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evidence enough that the emperor had little faith in her husband. Before
answering the minister, however, she looked at Xeng. "Perhaps you should
inform your mother of the news."
Xeng acknowledged the order with a bow, then turned and left the room.
He took care to close the wall behind him.
After the rice-paper panel slid into place, Wu turned back to Ju-Hai. "Tell
the emperor not to be concerned," she said. "Batu did not expect the Twenty-
Five Armies to win at Shihfang."
"That won't satisfy the Divine One," Ju-Hai responded, shaking his head.
"Kwan is taking advantage of the loss to turn the emperor against us."
"I won't say where Batu is," Wu said stubbornly.
Ju-Hai stood and half turned away. "The time for mysteries is past," he
snapped. "You must tell me something that will reassure the Divine One."
"If I do as you ask," Wu insisted, retaining her seat on the bench, "the
Tuigan will learn my husband's plan."
"Don't be foolish," the minister answered, scowling. "Shou Lung's secrets
are safe with the emperor."
"Are you sure?" Wu asked, meeting Ju-Hai's angry glare with a steady
gaze.
Her question caused the mandarin to pause and suppress his anger. "What
do you mean?" he asked warily.
"There's a spy in the Mandarinate," Wu answered quickly.
Ju-Hai showed no surprise at the accusation. Instead, he simply narrowed
his eyes and demanded, "Who?"
Knowing how much her revelation would hurt the minister, Wu took a deep
breath. "Minister Ting Mei Wan," she said at last.
For several moments, Ju-Hai stared at the nobleman's daughter with an
incredulous look. Finally, he asked, "What makes you think Ting has betrayed
the emperor?"
His voice was calm and curious. It was impossible to tell whether he was
more interested in the issue of Ting's betrayal or the reason for Wu's
accusation.
"Jasmine."
"Flowers?"
"Blossoms," Wu responded. "I smelled them on the spy in the Garden of
the Virtuous Consort."
"And Ting Mei Wan perfumes herself with jasmine," Ju-Hai finished,
shaking his head almost imperceptibly. "Is that the basis of your suspicion?"
Wu shook her head. "She has been asking about Batu's plans."
"So have I," Ju-Hai responded. "Does that make me a spy?" Before Wu
could answer, the minister raised his hand. "Don't answer. You might lose the
only friend you have left."
Wu stood and took Ju-Hai's arm. Despite the affection she felt for the
minister, it was the first time she had touched him. "Ju-Hai," she said, "I could
never doubt you, but Ting is different. She even asked Ji- "
He freed his arm. "Do you have proof?"
Hurt by the rejection, Wu backed away and sat on the bench. "Not really,"
she responded. "When you arrived, I was just leaving to find some."
"Why?" Ju-Hai asked, studying her with the sharp eyes of an interrogator.
"Do you know something more?"
"No," Wu admitted, looking away. "But if Ting has something to tell her
masters, a dark night like tonight would be the time to go to a messenger."
"Then you are proceeding on no more than suspicion?"
Wu nodded.
The minister's face became less stern. "I suppose that is all you can do," he
allowed. "Ting is a smart woman. She would not be exposed any other way."
"So you believe me?" Wu asked, brightening.
"No," the mandarin answered bluntly. "I've known Ting Mei Wan for many
years, much longer than I've known you."
Wu turned away from the minister. If Ju-Hai would not help her, it would be
impossible to expose Ting's treachery.
A moment later, however, Ju-Hai said, "Still, I cannot dismiss such an
accusation lightly."
Wu turned to face the minister again. "Then you'll investigate?"
Ju-Hai shook his head. "Even if you're right, Ting is far too clever to give
herself away to me."
Wu frowned, sensing that the minister was leaving something unsaid. "So
you want me to go ahead and follow her?"
"I'm not saying that" the minister replied cautiously.
"You're not saying I should leave the matter to you or the emperor," Wu
observed.
"What you suggest is very dangerous," Ju-Hai said, fixing his eyes firmly on
hers. "If you are caught outside your house, I will be powerless to help you.
The emperor may conclude that Kwan is correct, and that both you and your
husband are traitors. I assume you have already thought about these
consequences."
Wu nodded. "I would be beheaded."
"Your servants and children as well," Ju-Hai added. "Where treason is
involved, even the Son of Heaven must be ruthless."
"I realize that." As Wu spoke the words, a wave of weakness rolled over
her body.
The minister stared at her with a demanding, merciless expression. "On the
other hand, if Batu does not defeat the barbarians soon, the emperor will still
conclude that you are traitors. It is a difficult choice. I would not wish to make
it."
"What are you saying?" Wu demanded, rising.
"I am saying nothing" Ju-Hai answered. He stared at her with cold,
dispassionate eyes. Suddenly, he bowed. "I only called to relay the news of
your father. If you'll excuse me, it's late and I should be going."
The minister turned and showed himself out of the main hall, leaving Wu
alone to puzzle over his words.
When Ju-Hai stepped out of the Batu compound, two different sets of
guards snapped to attention. One set was his personal bodyguard of six men,
which he had left outside Wu's home. The other set belonged to Ting. Until
tonight, he had assumed that they were protecting the Batu family from
Kwan's assassins. Now, he wondered if they were more dangerous than the
servants of the Minister of War.
He paused in the gate and looked down the street. The night was close,
and the air felt heavy with moisture. Overhead, the sky was moonless and
black. Beneath the walls of the Batu compound, the darkness was as
absolute. The minister could not see even the silhouettes of the guards that
he knew would be standing there. It seemed a fitting night for accusations of
treachery and betrayal.
Ju-Hai was not anxious to believe Wu, and he could find plenty of reason to
doubt her suspicions. Certainly, it was not unusual to smell jasmine in the
Virtuous Consort's garden. Though he had never been inside, he did not
doubt that the small park contained at least a few of the climbing shrubs. Even
if that was not the case, Ting was far from alone in using jasmine blossoms as
perfume.
As for asking about Batu's plan, the female mandarin could hardly be
blamed for her inquisitiveness. For nearly two months now, the general's
disappearance had been the primary source of court gossip. Even the
emperor had occasionally voiced his curiosity about what had happened to
the General of the Northern Marches and his hundred thousand pengs.
Still, Ju-Hai could not dismiss Wu's accusation out-of-hand. For several
months now, Ting had seemed more independent and power-hungry than
usual. He had taken this as a sign that she was growing more secure in her
position as a mandarin. He also saw that it could be a result of a secret
allegiance to a new master.
Ju-Hai was deeply fond of Ting. In a world of double deceits and elaborate
subterfuges, her undisguised mercenary streak seemed almost honest.
Though he had never trusted her completely, Ju-Hai had always felt that if he
knew what she wanted, he could work with her to achieve what he desired.
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