In this chapter, we get to see Hong and Rajata have a lunch date, and come to know Guozhi a lot better.
Trying to juggle a career as a Dai Li agent, keeping their city's useless, limp-wristed joke of a king from hearing about the war from the Avatar's lips, his body's physical needs, and now a developing love life was proving to be quite the chore for Hong, to put it mildly.
Still, weary as he was after another ten-hour stint, he'd managed to get enough sleep during the morning to properly function. He slipped on a high-collared, lemon yellow changpao jacket, embroidered with pale green maple leaves and the seal of the Earth Kingdom, and donned a pair of brown linen pants, before arriving as arranged around noon at the Middle Ring's spice market.
Rajata was already waiting for him under the shade of an awning, and Hong saw that she'd been proactive in her own preparations. She was dressed quite nicely for the occasion in a new linen qipao, teal green with citron yellow cuffs and borders. A slit along each side of the gown exposed the white fabric of the full slip underneath up to the height of her thigh. Copper and colored glass bangles adorned her wrists, and she wore a simple silver ring in her nose.
Hong figured she'd purchased the new outfit with the silver he'd given her last night. Her long black tresses were wrapped around a chevron-shaped wooden hairpiece with a center hole, in which a tiger lily blossom had been fastened, the orange flame of its petals contrasting vividly with the green paint.
"Well, aren't you lovely," he told her. "Dressed to impress."
She grinned in flattered pleasure.
"The silver you gave me yesterday made it possible. I got this qipao this morning at a clothing store not far from here called Silk Flower Mountain, and I'm glad you like what you see. Unless you would've preferred that I wore that silk one instead?" she hesitantly added.
"No, it's perfect," Hong assured her. "And honestly, silk is something that even the high-class people only really wear for formal, important occasions, and linen will work just as well if you want to show up in something elegant. Linen is also a lot more durable and easier to clean as a fabric if you get it soiled-which is important if you're choosing a robe or gown to attend a dinner party or go out to eat in."
"Seems like it was a wise decision then."
After allowing him to help her into the carriage, Rajata sat down beside Hong and briefly glanced around before she gave him another fond kiss on the cheek. Hong didn't think he could ever cease to be equal parts impressed, amazed, and touched by such a gesture.
She was craving seafood for her midday meal, and this time she was the one who had a destination in mind that just sounded promising to her, a place called The Fishmonger's Table. The waiters there were of course, quick to flatter and attend to both of them as soon as they saw the distinctive hair tie and stone gloves.
Hong's lips curved upward in amusement as he and Rajata took their seats next to each other, particularly since some members of the lunch crowd were clearly giving them double takes. Once again, he couldn't say that he was surprised by their behavior, what with the sight of him sitting or standing next to this cheery, sweet-natured woman who only reached up to just a few finger spaces above the pit of his shoulder, and seldom hesitated to freely, trustingly show him affection.
Well, he guessed that just proved there was something to be said for the idea of opposites attracting, of yin and yang completing each other, after all.
After scanning the menu, he decided on steamed grass carp in sweetened vinegar sauce. Some of the choices of dishes though, perplexed Rajata greatly.
"What sort of creature is a mantis shrimp?" she asked as she pointed to the item labeled Mantis Shrimp In Spicy Soy Sauce. "Are they good eating?"
"They're kind of like smaller, weird-looking lobsters," he replied, "or crayfish, about this big," as he held his hands about eight inches apart. "And they're most certainly tasty eating, yes. The meat is sweet, tender. It takes some work to get it out of the shell though-and you'd certainly never want to handle a live one barehanded."
"Why's that?" she asked, intrigued.
"They have a pair of these big claws folded up under their chests that they use as weapons," he said. "And they deliver quite a punch in more ways than one. Some kinds have ones that are like daggers covered in spikes on one side, and can slash your hand open like a razor blade, if the books mentioning them in Ba Sing Se University's library are correct."
"Yikes," Rajata said as she winced. "That's a creature I sure wouldn't want to tangle with."
He nodded. "Other kinds have a smashing type of claw, that the books attest they can hit hard enough with to break open good-sized crabs or clams-and even bust right through pottery or glass if it's thin enough."
