Wang Qian dropped to the floor. “Third Brother, watch the entrance. And bring your axes inside.”
Jin Wuniang returned carrying both axes, a bundle of treasured sabers, and three pairs of heavy bronze maces. He piled them on the floor.
Wang Qian continued, “Zhang Hua may look more delicate than a woman, but he is the best strategist among us brothers. Most of our people have been following him to study formations. Eldest Brother has sixteen men. I have a little over twenty. Third Brother, you brought more than thirty. That is nowhere near enough. Zhang Hua has over a thousand, all skilled fighters chosen by Mother. With those people and Zhang Hua’s plans…”
He gave a short laugh. “As long as he comes, Mother and the rest of us have a path to survival. If Tenth Lady never arrives, we should all take our own lives. I refuse to die at the hands of that old traitor.”
Wang Qian picked up the three pairs of bronze maces and tested them one by one. He hugged one pair to his chest.
“Good Third Brother, I have loved these treasured maces for eight years! Mother always said they were Grandmother’s relics, both precious and unlucky, so she would not give them to me. At last, they are mine. Thank you. You truly keep your elder brother in your heart.”
Jin Wuniang’s face reddened. “Why should good brothers thank each other? Eldest Brother, choose a saber. People say you need a sharp blade to butcher a pig. Whatever we do next, a treasured saber will make it easier.”
“You have worked hard, worthy brother,” Chen Liang said.
He tried to remain polite, but his eyes had already fixed on a silver-white saber. He snatched it up.
“Purple Lightning! The Purple Lightning Spirit Saber, a national treasure from a foreign kingdom! When did Mother obtain this? You two do not understand. This saber has countless legends and a spirit of its own.”
Princess Fang remained unconscious, but her condition had become stable. Three of the four brothers were now together, and each had gained a superior weapon. Jin Wuniang put on soft armor. Then the three brothers dressed Princess Fang in a close-fitting suit of soft armor before Chen Liang and Wang Qian chose armor for themselves.
No one had attacked them in the garden, but they all understood that carrying Princess Fang out of the estate would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Every preparation they could make was complete.
All they needed was Zhang Hua, the brother they called Tenth Lady.
And Zhang Hua came.
He led his soldiers toward the capital under the standards of the Flying Dragon, Flying Phoenix, Flying Tiger, Flying Leopard, Flying Striped Tiger, and Hidden Army units. They approached openly from outside the city and called for the gate to be opened.
The grand chancellor’s residence stood in one of the capital’s most important districts. The officer guarding that section of the walls was not a great general or marshal, but he still held a respected fourth-rank military post. The emperor had personally selected him as a loyal subject.
The commander’s name was Yang Huaqing.
He was idly playing a seven-string zither in the gate tower when a soldier rushed in.
“General, a large force is approaching from the distance!”
Yang Huaqing sprang to his feet, suddenly full of energy. He knocked over the instrument, seized his carved bow and fine arrows, and ran to the part of the wall with the clearest view.
One distant glance was enough for his sharp eyes to identify the approaching troops.
*They carry Imperial Guard banners and wear Imperial Guard uniforms. Their ranks are neat, and their standards are clear. But the Ministry of War sent no notice approving a unit’s entry into the capital today. There is nothing more to discuss.*
Yang Huaqing raised his voice. “Close the gates! String every bow! Prepare the heavy crossbows!”
The moment Zhang Hua saw weapons lining the wall, blades drawn and arrows set to strings, he ordered his entire force to halt. He drew in his reins with both hands and guided his horse forward at a walk.
Yang Huaqing saw that Zhang Hua had placed nearly thirty paces between himself and his soldiers. Once he recognized the young man, he laughed.
“Why, Worthy Brother Zhang Hua! Where have you come from, and where are you going?”
Zhang Hua saluted solemnly. “Brother Huaqing! The grand chancellor urgently summoned me to suppress unrest inside his residence. Please allow us to pass.”
“More trouble in the grand chancellor’s residence?” Yang Huaqing rested one hand on the battlement and stroked his beard with the other. “What proof do you have?”
