Jia watched as he left, the smile on her face gradually fading like a ghost.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
PARTINGS
Though it was good to catch up with old friends and to indulge in the fruits of civilization, there were only so many banquets one could attend and only so many teahouses one could visit before the appetite waned. It was time for Luan to leave the Harmonious City.
Gin came to the city gates to see him off.
“Will you come to Nokida to spend a few days with me?”
Luan shook his head.
“I had hoped you would come so that you could meet…” Gin’s eyes dimmed for a moment before turning resolute again. “You have your journey, and I have mine. I take it you’ll head north to prepare for your search for the Immortals?”
“Yes,” said Luan. “But first, I have some ideas for outfitting the expedition on the cheap that will take a bit of time to work out.”
He wanted to embrace her but stopped himself. Ever since the night of the celebration held for Mün Çakri’s son, Gin had been acting cool toward him. Perhaps it was a way for her to dull the sorrow of parting by not getting too entangled in the first place. And who was to say he wasn’t doing the same thing himself?
Still, it was not easy to leave a lover without saying what was on his mind.
“Be careful, Gin. You’re too proud. Don’t make enemies with those who will always have the favor of the cruben.”
Gin looked at him, her eyes narrowed. “Have you ever known me to shy away from a fight?”
Before Luan could reply, a crisp voice called out from the side. “Teacher!”
Luan turned and saw Zomi Kidosu striding toward him from the city, holding a satchel over her shoulder.
“I thought we already said our good-byes, Mimi-tika.”
“Did not Lurusén say that it was the duty of a student to accompany her teacher for ten miles at the start of every journey?”
To the side, Gin shifted and cleared her throat.
Zomi turned to her as though realizing that the queen was there for the first time. “Your Majesty, I meant to come by and thank you earlier. I was very fortunate that Princess Théra was able to secure your help on my behalf.”
Gin nodded imperiously. “Don’t mention it.”
“I’m curious, Your Majesty. How did she—”
Gin interrupted her. “I said not to mention it. Don’t you understand?”
Zomi’s face flushed, and she nodded.
Luan observed the exchange quietly, suppressing his irritation at Gin. She was clearly annoyed that Zomi had not acknowledged her, a queen, before acknowledging her untitled teacher—Gin’s pride verged on arrogance. He was a bit puzzled that Gin and Zomi would know each other, but he decided not to pry as it was clearly not a topic Gin wanted discussed.
Gin glanced back at Luan, seemed about to speak, stopped, tried again, stopped again. Finally, she said, “A pelagic anemone cannot be cultivated in an aquarium. I wish you well.”
She turned to leave.
“You never looked at yourself in the Fool’s Mirror!” Luan called out.
Gin stopped. Without turning around, she said, “You say I am proud; so why should I not compare myself to the winter plum?”
Then she left.
“You look sad, Teacher,” said Zomi.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” said Luan. “Just thinking that we all have to be true to our natures.”
The winter plum was a poetic companion to the chrysanthemum. Just as the chrysanthemum was the last flower to bloom before the onset of winter, defiant against death, the winter plum was the first flower to bloom before the coming of spring, refusing to shield its powerful fragrance from frost and snow.
Have you ever known me to shy away from a fight?
“The emperor finally decided on a position for me!” said Zomi.
“Oh, what is it?” asked an excited Luan. At the end of the Palace Examination, there had been so much consternation and outrage at Zomi’s performance that the emperor said that he needed some time to think about a suitable assignment.
“He has appointed me to the College of Advocates!” said Zomi. “I’m starting at second rank, above all the other new appointees.”
“Deservedly so!” Luan was pleased. Zomi’s voice would be exactly what the emperor needed to carry out his plan.
And the two walked ten miles together, stopping every mile or so to drink from the bottle gourds Zomi carried in her satchel. Zomi told him her plans for reshaping Imperial policy and for bringing her mother to Pan, and Luan nodded and laughed, seeing hints of the shape of the future.
“Teacher.” For the first time, doubt and hesitation crept into Zomi’s voice. This was the end of ten miles, the last chance for her to ask her question. “What if I were to tell you that I’ve done something terrible, something that would change the way everyone sees me?”
Luan looked at her. “I once counseled a king to break a peace treaty so that thousands would be slaughtered in order to save hundreds of thousands of future lives. The emperor once betrayed his best friend to give Dara a better future, elevating the grace of kings above personal honor. Let the past be the past, Mimi-tika, and endeavor to make the future that resulted from your choice be a better one.”
Zomi carefully considered this advice, and then she nodded and bowed.
“Teacher, may you continue to find treasure everywhere you go.”
Luan drained his cup, turned it so that Zomi could see it was empty, and then bowed back and left without another word.
Let old heroes fade into story and song; the world will be remade by new heroes.
“Brother, I’m glad we have a chance to chat before you leave,” said Jia, raising a cup of plum wine. She sat in relaxed géüpa, her legs folded easily under her. “It is so rare for the Imperial family to be together.”
Across from her, a nervous Kado Garu raised his cup in response. He remained in stiff mipa rari. “Sister, I’m honored by your invitation.”
Kado and Jia had never been close. He was certain that the empress had summoned him for some purpose.
“You’ve done an excellent job with Dasu,” said Jia. “You know how special the island is to Kuni—it is his second home, in some ways. He gave the island to you because he couldn’t trust anyone else to run it.”
Kado turned Jia’s words over in his mind. What does she mean? She knows very well that I’m doing nothing in Dasu. I haven’t even visited the place more than half a dozen times since I was made the “king,” letting Kuni’s governor-regent do whatever he wants in my name.
“I’ve been blessed by an able assistant picked by Kuni,” said Kado. He hoped that the answer was what Jia wanted to hear.
“You don’t need to be so modest,” said Jia. “To have a scholar recommended by you take the first place in the Palace Examination! No one expected that of poor little Dasu.”
Ah, so that’s it, thought Kado. He had seen how Jia seethed as Zomi Kidosu embarrassed Prince Timu during the Palace Examination. Rumor had it that the empress was extremely protective of her son since Kuni seemed to favor Phyro over Timu. A cold sweat broke out on Kado’s back. If Jia thinks that somehow this Zomi Kidosu is my way of further strengthening Risana’s push for Phyro to be designated the crown prince…
“I have a confession to make, Sister,” he said. “I didn’t recommend Zomi Kidosu.”