Hong gave a small, shrewd smile to the woman beside him. "That sort of punching prowess is not very different from what we Dai Li can do with our stone gloves, and why I personally haven't eaten one in years. Professional courtesy, you understand," he wryly commented as Rajata giggled. "But you're free to eat whatever you like."
She decided to try both the mantis shrimp and stir-fried clams in black bean sauce, the strange creatures having been chopped into several cross sections by the chef for easier access to the sweet flesh.
As they ate, Hong reached into his pocket and extracted a palm sized square of shellac-covered paper he'd brought along.
"Before I forget, I went and brought you a very special something," he said with a gentle smile as he offered it to her below the table. "It's not the sort of thing we just go handing out like fried dough sticks, so make sure you don't lose track of it."
Astonishment swiftly dawned in Rajata's brown eyes as she took the little document from him and examined it, then looked up at him. Hong knew quite well of course, what was printed on it. It showed the figure of two Dai Li agents, hands ready to let fly their stone gloves, standing on each side of a stylized Imperial Palace. Above them loomed the bearded head and shoulders of the stern-looking god Wu Sheng, patron of policemen, law, and war. Sparkles of gold dust dotted the paper, held in place under the coat of sealant.
"No way," she breathed in shocked disbelief as she glanced back down at the gift, then raised her face back towards him. "A pass granting me access to the Upper Ring, whenever I want?"
He nodded. "Far better than making you have to wait around for me or taking the risk of being given a hard time by the guards again at one of the designated gates. But read the other side of the pass for yourself if you don't believe me," he told her, gesturing at the document.
"This huzhao grants its Lower Ring holder, Rajata Chettiar by name, clearance to have unrestricted access to the entirety of the Upper Ring," she softly recited as she flipped it over, "with the exception of the Imperial Palace's grounds, by the authority of the Dai Li. Signed by Captain Li Jun Lau and Agent Hong Yan." She briefly shook her head in a nearly spastic manner, clearly dazed that such a privilege was being bestowed on her.
"Nandri, Hong. That's all I can really say about this. Just, wow."
"My pleasure. Again though, don't lose it, and you are to never let anybody else-even one of your own family members, no matter how much they might beg or plead-make use of it, unless either you're with them as well or I submit a written request to Captain Lau beforehand for their permission to use it independently," he warned her, holding up a pointer finger for emphasis.
"It's very unlikely that he'll grant it, knowing him," he added, "-he already gave me a seriously long look, like he thought that I'd lost my mind, when I told him about how I wanted him to go to all the trouble of allowing a pass to be made for a Lower Ring citizen that he'd never even heard of-and if this huzhao is used in an unauthorized manner...well, you can read the penalties listed for yourself," he said as he gestured at the pass.
"Using this pass in a fraudulent manner, or allowing it to be used by any individual other than the specific one named is a felony punishable by no less than four months incarceration and a fine of two hundred and fifty silver pieces," she read gravely, eyebrows arching. "Definitely not kidding around here."
"I know I can trust you to be totally responsible though," he told her with a quick wink.
She smiled in appreciation as she briefly took his bare hand and squeezed it in abject thanks. She asked half-playfully, "So, does this mean I can maybe even come visit your place, now that you've given me this?"
He stopped briefly, considering.
"Certainly-but I'd have to let the guards at my compound's gate know that you're going to show up first." He gave her a slow smile. "Ironic as it might sound, even a fearless guardian of this city can appreciate the wisdom of having some guards of his o-"
They were both seated facing in the general direction of the door, and Hong's attention was abruptly diverted by the figure of another off-duty Dai Li agent following a predictably servile waiter.
Even before he got a clear look at him, Hong knew right away who the larger of the two men walking down the aisle between tables was from the distinctive sound of his geta sandals, the elevating wooden pegs on their bottom surfaces clicking against the floorboards as their wearer approached with a gait that was equal parts smooth and flamboyant-and only Agent Guozhi Wang could somehow manage to walk flamboyantly.
He came to a stop, and mint green eyes widened as the other half of their team noticed Hong lunching on sliced carp.
"Hong! Nice to see you pal!" he said in a measured tone of surprised delight as he diverted his course, the waiter piloting him forgotten as his geta pegs sent out a chorus of clicks. "Wasn't expecting to stum-"
He broke off as he became aware of Rajata seated next to his patrol partner, staring in both puzzlement and interest for a few seconds as she lightly smiled and gave a slight bow over her plate with steepled hands.
