China by Edward Rutherfurd (historical books to read TXT) 📕

far side of the pond. Below the farmhouse, a narrow wooden bridge stretched across the water, and obviously led to the very path on which he was standing. He saw a horse tethered to the end of the bridge. And close to the middle of the bridge, two people were standing in the moonlight. Everything was still. There was not a sound. It was like a dream.

The two figures clearly had no idea he was there. Even if they’d looked his way, they probably wouldn’t have seen him in the shadow of the trees. Their faces were turned down, towards the pond below them. Of course, he realized, they were looking at the moon’s reflection in the water.

Who were they? Was it the beautiful woman? If so, was the man her husband, just arrived back from the town? He was slightly behind the woman, so it was hard to make him out. The horse was too good for a peasant to own.

Now the woman turned to look up at the sky, and her face was caught in the moonlight. He saw the face so clearly it almost took his breath away. It was the woman he’d seen before. No question. But she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

She must be about the same age as his own wife, he supposed. But whereas his wife, who came from a gentry family, with her bound feet and rich dresses, looked highborn but commonplace, this simple peasant woman was like a princess from ancient legend, a celestial being of some kind. It must be the moonlight, he told himself, that produced the strange spirit of grace that emanated from her—ageless, timeless.

A soft sound, between a whisper and a murmur, came across the water. She must have spoken to the man, who pulled slightly away from her, straightened, and looked boldly up at the moon.

Shi-Rong stared. He could see every detail now—the long hair of the Taiping, the face etched with lines of authority, the scar down his cheek. He knew that face. It was older, of course, but he was almost sure. It was Nio. Without meaning to, he let out a gasp of surprise.

Nio heard it. His senses must be sharp as a wild animal’s. His eyes searched the trees by the water’s edge. Could Nio spy him in the shadows?

Shi-Rong saw Nio glance past the end of the bridge. That must be where the path came out. Then Nio spoke. “Whoever you are, come out onto the bridge where I can see you.” His voice was very calm, his tone that of a commander who is used to being obeyed. He drew out a long knife. “If you do not, I shall come into the woods. I shall find you easily, and I will kill you.”

Shi-Rong hadn’t brought his sword with him when he set out on his walk. He suspected that even if he had, he wouldn’t have been a match for the former bandit. He had no wish to die ignominiously on some obscure path in the woods. He’d rather meet Nio face-to-face.

“Wait,” he said, with what he hoped was equal authority. It took him only a few moments to follow the path to where it led onto the bridge. He stepped onto it, keeping his head down. When he was about a dozen paces from Nio, he stopped and looked up.

“Good evening, Nio,” he said. “Do you remember me?”

The look of astonishment on Nio’s face was very satisfying. “Mr. Jiang!”

“Last time we met you were running away from me in a dragon boat. My question is, what in the world are you doing here? I see you’re a Taiping bandit now, but I didn’t think they were operating in these parts.”

“They’re not. I went home to see my family. I’m on my way back.”

“And I’m the magistrate. We’re looking for rebels. I’ll have to arrest you.”

“I can’t allow that.” Nio’s hand went back to his knife. “I don’t want to kill you, Mr. Jiang, but if you try to arrest me, I’ll have to.”

“No, Little Brother!” the woman cried out in terror. “Do not bring that upon us.”

“She’s right,” said Shi-Rong. And turning to the beautiful woman: “Are you harboring this man? Why do you call him Little Brother?”

The woman looked lost, but Nio intervened. “When I was a boy, Mr. Jiang, I ran away from home. Her family took me in, saved my life. She was like a sister to me. Whenever I make a journey this way, I look in to see that she’s all right.” He gestured to his horse. “I just arrived a few moments ago, as you see.” He smiled. “We’re out on the bridge because her family won’t have me in the house.”

Shi-Rong watched the woman. She loved Nio. He could see that. He was also pretty sure Nio was telling the truth. “She appears to be doing well enough,” Shi-Rong said drily. He indicated the farm. “Big house.”

“But falling apart,” said Nio. “The family’s ruined.” He gave Shi-Rong a bleak look. “The usual story. Opium.”

“Which I tried to stop,” Shi-Rong reminded him.

And which I helped to smuggle, Nio thought sadly. They looked at each other in silence for a moment. “The woman and her family have no part in this, I promise you,” he said.

Shi-Rong nodded. “We have no interest in them.”

“I’m going to ride away.”

“I shall ride after you.”

Nio allowed himself a faint smile. “You didn’t catch me last time.”

“I shall catch you.”

“Then one of us will die.” Nio gave a wry grimace. “Perhaps both of us.” He turned to the woman. “Goodbye, Big Sister. Take care of yourself.” Then without another word he strode towards his horse, mounted, and rode away towards the lane.

Shi-Rong watched him go. “That lane up there,” he asked the woman, “it leads to the village?” She nodded. He might as well return that way then, he thought. No point in taking the dark path through the woods again.

But he did not move.

Should he