Cai Yun stared at him incredulously. ‘I have no recollection of what was in that chest,’ he said impatiently. ‘Do as you see fit. Find the thieves and save us some trouble.’
Han bowed in farewell and stepped back. Cai Yun returned to the official and they resumed their conversation in much quieter tones, casting Han a few disparaging glances as he retreated back to the village.
His gamble had paid off. He now knew that Cai Yun was working for someone else. Han also had the impression that his master must be a man of some influence. As a servant, Cai Yun carried himself with the arrogance of someone who was used to being obeyed; someone who had a protector powerful enough to stand up to the warlord Wang Shizhen.
* * *
‘We have a cat!’
Li Feng decided she had ‘rested’ enough and finally made it down from the loft to be met by the little boy at the bottom of the stairs. He was an irresistible creature, mostly head with eyes that took up most of his face. His hair was gathered into a little knot over the top of his head and he stared up at her expectantly.
‘He catches mice,’ he announced, when she didn’t respond.
‘He must be a very good cat,’ she said.
The boy continued to stare at her, unblinking and utterly fascinated, until his mother called for him. He ran through the dining room on wobbly legs that carried more intention than co-ordination.
The tavern was relatively empty this late in the morning. A group of elderly men sat in the corner, drinking tea and talking of this and that. There were several workmen moving about, carrying sacks and baskets into the kitchen.
The tavern keeper’s wife came to Li Feng from across the room. The boy promptly wrapped his arms around his mother’s knee as soon as she stopped. He peered out at Li Feng from his position of safety.
‘Little Sister, you should be lying down.’
‘I feel much better. Thought it would be good to get some air.’
In truth, her stomach fluttered with anxiety, wondering what Han had found out.
‘It’s almost time for the mid-day meal. We’ll eat together.’ She was already heading for the kitchen, making it impossible to refuse. ‘My name is Yiyi.’
‘Li Feng.’
‘That’s a grand name for you. You’re so tall.’
At some point, little Ping transferred his allegiance over to Li Feng, tottering along at her heels as she trailed after Yiyi. The smaller woman slipped through the curtain that divided the kitchen from the main room and Li Feng followed her.
The smell of hot oil and spices assailed her. The kitchen was a bustle of activity in contrast to the quietness of the dining room. There was a large stove with several pots on boil atop it. The tavern keeper stood off to the side, overseeing the workmen as they stacked sacks of rice in a storage area.
‘Oh, no!’ Yiyi dragged her back out to the dining room and seated Li Feng at a table beside the window. ‘You are a guest, Little Sister.’
There was little to do but sit dutifully and wait. The men in the corner paid her no notice. They seemed to be conversing about the boats on the river. The bamboo shutters had been propped up to let in light from all sides. Li Feng looked out to the rest of the village, hoping to catch a glimpse of Han.
It was a quiet and secluded place, though there seemed to be more activity than she’d seen the day before. Li Feng had always preferred the noise of the cities, for her ears to be filled with music and conversation rather than the solitude of her own thoughts.
The aforementioned cat made an appearance, sauntering out of some corner to wind between the legs of the bench. Its ears were black-tipped and its fur sleek in a pattern of white and grey. Given how the creature seemed to be loitering around the table with anticipation, it was likely he fed on more than just mice. Yiyi shooed the cat away as she reappeared with an armful of dishes and bowls. She set them out on the table and disappeared again, re-emerging with more dishes and a pot of tea.
‘Ping,’ Yiyi admonished the boy when he started climbing on to the bench beside Li Feng.
‘It’s no trouble. Let him stay.’ Li Feng helped the child seat himself. His legs dangled from the bench and his head barely reached the table.
‘You like children,’ Yiyi observed with a sly look.
‘Yes. Yes, I like them very much.’
Was she supposed to blush? Smile proudly? Li Feng was a better dancer than she was an actress.
Yiyi ladled out two bowls of soup for the both of them and a smaller bowl for Ping. ‘What does your husband do?’
Husband. Han was supposed to be her husband.
‘He catches…fish.’
‘No wonder he’s so well built and strong. And so handsome too!’