Then awareness dawned on Guozhi as he glanced from her back to Hong with a knowing grin. Hong knew that his partner on the force and in combat was already married, and wouldn't think of making a move on his comrade's lady anyway-yet he still found himself almost automatically slipping his right arm around Rajata's lithe shoulders.
"Well, well," Guozhi said smoothly. "Looks like my partner's made himself quite a catch," he said as he playfully smirked and nodded at her, Rajata stifling a giggle. Hong resolved that he was not going to blush as Guozhi turned his attention back to him and said in mock annoyance, placing a fist on his hip, "Thanks for sharing the news with me, my man. Why is it that even though we're partners, I still always end up being the last to know when it comes to you?"
"Because you're already too smart for your own good," Hong replied primly.
"And you're so funny I forgot to laugh, Farm Boy," Guozhi droned. "But wow, I can see right away this lady doesn't need a pair of stone gloves to be a total knocko-Urf!" he went as one of Hong's own gloves suddenly materialized and assembled itself from under the sleeve of his changpao, then was sent whizzing through the air to clamp itself over a startled Guozhi's mouth. Rajata herself jerked back a little in her own shock, uncertain of how to react.
"Guozhi, try," Hong lightly growled as he glared at the other agent, cheeks getting heated. "Shut up, if you can."
He felt his partner's jing resisting as he raised his own hands, working to push the stone muzzle away from his mouth, and Hong pulled the glove back to his sleeve.
"Holy Hou-Tu," Guozhi exclaimed, panting, once his mouth was free, blinking in surprise as he held his hands up in a gesture of wary appeasement. "Take it easy there, buddy."
Hong took a deep breath and relaxed before turning to Rajata and saying as he pointed his thumb at the other man with a light smirk, "This is Agent Guozhi Chen, my patrol partner. Don't worry, he's generally not as annoying as he looks."
Rajata giggled again as Guozhi frowned, then nodded his head before saying with a grin, "That's me, the man, the myth, the legend. And I'm sure you already know by now that Agent Hong usually isn't as cranky as he looks, either," he added with a raised eyebrow at his partner.
"Anyway," he went on, glancing at both of them as he began to pull out an empty chair across from them, "do you mind if I take a bit of time to sit down and say hello?"
His question was more to Rajata than anyone else, Hong knew.
Turning to the fidgeting waiter hovering uncertainly nearby, Guozhi told him, "You're free to go and help out some other customer in the meantime, you know. Just give me fifteen minutes."
"I shall gladly wait for the privilege of attending to your needs until then, guardian of peace," the waiter replied with a nod and short bow before taking his leave.
Guozhi turned back to face them with a measured, refined smile as he took his seat. Not that it could be anything else but cultured, Hong knew. So much about his partner on the force was, really, and with good reason.
While Hong had been born to a simple farming family, Guozhi was a child of the Upper Ring and its wealth, son of the district judge Zhu Wang. His brown hair was neatly braided, and had both the same shine and hue to it as polished walnut wood.
Most men in the Earth Kingdom tended to be tall, and Guozhi was no exception. Compared to his nearly six-and-a-half-foot partner however, he was admittedly on the smaller side, about three-quarters Hong's size and eight inches shorter, to the point where he had to make sure that the soles of the stone clogs that he wore in uniform were particularly thick, to make up for the height difference. And of course, geta sandals served the same purpose while off duty.
There was a puckered scar on the left side of his neck, down near the shoulder (the legacy of a glancing spear wound), and the upper lobes of his ears had distinctive points to them that frankly made them look almost like a bat's ears to Hong, a trait which sometimes still made him want to snicker.
But there was nothing amusing or lacking when it came to Guozhi's skills, and his mindset as a Surveillance agent. He was fast, cunning, relentless, and matched Hong wonderfully in so many ways as a partner. When it came to pursuing and apprehending criminals or dissenters, he was like a charging armadillo lion, with a cold aura of pure confidence and determination.
