Hongzhi Year 18, Eighth Day of the Second Month.
Zhu Houzhao said "first do what can be done", I thought he'd go see those people on list. But he didn't. He slept whole day, from morning to dusk, in between Liu Jin went call three times, he turned over, said "sleep a bit more", then slept again.
I sitting in side room, staring at window ledge those two rabbit candy figures. One already melted, soft collapsed leaning on window frame, amber syrup flowing down, condensed into small patch. Another still hard, ears one long one short, silly.
Liu Jin came again. "His Highness awake, call you go over."
I pushed open bedchamber door. Zhu Houzhao sitting on bedside, hair loose, clothes wrinkled, eyes not yet fully open. Seeing me, yawned.
"Go."
"Where to?"
"Find Jiang Bin them."
"...You not said go see those people on list?"
"Tomorrow see." He grabbed handful peanuts from table, stuffed in sleeve. "Today have things."
"What things?"
He didn't answer, walked out.
We met at old place—that signless teahouse in west city. Jiang Bin already there, stick leaning by table, plate of peanuts before him, throwing one by one into mouth. Qian Ning sitting opposite, fan on table, holding cup of tea, today not smelling, drank.
Zhu Houzhao sat down heavily, I sat beside him. He took peanuts from sleeve, poured few into plate. Jiang Bin looked at plate, then looked at him.
"You from where take?"
"Palace."
"Palace still have peanuts?"
"Have. Imperial Kitchen plenty."
Jiang Bin didn't speak, reached hand grabbed handful.
Qian Ning put down teacup, looked at Zhu Houzhao. "Today not go see those people?"
"Tomorrow go."
"Then today do what?"
Zhu Houzhao took a stack of papers from sleeve, slapped on table. I leaned over looked—on it drew grids, wrote characters, also some strange patterns.
I paused three seconds.
Three Kingdoms Kill.
No. Not Three Kingdoms Kill. Cards not wrote "Kill" "Dodge" "Peach", wrote "Slashing" "Avoid" "Heal". Martial general names not Three Kingdoms characters—I looked carefully, on it wrote "Qin Qiong" "Yuchi Gong" "Cheng Yaojin". He changed Three Kingdoms Kill, changed into Sui Tang Heroes.
I looked up at Zhu Houzhao. His mouth corner upturned, face full of "look how amazing I am" expression.
"This what?" Jiang Bin picked up a paper, turned over and over to look.
"Game." Zhu Houzhao said.
"What game?"
"Fighting game."
Qian Ning also picked up one, looked. "This on wrote what? 'Slashing', 'Avoid', 'Heal'…"
"You take 'Slashing', others play 'Avoid', you can't hit. 'Heal' can save people."
Qian Ning looked at him. "You from where get?"
"Self drew. Last night couldn't sleep."
I looked at him. Last night whole night not sleep, turned over and over to look at that memorial, added few lines. I thought he thinking about Liu Jian matter, thinking about those fake medicines, thinking about those five names. But he drawing game cards?
"You last night not looking at memorial?" I asked.
"Looked tired then drew few strokes."
"Drew few strokes?"
He thought. "Drew till dawn."
Jiang Bin already picked up a card, started studying characters on it. He didn't know many, but looked very serious.
"'Slashing'," he read once. "This character I know."
"You know how to play?" Qian Ning asked.
"Won't." Zhu Houzhao pushed cards to my front. "She teach."
Three people all looked at me.
I picked up cards, looked. Martial general cards, identity cards, basic cards, trick cards—drew rough, but should have all have. Some characters wrote wrong, some grids drew crooked, but could see, he spent lots of effort. Sui Tang martial generals, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Cheng Yaojin, each person's skills all wrote crooked.
"How you know this game?" Qian Ning asked.
"Hometown small game."
"Your hometown where?"
"Very far place."
Qian Ning looked at me, didn't pursue.
I just about to explain rules, Zhu Houzhao suddenly inserted a sentence.
"Last time she told me," he said, took a crumpled paper from sleeve, on it drew few small people, wrote some characters, crooked. "I just noted down."
I paused. Last time? When? I didn't remember. Probably some time during dressing change casually mentioned, said before played a game, guess identity, play cards, hit each other. He remembered. Remembered so long.
Jiang Bin looked at that paper, then looked at me. "Your hometown still have this game?"
"Have." I said.
"Fun?"
"Fun."
"Then you teach."
I explained rules once. Identity, martial general, health, hand cards, distance. Jiang Bin asked twenty-something questions, half were "then can I hit who". Explained almost an hour, he finally understood.
"So," Jiang Bin said. "Each person draw one identity? Lord, Loyalist, Rebel, Spy?"
"Right."
"Lord do what?"
"Kill Rebels."
"Loyalist?"
"Protect Lord."
"Rebel?"
"Kill Lord."
"Spy?"
"Kill everyone."
Jiang Bin nodded. "Then who is Lord?"
Zhu Houzhao pointed at himself.
Jiang Bin looked at cards in hand. "Then I what?"
"You draw what is what."
Jiang Bin drew one, looked, didn't understand. "This on wrote what?"
"Loyalist."
"Loyalist do what?"
"Protect Lord."
Jiang Bin looked at Zhu Houzhao, put cards away. "Fine."
Qian Ning drew one, glanced, mouth corner twitched up, didn't speak.
