of us had constructed, and I no longer feel the desire to embrace eternity in history classes. That desire has faded in favour of something more practical..."
"Practical?" I wondered out loud.
"Yes, practical. I am an old man. I don't have many years left in me. Maybe not even one. All I want to do right now is enjoy life. Stealing the Scrolls from the Smoking Mountains took a lot out of me. It drained my strength, reducing me to a shell of what I once was. Maybe I had overestimated my power. My age caught up with me in a matter of days. I started feeling how tired my bones actually were. How crumpled my skin actually was. How my eyelids started to twitch. How my joints started creaking... Lang and Zong are younger than I am. The quest took a lot out of them as well, but their youth allowed for a full recovery. They still want to continue this insane mission. I however, can no longer bring it up..."
"But I don't understand," I intervened. "If that is truly how you feel, then why not just give them to me?"
"It has to be worth it," Zao insisted. "You don't just betray Lang the Barbaric and Zong the Wicked! If there is even the slightest chance they find out I just gave the Scrolls away to the Princess of the Empire, they would come after me with the full force of their armies combined. I am still a man of power and influence, but I am wise enough to realize that that would be a battle I cannot win. Besides, I don't think Sagacious Tien has ever been fit to rule, chosen by the Celestials or not. If I am going to give hope back to this dynasty, I want something in return, something that will make me forget the betrayal of my ideals."
I didn't know what to say. Nor did Zao expect an answer out of me. He rose from his chair. Slowly. And he walked over to me. I was still sitting in my chair. I watched his every move as he approached me, wary of his actions. He started circling me at a slow pace, befitting to his old age.
"You want the Scrolls, don't you little girl? What would you give for them?" I wanted to reply, but he continued talking before I could even open my mouth.
"Anything, I wager," he accurately predicted. "Well, as I have said, I want something in return. And there is only one thing you have to offer me that I desire... and that is yourself."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart rate getting increasingly faster. Zao surprised me by swiftly grabbing a hold of my throat. I took him by the wrist, but didn't risk hurting him. I was afraid of the repercussion should I get on his bad side.
"Oh, come on. What did you expect? I'm an old man, nearing death. About to betray my ideals," he whispered into my ear. "I long for the ultimate satisfaction. To sleep with the world's most beautiful woman. The princess. The future Empress. If you want the Scrolls, you will fulfil my needs. Or I will make sure they are burnt, and you can forget all about saving Sagacious Tien." He released my throat. I coughed now that air finally managed to work its way back into my lungs again. I looked up at Zao, who was grinning deviously. "So what say you,... my Princess?" he added mockingly. "Will you put your pride aside, your loyalty to your soon-to-be husband?"
I stood up, and walked over to Zao. I looked him dead in the eye. "You speak of pride and loyalty? Those are things you know nothing of, Zao. I will do what is best for my country. So..." I threw off my scarf and took off my shirt, revealing everything underneath. The old man started drooling at the sight. As disgusted as I was, I was determined to get the Scrolls. "If you want me, take me!"
I closed my eyes when he pushed me on the bed. His loud breathing and moaning when he placed himself on top of me made me cringe. I could feel his hot breath on my belly when he removed my pants. I was no stranger to the art of making love to a man. I had had many lovers in my young lifetime. But it had always been with my consent. This was difference. Forced. It felt horrible. But it was all going to be over soon. At least, I hoped.
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I took Ponpon by the reins, and urged her to start galloping. The further I was from this place, the better. I tightly held two of the Scrolls clenched in my right fist while I drove my horse to its limits. Tears were blown off the side of my face by the wind as the night settled in.
I had succeeded in my mission, but in order to do so, I had had to sink to a level I had never even imagined existed. I felt tainted. Ashamed. A whore in a fancy dress. Prostituted myself for my Empire, like a girl of the streets.
Tiang must never know. And he never would. This was going to be my secret. Forever. I, Linmei the Lotus Flower, had shamed my title.
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Next chapter: Jin does his part for the fellowship. Determined to succeed in his mission, he decides to let nothing stand between him and the Scrolls. But can even the powerful Jin overcome the full might of Lang The Barbaric's forces?