It said much for his tenacity and sheer awesomeness that, even as Hong had been lunging to his partner's aid on that fall night in the Lower Ring three years ago, stone gloves already flying for the arms of the scumbag criminal that had just tried to put a spear through his friend's neck, Guozhi hardly missed a step as he grabbed said spear by the shaft and, even as blood trickled from his neck wound, whipped around to face his attacker-and let fly.
If there was a more humiliating way to die in a fight, and any blunter method of saying "You lose, asshole," then having your would-be victim slam the very bladed weapon you'd meant to kill them with right through your chest, Hong couldn't think of one. At that point, using his stone gloves to break the mortally wounded man's neck had really just been a mere formality on Hong's part.
Whenever he wasn't in uniform, his partner was a very sharp, flashy dresser-not that Hong wasn't one himself of course, but he couldn't recall ever seeing Guozhi wearing clothing that wasn't made out of either silk or especially fine linen.
And not surprisingly, he was currently wearing a dazzling green silk vest with swirling crocus yellow borders over a pair of brown linen pants that almost mimicked Rajata's skin in their hue. A circlet of jade, green as fresh grass, hung at the bottom of the silver chain around his thick neck, and he wore a bracelet of white gold and jade on his right wrist.
Unfortunately, an innate derision towards those of lower status-the inhabitants of the Lower Ring in particular-had come along with Guozhi's comparatively luxurious upbringing. The fact that Hong was originally from that lowly zone had naturally helped to soften his classist attitude somewhat over the past five years they'd been working together, which pleased Hong greatly.
Still, even an agent of the Dai Li, with his extensive knowledge of psychology, could have a hard time changing his mindset, and Hong noticed how Guozhi gave Rajata a quick, skeptical, faintly judgmental once-over before shooting the other agent a brief, meaningful look.
She looks pretty enough Hong, don't get me wrong-but really though, dating a girl from the Lower Ring? And yes, even in those fancy clothes she somehow got a hold of, I can tell where she's from. Where's your standards man, going out with a peasant?!
Hong's eyes narrowed further for a moment or two as he quickly considered either grabbing Guozhi by the collar of his vest or pinning him to the wall with his stone gloves while he snapped at the other agent to lay off the pretentious asshole attitude towards his date.
Or maybe it might be even better to point his food-stained chopsticks at his partner while glaring at him-but Hong then thought better of causing a disruption as he shoved the plume of magma within him back down. Immature snob.
And although it certainly seemed to have a patronizing aspect, Guozhi was evidently at least making an effort to be polite to this unsophisticated commoner lady that his partner obviously had it bad for.
Any friend of his is a friend of mine, and all that.
"So," he told Rajata, with a nod towards Hong, "how has Farm Boy here been treating you since you've hit it off?"
"Wonderfully," she replied as she turned her gaze back to Hong, and he felt a warm thrill seep through him as he felt her fingers smoothly mesh with his own underneath the tabletop. "We've had some delightful dates together beforehand already-including a romantic picnic while watching the sunset," she smiled.
"Is that right? Well…"
"And before you came, he just gave me a pass that will allow me to visit him in the Upper Ring, any time that I want!" she added gleefully.
I can tell you think that your partner Hong is much too good for some lowly peasant like me, Agent Chen. Well, there's nothing you can do about it, and now I'm going to be moving up in the world!
Guozhi blinked, trying to suppress his astonishment. "How very generous," he smoothly agreed with a nod and slight grin. "And now that you have a pass to the Upper Ring, we can show you some serious fun."
You might be a slum dweller, but if you're going to be my partner's girlfriend, I guess I'd better make a good impression and welcome you into our circle. Besides, three's company, as the saying goes.
"What's this about 'we' now?" Hong inquired with a raised eyebrow. "Ever occurred to you that maybe Rajata and I may not want other people getting involved in our love life?"
"Of course, but you can't deny the benefits of having a trusted associate nudge you along now and then. Besides," he insisted, "sometimes you just need another guy along when you're out on the town. Anyway, now Rajata my dear, have you ever been to an ostrich-horse race, by any chance?"
They were in trouble.
In Chinese culture, pointing one of your digits or chopsticks you've been using to eat with a person is seen as a rude gesture on par with giving someone the finger, so Hong was definitely serious when it came to mulling over rebuking his partner for his classist behavior. Guozhi is a good guy when everything's said and done though, and I'm having a lot of fun writing him!