Zhang Hua pointed inside the city. “The three-colored signal smoke above the residence. Black, red, and blue may be used only when the life of the grand chancellor or the imperial princess is in danger.”
Yang Huaqing went around the tower to look for a long while, then returned.
“Without an order from the Ministry of War, I cannot allow the soldiers behind you into the city.”
“The grand chancellor may be dying. Her Highness’s fate is unknown. I am her fourth son. What is wrong with entering the city to save my mother? General Yang, law and ritual must still allow room for human feeling. Opening the gate for us may violate the letter of the law, but if you refuse and both the grand chancellor and Her Highness die, you will also bear responsibility. Even if I had some secret purpose, as you fear, my small force would vanish inside this enormous capital like water entering the sea. We could not raise the slightest wave.”
Yang Huaqing considered this. “If the grand chancellor’s residence is in danger, the Nine Gates Command can respond.”
“Forgive my bluntness, General Yang,” Zhang Hua called. “Anyone capable of entering that estate and attacking the grand chancellor and Her Highness is no common criminal.”
Yang Huaqing fell silent again.
Zhang Hua pressed his advantage. “Our dynasty’s laws are strict but clear. Those who defy an imperial order receive no reward for success and severe punishment for failure. The same principle applies to those who break civil or military law. But please hear me out, General. There is one reason to keep us outside and nine reasons to open the gate.”
Yang Huaqing frowned. “Let me hear them.”
“First, the grand chancellor is a pillar of both civil and military government. If he comes to harm, it will be a disaster for the kingdom and bring unrest to the borders.
“Second, his residence contains countless secret documents concerning the army and the state. If even one or two are stolen, the court will be thrown into confusion and all six ministries will be disturbed.
“Third, the estate holds many spiritual treasures and one blank imperial edict. If thieves take them, the shame to our dynasty will be a small matter compared with the crimes they could commit while pretending to carry imperial authority.
“Fourth, my foster mother received the grace of His Majesty and was named an imperial princess. If she is harmed, the dignity of the imperial family will be damaged.
“Fifth, Her Highness has traveled the martial world for more than twenty years and fought a hundred battles without defeat. Her reputation frightens criminals so thoroughly that nothing is stolen from the roads of the capital. If word of today’s disaster spreads, martial artists will rush here from every direction. The capital will know no peace.
“Sixth, Her Highness controls the southern canal transport routes and owns many long-established businesses. If they fall into disorder, the consequences will be impossible to predict.
“Seventh, if my foster father and mother are harmed, how could I rest until I kill their enemies with my own hands?”
Yang Huaqing listened as Zhang Hua spoke without hesitation or looking away. Every point sounded reasonable. Finally, he sighed.
“What are the eighth and ninth reasons?”
“Eighth, the grand chancellor’s residence has layer after layer of guards and checkpoints. I am certain the criminals have not yet escaped. If we enter now, catching them will be as easy as trapping a turtle in a jar. If we wait until they flee, pursuing them will be like searching the sea for something that has vanished beneath the mud.
“Ninth, my foster father once cleared your name in a wrongful criminal case, and my foster mother saved your life at the border. This is your moment to repay them.”
Yang Huaqing thought, *He has left me no reason to refuse. In public duty and private gratitude, he is right.*
But the commander of a capital gate protected more than a city. He protected the emperor’s life. Yang Huaqing gritted his teeth.
“You cannot all enter!”
“Do not worry, General Yang. I understand that bringing more than a thousand soldiers into the inner city would be rebellion.”
“Open the gate!” Yang Huaqing gave a long sigh. “If the grand chancellor had not always served the public good, and if Her Highness had not benefited the kingdom and its people, I would never let you through.”
Zhang Hua saluted. “Thank you for your righteousness, General!”
Then he led his army straight into the capital.
The Flying Dragon unit had two hundred soldiers under two centurions. One hundred remained around the outer gate guarded by Yang Huaqing, pretending to strengthen its defenses.
Half the Flying Phoenix unit scattered through the outer city toward the homes of civil and military officials, where they began luring away the officials’ children.
The two Flying Tiger centurions were as skilled at debate and persuasion as Zhang Hua. After wearing down Yang Huaqing with pleas and arguments, they took a portion of the strong bows and heavy crossbows. Then they left the city and chose a place in the countryside for their ambush.
