Chapter Seventeen

Ling Xin had never known such happiness could exist. Not only from the sexual experiences, but simply being with him. They'd laughed this evening a great deal more than she'd ever done with anyone else.

That was the reason she'd been careless when she'd left him. She hadn't bothered to be quiet. They'd been enjoying each other so much these last few nights, with no one the wiser. Except her father was known to pace at night sometimes. And he sometimes prowled the back garden.

He heard her drop down from the wall. He was barely five feet from where she landed. And then she saw him stare at her, his eyes darting between her and the wall beyond. His conclusion was clear.

She had time to say his name and then he struck—a hard backhand to her face, and her whole body thudded against the wall. Fear coursed through her. But before she could do more than straighten from the wall, she heard another body drop quickly between her and her father.

Zhi Hao. He landed in a fighting crouch on the ground in front of her. But he didn't attack. He slowly stood until he was an effective barrier between her and her father. And then, he bowed respectfully to the man. His words were low, quick, and yet still deferential.

"Do not blame her for my sins. I know you fear the worst, but she is still pure."

"Cur! I trusted you!"

Her father punched Zhi Hao straight in the face. And though she knew Zhi Hao could block it, he did not. He allowed the blow to fall, his head snapping to the side. But when her father meant to follow up the blow, Ling Xin leaped forward. He would beat Zhi Hao to death. She knew the younger man wouldn't raise a hand to defend himself.

"Stop it, Baba!"

She tried to run between the two men, but Zhi Hao caught her and set her aside. It was a quick move and one that her father hadn't expected. He'd been going to grab her as well but caught Zhi Hao instead. And in the pause as they both started to regroup, Ling Xin spoke her piece.

"You want me to be empress, Baba! Then stop this madness!" And when her father raised his fist, she gripped his shirt. "Think!"

It was an aggressive move, one that she'd often seen him do to her brothers. It jerked their heads back and broke their concentration. In this case, she hoped it broke through his rage.

It did not. The man lunged for her, but Zhi Hao was there to protect her. As Baba leaped at her, Zhi Hao twisted him around, quickly pinning the man face down on the ground. Her father roared in protest, but Zhi Hao did not let him up.

"You may beat me all you want, but you may not touch her," he said. And he had to keep repeating it until her father exhausted himself. But in that time, the whole household had roused. Soon they were surrounded by her mother, Li Fei, and several retainers who were quickly shooed back to bed. They didn't leave, though, until Mama crouched down beside her husband.

"You are making this worse," she said. It was her voice that broke through Baba's fury.

The man stilled. A moment later, Zhi Hao stepped back to let her father rise. The man did so with angry, jerking movements. But he didn't attack. Instead, they all glared at one another.

"What is the meaning of this?" her mother asked, her voice low but no less angry.

Ling Xin stepped forward. "Baba thinks something that is not true."

Her father glared at her. "You were over the wall. You were with him!"

"I was teaching him Manchu."

Her father snorted, but Mama looked at Zhi Hao. "Is this true?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

Ling Xin looked to her mother. "I can prove my purity. I can still be empress!" She said the words though inside she tightened with anxiety. She had heard how humiliating the examination could be.

"I will check you myself," her mother snapped. "Why would you go over the wall? You know what could happen!"

She did know. She'd been doing it. "You demand I become empress, but you do not teach me about the things I need to know."

Beside her, she felt Zhi Hao stiffen, but she ignored him. She couldn't look at him when she confessed.

"We have taught you everything!" her father all but roared.

"Not about the Forbidden City," she returned. "You have taught me from the cradle to barter for what I need. I taught him Manchu. He taught me about his uncle who is a eunuch inside the Forbidden City." She threw up her hands as if disgusted, when in truth she was terrified. Her father would be within his rights to kill both her and Zhi Hao.

"And what good—" began her mother, but her father understood.

"What do you know of this eunuch? Will he help you?"

"He is the only contact I have there. And only because I bartered with Zhi Hao for it."

Her father shook his head. "I have given bribes. You had no need—"

"There is need, father," she interrupted. "You know there is."

He was silenced because it was true. Meanwhile, her mother stepped forward to stare hard, not at Zhi Hao, but at Ling Xin.

"You will come with me now," she said, her voice cold. "I will check your honesty."

Ling Xin's face burned at her mother's tone, but she knew it was inevitable. She had transgressed badly, and now she would pay the price. And while she followed her mother into her bedroom, she heard her father give orders to his strongest retainer.

