"When did you sneak this in?" he demanded.
Wu uttered an astonished objection, but her breath had not returned and she managed nothing but a feeble gasp.
The sergeant dropped the rope over Wu's body. "What kind of a mother abandons her children to join her traitorous husband?"
Wu finally drew a breath, then hissed, "How dare you!"
She pointed at the west wall. "The spy is escaping. After him!"
The guard did not bother to look up. "The only spy I see is lying here."
The green-armored sergeant arrived, carrying Yo in his arms. Though the girl had clearly been sobbing a moment ago, she was now too frightened to cry.
"You can't be serious!" said the sergeant in green. "This woman is no spy!"
The soldier in blue, one of Kwan's men, met the eyes of his counterpart. "I suppose Minister Kwan will have to decide that." He did not order his subordinate to move the polearm away from Wu's throat. She realized that only the presence of Ting's guards kept the man from executing her on the spot.
8
Jasmine
Wu kneeled in a traditional kowtow, her forehead pressed to the floor and her arms stretched out in front of her torso. A tiny pool of perspiration had formed beneath her brow, making the marble feel cold and clammy. Her knees ached horribly and her shoulders were as stiff as those of a statue. At her side, Ji restlessly mimicked his mother's position, his graceful little form folded into an elegant egg-shape. Yo had long since tumbled into a heap and lay asleep on the cold stone. Mercifully, the guards had taken pity on the child and let her rest.
The mother and her children had been awaiting the emperor for over two hours. After allowing the spy in the Celestial Garden to escape unpursued, the two sets of guards had argued about whether Wu should be taken to Minister Kwan or to Minister Ting. They had finally compromised by bringing her to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the emperor himself could determine what was to be done with her.
At night, lit only by flickering torches, the Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed more an immense and ominous grotto than an architectural wonder. The incessant click-click-click of boots on stone echoed from the murkiness overhead, where unseen guards were making their rounds on dark balconies. Somewhere in the shadowy perimeter, a lone cricket sang its song. A gentle breeze carried the scent of persimmon blossoms through the room.
Finally, Wu heard the doors open behind her, and someone shuffled across the room. Two more people followed the first, the sounds of their steps echoing off the walls with a purposeful cadence. By tucking her chin against her breastbone and looking beneath her armpits, Wu could increase her field of vision enough to observe the areas to either side of her. She saw Minister Kwan totter into view, followed a short time later by Ting Mei Wan. They both went to take their customary seats, moving out of Wu's narrow range of vision.
The third walker stopped to the kneeling mother's right. Ju-Hai Chou bent down and gently awakened Yo. "Come, my child. You're about to meet the Son of Heaven," he said. "Don't you want to show him your respect?"
At the mention of the emperor, Yo grew alert. "The Divine One?" she asked. "Father's master?"
"Yes," Ju-Hai replied, gently moving her into a kowtow. "Everybody's master."
The minister had barely finished speaking before Wu heard the officious steps of several men directly ahead. It would have been disrespectful to lift her head, but Wu did not need to see the Divine One to know that his entourage had entered the hall. Ju-Hai returned to his feet and executed a deep bow. The guards snapped to attention with a sharp clatter of equipment.
To Wu's surprise, Ju-Hai remained next to Yo.
The emperor took his seat, then said, "What is this all about, Minister Chou?"
"I'm not sure I know, Divine One," Ju-Hai responded. "Minister Kwan sent a messenger to my house claiming to have captured a spy and asking me to arrange a special audience. Naturally, I sent word to you and suggested we meet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony." Ju-Hai waved a hand at Yo, Ji, and Wu. In a voice of exaggerated puzzlement, he said, "When we arrived, all I saw was this woman and her two children."
Wu breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least she had one ally present.
"They are General Batu's wife and children," Ju-Hai continued. "Obviously, there has been some mistake."
"Minister Kwan?" the emperor asked, his silk robe swishing as he shifted in his seat.
"There has been no mistake," the old man replied sharply. "We are all aware of the reports regarding General Batu's desertion—"
"Wild rumors," interrupted Ju-Hai. "Probably started by a jealous rival," he added pointedly.
"We shall see." The emperor's robes hissed as he turned away from Ju-Hai and Kwan. "Minister Ting, can State Security shed any light on this?"
"Perhaps," she replied cautiously. "We have been investigating each rumor, as you instructed."
Wu nearly gasped out loud. The news that the emperor was having her husband's loyalty investigated came as a shock. Until now, she had taken the Divine One's trust in Batu as a given, for the Son of Heaven had extended every courtesy to her and the children. Wu felt angry, dismayed, and betrayed. Only the fact that she was kneeling before the emperor himself prevented her from rising to vent her wrath.
"And what have you found, Minister?" the emperor asked.
"Very little," Ting replied. "Though General Batu's disappearance has made many people suspicious of him, no one can provide the slightest proof of any disloyalty."
"Proof!" Kwan stormed. Though Wu could not see the old minister from her angle, it almost seemed she could feel him pointing an accusing finger at her. "Batu's wife was abandoning her children to join the traitor. What greater proof do you need?"
Ji jumped to his feet. "Liar!" he screamed.
Behind Wu, the guards gasped, but she smiled at her child's boldness. No one had given her permission to rise, so she made no move to silence him.
"Ji," Ju-Hai said, grasping the boy's shoulder. "This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony. You mustn't say such things here."
The boy jerked free of the minister's grip and ignored the reproach. "He's lying! Mama wouldn't leave us."
"I understand that this is difficult for you, my child," Kwan said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "You mustn't worry. Shou Lung will always care for you, no matter what your mother has done."
"She hasn't done anything!" Ji insisted.
"That isn't for you to say," Kwan replied, his voice growing angry.
Oblivious to the old man's threatening tone, Ji responded. "You weren't even there!"
"That's enough!" Kwan roared, an angry swish of silk indicating that he was rising to his feet. "Remove the children!"
"No," the emperor countered. "The boy is right. Tell me what happened in the Virtuous Consort's garden."
Being addressed by the Divine One himself doused the fire in Ji's heart. He swallowed, looked to his mother's prone form for reassurance, then finally turned back to the emperor.
"We saw something in the tree," he said, looking at the floor. His voice was now quiet and weak.
"What?" asked the emperor. "What did you see?"
"A man."
"Are you sure?" the Divine One asked. "Could it have been something else, like an owl or a cat?"
Ji frowned and looked at his sister uncertainly. She shook her head sternly, and Ji turned back to the Son of Heaven. "No," he said. "We're sure. It was a man."