The Hidden Army split into two groups under its centurions. One hundred men disappeared toward secret locations throughout the capital, using every hidden method they knew to complete their tasks.
Zhang Hua approached the inner city. Beyond its walls stood the homes of princes, nobles, powerful officials, and famous generals, along with the grand chancellor’s estate and the imperial palace.
He ordered most units to remain behind. Then, with only one hundred Flying Dragon soldiers, he rode to the eastern gate of the inner city. He gave the commander a version of the “truth.” The man was a trusted member of the grand chancellor’s faction and promptly admitted them.
The Flying Dragon unit now controlled the eastern gates of both the inner and outer cities.
The Flying Phoenix unit began tricking spoiled young lords and young officers into joining a game with the grand chancellor’s four sons.
The Flying Tiger unit carried away some of the strong bows and every heavy crossbow from the two eastern gates. That removed the danger of a heavy bolt piercing the carriage that would carry Princess Fang.
Every member of the Flying Leopard unit waited in ambush around the grand chancellor’s residence, bows strung and blades drawn.
One hundred Hidden Army soldiers went straight to the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Zhang Hua sat steady in the saddle with his sword in hand. Behind him, the Flying Striped Tiger unit advanced with proud steps, their spears as thick as grain and their swords and halberds like a forest.
He took a purple smoke signal from the treasure pouch at his chest and lit it.
“Flying Leopard Banner, send fifty men to enter the estate with me. Seize every fine horse from the paddocks.”
Meanwhile, inside the cooling chamber, Jin Wuniang hugged his ax and stared anxiously at Princess Fang.
“Eldest Brother, why has Mother not awakened?”
Wang Qian frowned. “She cannot wake yet. She should open her eyes tomorrow. Why has Zhang Hua still not arrived? Could he have betrayed us at the last moment?”
Jin Wuniang’s mouth twisted as he prepared to cry. Chen Liang grabbed him.
“Do not cry. If the men outside hear you, they will lose all courage. Third Brother, listen to me. Remember every word I say.”
Jin Wuniang wiped his tears. “Yes! I will listen to Eldest Brother.”
“If Zhang Hua betrays us and Mother dies, surrender to the grand chancellor with him. Do whatever Zhang Hua tells you. Do you understand?”
“No. But I will do it.”
“Good Third Brother.”
Chen Liang’s voice broke. He could say no more. He looked at Wang Qian and signaled for him to continue.
Wang Qian forced his voice low. He ground out every word through clenched teeth.
“Third Brother, if you and Zhang Hua surrender to the grand chancellor, do whatever they order unless it dishonors Mother. Even if they tell you to kill Eldest Brother and me, if we truly have no way to escape, plead for our lives three times. Then pretend to lose your temper and attack us.”
“I still do not understand. I have remembered it.”
Wang Qian sighed, his voice deep and determined. “If the grand chancellor asks why you did it, say Mother ordered it before she died. Whatever else he asks, you do not understand and cannot remember. If he asks whether you hate him, say you do not know. If he asks what you want afterward, say you want to live in Mother’s courtyard.”
“Yes! But why— Never mind. I will not ask. I remember. Keep going, Brother.”
“You must wait. Keep fooling them with your honest, simple manner. Carry your ax everywhere. Whenever you put it down, act terrified that you might lose it. Wait until they trust you enough to let you approach the grand chancellor with that ax. Then find a moment when he and Zhang Hua are together. Kill them both within three breaths.”
Chen Liang silently wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
“No one can be certain what Fourth Brother will do. I hope that day never comes. But Jin Wuniang, if Zhang Hua causes Mother’s death, remember this: once he does such a thing, do not believe him. No matter what he says or how he explains it, do not believe a single word.”
A lookout on the artificial hill spotted purple smoke near the estate gate.
“Reinforcements have arrived!” he shouted.
Chen Liang and Wang Qian looked at each other. Both pressed hands to their foreheads and finally began to breathe again.
Jin Wuniang looked around in confusion. He still understood almost nothing, but a smile appeared on his dark face.