"Take him into my library. If he fights, kill him. I will check his honesty in Master Gao's home."

She shuddered at her father's words, but at least she knew Zhi Hao was safe for the moment. He would not run and if it came to a fight, she had no doubt that he would win. But she could think no more of him as her mother shut the bedroom door and rounded on her.

"Have you lost your mind? You are to become the empress! Why would you risk everything on—"

"How, mother? How am I to become the empress if you do not teach me what I need to know!"

"And what is that?"

Ling Xin swallowed, but she would not be deterred. "Have you found Grandmother's pillow book?"

"How do you know that name?"

She thought the answer was obvious. "I learned it from Ko Zhi Hao."

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "And what else has he taught you?"

So much. "I am still pure."

Mama snorted. "You have never been pure. Always looking where you should not, always questioning things you were not to know."

Ling Xin frowned, wondering at her mother's tone. She sounded like being impure was a good thing. "Mama—"

"Answer me honestly or I swear I will check your body and it will not be pleasant for either of us."

Ling Xin winced, but she knew how to answer. "Yes, Mama."

"What have you done with him?"

"I asked him to tell me how to attract the emperor. Men are not interested in purity."

Her mother crossed her arms and glared.

"I have touched his dragon. He showed me how to caress it."

There was no response, just a narrowing of her mother's eyes.

"And…he showed me how to do the fan dance."

"You already know how."

"Not like he showed me. Not as if I danced for the emperor." Ling Xin's cheeks burned. "I danced as if I wanted to bear his child."

"You do want that."

Ling Xin glared at her mother. Was the woman being purposely obtuse? "Not for political reason," she said. "I danced as if…" She moved to lift her breasts high and swiveled her hips. It was an awkward movement, but her mother's eyes finally widened.

"Oh," she finally said. "He taught you that?"

"He said…" She bit her lip, trying to phrase it politely. "He said that men like breasts. And bottoms. I should emphasize those when I dance."

"I see." Then her mother was quiet for a long time before she arched her brows. "Is that all?"

Ling Xin winced. How much could she say? "He rubbed himself against me, but he did not… We did not…"

"You understand how it is done, yes? I know I taught you that much."

"Yes!" And now she knew a great deal more. "I am still a virgin. I swear it."

Her mother exhaled, her expression pensive. "You did this because I would not give you the pillow book."

She didn't argue. Let her mother believe that was her only motive. "I need to attract the emperor as a man—"

"Hsss! Speak no more of this. Your father will not understand."

Or he would understand. And that was worse.

Her mother continued, her voice tight with frustration. "You walk a fine line, Ling Xin. An empress must be clever, she must be able to deceive, and she must attract her husband as no other. I never wanted you to be empress, but it is the path your father decided on before you were born."

Ling Xin's eyes widened in shock. Her mother had never said this to her before, never suggested that her path was anything but pre-ordained.

"I will tell your father that you are pure. As long as there is hope for you to become empress, he will not kill you." Her mother's eyes were tortured. "I can lose you to the emperor," she said. "But I will not lose you to idiocy. Yours or your father's!"

"Yes, Mama."

Her mother sighed. "You are very lucky that Ko Zhi Hao is honorable. You took a big risk."

She knew. "He is a good man."

"And he is meant for Li Fei."

Those words struck straight into Ling Xin's heart. The pain of it made her gasp, and her mother—no fool—saw the truth.

"Aie-yah, you are smarter than that," her mother moaned. "How much time have you spent with him? You cannot be in love so quickly."

Yes, she could. She was. And now what was she to do?

"Ling Xin! How much time have you spent with him?"

"Enough, Mama," she finally said. "Enough to know he will be a good husband. An honorable husband. A—"

The slap across her face was not as powerful as her father's, but it was hard and it stung. Ling Xin didn't stumble. Her mother didn't have that much force in her. But Ling Xin did cower and as she pressed her hand to her hot cheek, her mother glared down at her.

"You will not speak his name ever again. You will not think of him. And if you do, you will say these words. ‘Ko Zhi Hao will marry Li Fei.' Do you understand?"

Of course, she understood. It was the only possible ending to this tale.

"Ling Xin!" her mother snapped.

"Ko Zhi Hao will marry Li Fei." She swallowed. "He will make her an excellent husband."