"You what?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
"You guess."
Zhu Houzhao looked at him, didn't pursue. He turned to me. "Your turn."
I drew one. Opened to look—Rebel.
I looked at Zhu Houzhao, then looked at cards in hand. I am Rebel, he is Lord. I should kill him.
"What wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." I put cards away.
Game started.
Jiang Bin didn't know how to play, played cards all by instinct. He thought "Slashing" is hit people, so every round played "Slashing". Zhu Houzhao被他 (bei ta) slashed few times, lost lots of health.
"You are Loyalist!" Zhu Houzhao said. "Loyalist can't slash Lord!"
"Oh." Jiang Bin looked at cards in hand. "Then can I slash who?"
"Slash Rebel."
"Who is Rebel?"
Zhu Houzhao looked at Qian Ning, then looked at me. Qian Ning fanning, face carrying smile. I expressionless.
"Don't know." Zhu Houzhao said.
Jiang Bin thought, played a "Slashing", hit Qian Ning. Qian Ning played a "Avoid", missed.
"Why you hit me?" Qian Ning asked.
"Look like Rebel."
Qian Ning smiled, didn't speak. Turn to his play cards, he played a "Slashing", hit Zhu Houzhao. Zhu Houzhao didn't "Avoid", lost one health.
"You also Rebel?" Jiang Bin eyes wide.
"You guess." Qian Ning said.
Zhu Houzhao looked at his health bar, then looked at cards in hand. He played a "Heal", added one health. Then he played a "Slashing", hit Qian Ning. Qian Ning didn't "Avoid", lost one health.
"You hit me?" Qian Ning asked.
"You hit me." Zhu Houzhao said.
"I am Loyalist."
"You look like Rebel."
Qian Ning smiled, didn't refute.
Turn to my play cards. I looked at cards in hand—have one "Slashing", one "Avoid", one "Heal". My identity is Rebel, I should slash Lord. Zhu Houzhao only have two health left, I play a "Slashing", he left one. Next round play another, he dead.
I looked at Zhu Houzhao. He looking at cards in hand, eyebrows slightly frowning, like calculating. Broken hair hanging on forehead, by candlelight warmed.
I put "Slashing" back, played a "Avoid", pass.
"You not hit people?" Jiang Bin asked.
"No cards."
Zhu Houzhao looked up at me. Mouth corner twitched up, didn't speak.
Few rounds down, Jiang Bin finally understood rules. He played a "Slashing", hit Qian Ning, Qian Ning didn't "Avoid", lost one health. Played another "Slashing", Qian Ning still didn't "Avoid", lost another health. Qian Ning only left one health.
"You still not admit is Rebel?" Jiang Bin said.
Qian Ning looked at his health bar, smiled, flipped identity card—Loyalist.
Jiang Bin stunned. "You are Loyalist?"
"Mm."
"Then I hit wrong?"
"Hit wrong."
Jiang Bin looked at cards in hand, then looked at Zhu Houzhao. "Then who is Rebel?"
Zhu Houzhao looked at me. I also looked at him.
"You what?" he asked.
I didn't speak. I flipped identity card, placed on table—Rebel.
Jiang Bin looked at my card, then looked at Zhu Houzhao. "She want slash you."
"I know."
"You not slash her?"
Zhu Houzhao looked at cards in hand. He have one "Slashing", played can slash me. He looked at me, put "Slashing" back, played a "Avoid", pass.
"Why you not slash her?" Jiang Bin asked.
"No cards."
"You just clearly have 'Slashing'—"
"You saw wrong."
Jiang Bin looked at him, then looked at me, didn't speak.
Last round, Qian Ning played a "Slashing", hit Jiang Bin, Jiang Bin didn't "Avoid", died. He flipped identity card—Loyalist.
Qian Ning closed fan, looked at Zhu Houzhao, then looked at me.
"Spy meaning," he said, mouth corner upturned. "Is last alive one."
He stood up, bowed hands. "Two of you slowly play, I go first."
He left. Fan tucked in waist, moon-white long gown fluttering in wind, unhurried.
Teahouse only left us three. Jiang Bin already died,趴在 (趴) on table, didn't know if really tidying cards or pretending dead.
Zhu Houzhao looked at me. I also looked at him.
"You have a 'Slashing'." he said.
"How you know?"
"You just now always not use."
I didn't speak.
He leaned on chair back, hand spinning a peanut.
"Play it." he said.
I looked at cards in hand. One "Slashing". He only have one health. I play "Slashing", he dead. Rebel win.
I looked at him. He threw peanut in mouth, chewed.
"Not play." I said, put cards down.
"Why?"
"No cards left."
"You clearly have—"
"You saw wrong."
He looked at me, suddenly laughed. Not that mouth corner twitch light laugh, but real laugh, tiger teeth showing.
"Liar." he said.
He didn't wait for my answer, stood up, walked out. I followed him. Jiang Bin behind mumbled a sentence: "You two, play game all not honest."
Walking to door, Zhu Houzhao suddenly stopped.
"Tomorrow," he said. "Go see those people."
"Mm." I said.
"You go with me."
"Good."
He nodded, turned and walked.
I stood in place, watching his back disappear at lane end.
I reached hand into sleeve, felt that "Slashing". It still there.
I clenched it in palm, held a while, tucked into deepest.
(End of Chapter 27)