Pretending to be married was awkward, but pretending to be married to Han was excruciating. She considered telling Yiyi, in a fit of ill humour, how Han tied her up and wanted to keep her locked away. Instead she took a spoonful of soup. It was a rich broth flavored with braised pork bones in a mix of wine and garlic.
‘I’ve embarrassed you now,’ Yiyi said.
‘No, not at all.’
‘I can see how he dotes on you.’
‘Dotes on me?’ she asked incredulously. Yiyi had to be teasing her.
‘He spoils you so, you lucky woman.’
Well, of course Han had to appear to care for her. It was part of their ruse. Maybe this bit about being husband and wife was why she was becoming confused about them. They had only spent two days in each other’s company, but their time together already seemed quite intimate and personal. She had never confided so much to anyone else.
‘Your husband seems a very good man as well,’ Li Feng replied.
‘That oaf?’
At that moment, the husband came out of the kitchen. With a roar, he picked up Ping and swung the child into his lap as he sat. Li Feng could see that any complaint that Yiyi had about her husband was in jest. Li Feng’s chest squeezed tight with longing as she watched them together. They were happy.
Yiyi made quick introductions. Her husband’s name was Wei. He was broad shouldered and had an endearing habit of talking out of the side of his mouth. He had inherited the tavern from his father.
‘The old man knew a hundred recipes for soup,’ Wei boasted. ‘One recipe has over twenty-five ingredients, some of them very rare.’
They ate together in harmony and Li Feng marvelled at the sumptuousness of the feast. It was even more extravagant than the parade of dishes she and Han had enjoyed last night.
‘Really, you must allow my husband to pay you,’ Li Feng said, happily volunteering Han for what was likely a substantial bill.
Wei raised his hand in refusal. ‘Don’t think of it. We’ve had some good years.’
‘Things seem busy here today.’ Li Feng watched as one of the workmen came out from the kitchen and exited the tavern.
‘Tomorrow is loading day,’ Wei explained. ‘The salt from the wells is transported to boats to be shipped.’
‘Good business for us,’ Yiyi chimed in. ‘But very busy.’
So they had been stocking up supplies to feed the hungry labourers. ‘Is that also why the government official is in the village?’ Li Feng asked.
Wei nodded. ‘He’s from the Salt Commission. Everything has to be weighed and recorded and loaded on to authorised boats. It’s a long process…’
* * *
‘They’ll be working from sunrise to nearly sunset,’ Li Feng reported.
After Han returned from his investigations, Li Feng had claimed to not be feeling well once again. Yiyi had dinner brought up to the loft and left them to their privacy.
‘Everyone will be focused on transporting the salt and loading the boats.’ She was quite proud to have gathered useful information, despite being relegated to the sick bed.
‘That must be why Cai Yun is here,’ he suggested. ‘If he’s made a deal with the agent, he might divert a part of the supply for himself. Sell it on his own for a greater profit.’
‘I never realised there was so much money to be gained from salt.’
‘A river of money,’ Han said. ‘And an ocean of greed to accompany it.’
He met her eyes with a determined, almost feverish look. Her stomach fluttered until she realised his gaze wasn’t directed at her.
‘I want to catch them,’ he declared. ‘Cai Yun and the corrupt agent from the Salt Commission. The agent is a public official, sworn to uphold his duty to the state, yet he’s abusing his position. That makes him the worst of criminals.’
‘What are you going to do? Report them?’
‘There are severe penalties for bringing a false accusation before the magistrate. Let me think here.’ That crease in his brow was starting to become a familiar sight. ‘All salt production has to be carefully weighed and reported. There will be records in the main building of the salt works. I need to get inside that wall.’
‘If the guards are concerned about smugglers, they’ll be stationed at the river to guard the boats tomorrow,’ she reasoned.
‘It has to be tomorrow then. I’ll go in under the guise of one of the labourers.’
‘Just you? We’ll both go.’
‘Li Feng, I’m not certain—’
‘Are you afraid I can’t protect myself?’
‘That’s not it exactly.’ He rubbed a knuckle along his jaw, the answer sticking in his throat. Once again, he was being infuriatingly stubborn.
‘What is it?’ she demanded
‘If you help me, I would owe you a debt. It would…it would confuse things. You already have me confused as it is.’
She liked the sound of that. