sniffing the air for the wolf. She had been that rabbit all her life, but the key was never to show the fear.
The guardsman urged her to keep moving. He lifted his hand to gesture towards the stairs. How steadfast were Li Tao’s people? Did they serve out of fear or loyalty?
‘What do you call yourself?’ she asked as she started up the steps.
‘Yao Ru Shan.’
She listened to the deliberate fall of his footsteps as they climbed upwards.
‘You must have accomplished great things to serve in such a trusted position,’ she ventured.
Nothing. Silence. She longed to find someone in this household who was not so stingy with words.
As she reached the door to her apartments, she let the end of her shawl slip from her shoulders. The delicate cloth wound down her body as it fell to the floor. She paused, allowing Ru Shan enough time to bend to retrieve it. He caught her eye as he straightened and bowed stiffly. He had a broad face, square in shape. His emotions were clearly evident in every movement. Proper, righteous, loyal above all else.
She forced back a triumphant smile as she lifted the cloth from his hands.
‘Thank you, Ru Shan.’
Loyalty could be shifted. She glanced at the soldier once more before pushing the doors open and slipping inside.
Of the servants she’d met, she wasn’t yet sure who was strong enough to stand up to Li Tao, but she needed to work quickly. She knew how this would end. Emperor Shen and the other warlords would come for Li Tao. They would cut through his barricades and destroy his army. If he hadn’t already fallen on his own sword, he would certainly hang.
Chapter Three
Li Tao’s captains assembled in a half circle before him outside the mansion. The canyon opened wide behind them. He had summoned them from their posts to give their reports in person. He needed to look each man in the eye. Now more than ever before, loyalty was critical.
‘Governor Li.’
Lady Ling’s voice rang out over the expanse of stone, much like the floating beauties of Luoyang. They would coo and flirt from windows that overlooked the streets, but their entreaties were never for him. He kept his back to her pointedly.
‘My lord, I have something to discuss with you,’ she said, with the carelessness of a breeze. ‘Oh, forgive me. You’re occupied.’
Grey-haired Zhao glanced upwards. ‘Ling Guifei?’
The other men seemed to lose focus at Zhao’s breach of etiquette. Their gazes drifted past him to seek out the infamous beauty. Even the most seasoned of them could not remain disciplined.
‘Gentlemen.’
A single, sharp reprimand brought all eyes back to him. The captains straightened with deliberate attention.
Suyin did nothing without a purpose. She’d chosen this moment for a display of will. By mid-morning, word of the Precious Consort would spread through the barracks along with the rumours.
What an enticing picture she must present overhead, elegantly poised over the balcony as she held his men in rapture. He didn’t need to look upon her. He could see the furtive desire reflected in every man’s face. Li Tao’s blood simmered.
How had the August Emperor dealt with the knowledge that every man wanted his concubine? Of course, a sovereign was supposedly blessed by heaven and above such jealousy, while Li Tao was just a man.
And Suyin was not his concubine.
He listened to the rest of the reports and then dismissed the captains. He turned once the last man was gone. ‘Yes, Guifei?’
Her gown was blue today, evoking cool air and sky. She leaned forwards with her hands braced against the rail, tapping a nail against the polished wood in agitation. ‘I don’t like being called that.’
‘Lady Ling, then. What is it you need to discuss with me?’
‘The artwork in this chamber.’
‘There is no artwork there.’
‘Precisely.’
Conversation with her was indeed an intricate dance. He waited.
‘If I am to be held prisoner in this room, there should be something to look at besides these four walls,’ she said.
‘You are not being held prisoner.’
She stared down at him incredulously. ‘I am not?’
‘Go to the door.’
He was unable to resist a smirk as she disappeared through the curtain. In a heartbeat, she appeared around the side of the house. She aimed a line towards him, lifting her skirt out of the way of her feet. Ru Shan followed closely behind.
Li Tao assessed her quickly, not allowing his gaze to linger. Her hair was carefully pinned and her cheeks held a hint of colour. That was the essence of Ling