“Is that it?” Zhu Fei demanded. “Why of all people did you insist on choosing our young master? Are you some kind of agent sent by the Tule clan?”
Xiao Mu had never been confronted like this before. He took an involuntary step back, but his voice was stubborn. “Who the spy is is plain as day — what has that got to do with me? If you won’t let me go, I’ll find another way to live. I’m not going to let you heap a basin of filth on my head.”
He was only a street urchin, but he wasn’t the sort to betray his country. He had no chance yet to serve, but he dreamed of becoming a great general. He was small now, but he swore to himself he would one day join the army and wear armor that made people stand tall.
Mu Fengqie had been watching him the whole time. Her instinct told her this kid wasn’t bad — after all, it had been him who’d saved them today. They couldn’t kick him while he was down.
“You can’t come with me,” she said finally. “If that’s not enough, take twenty taels of silver. Live properly with that.”
Twenty taels could set a common family right for years. To Mu Fengqie it was nothing; to Xiao Mu it was an enormous temptation. She saw at once why she shouldn’t let a child like him shadow her: he looked no older than twelve, and danger was threaded through her life now. She wouldn’t drag a boy onto the knife’s edge.
Yet Xiao Mu surprised her. He turned down the money.
“I don’t want your silver,” he said. “I didn’t save you for coin. I’m going to be a great general someday — a hero. I may be small now, but I can tell you’re not ordinary. If I follow you, I’ll have a chance.”
As he spoke he pictured himself in glittering armor, chest forward and banners snapping in the wind. Mu Fengqie found herself seeing him differently. A beggar with such ambition — maybe he was worth a chance.
“All right,” she said, smiling. “If you’re truly sincere, you can come with me.”
Jing Xunche’s young master was uncommonly kind, Zhu Fei thought in disbelief. She was irritated — a young liar trusted so quickly — but since the decision was made, she had no right to argue.
Xiao Mu’s eyes widened in joy. From that moment he believed his life had changed: he would serve the country. He fell into step behind them, chattering eagerly; Zhu Fei, however, turned her face away and refused to indulge him.
Mu Fengqie shook her head. Zhu Fei was prickly by nature; perhaps, she thought, with time the two of them would temper each other.
They did not return to the prefect’s compound until nightfall. Jing Xunche had just come back from the barracks. The Tule clan had tested the city’s defences all day, but hadn’t attacked. Together with Ouyang Heng, Jing had been working through contingencies, yet the enemy’s intentions remained opaque.
“Where have you been?” Jing asked, worry in his voice. “The city isn’t safe. Don’t go out unless you must. Once the situation calms, we’ll leave.”
His hand went to the small curve of her belly. The child she carried was already visible. In a few months they would have a newborn; she couldn’t keep exhausting herself like this.
Mu Fengqie wanted to tell him everything she had seen — but then she spotted General Wang and Ouyang Heng approaching behind Jing and fell silent. She couldn’t risk speaking of it in front of Wang. Not yet. Any slip might alarm him.
Jing noticed her hesitation. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” she said, changing the subject quickly. “How are things with the Fifth Prince?”
“Relief forces should arrive in about three days,” Jing said, stroking her hair and trying to soothe her. “Pingzhou won’t fall. Don’t worry.”
Lowering her voice, Mu Fengqie leaned close and said, “Find a way to draw General Wang away.”
He looked puzzled but obeyed. “I might have an excuse. General Wang — could you return to camp and fetch my draft papers? Those sketches are important; I can’t afford to lose them.”
General Wang nodded and left the compound at Jing’s request. Ouyang Heng watched the exchange with a flicker of suspicion; something was happening.
“Let’s talk inside,” Mu Fengqie said. “This has to stay between us.”
They led the others into a room and had Xiao Mu washed and brushed. Only the most trusted remained. Mu Fengqie scanned their faces and spoke slowly.
“General Wang is trouble. I saw him sneaking into a small room today. He’s probably a spy for the enemy.”
Ouyang Heng laughed outright. He couldn’t take her seriously. “Impossible. General Wang would never betray the Qian court. I’ve ridden with him all my life. He’s loyal.”
Mu Fengqie had suspected he wouldn’t be convinced. She herself had been shaken when she realized the truth, but the facts felt unmistakable to her. She pressed on.
“You don’t have to trust me,” she said. “But can we afford to ignore anyone who might be a spy? The prefect surely doesn’t want Pingzhou to fall. I beg you — investigate General Wang carefully. If he is a traitor, the city will be in grave danger.”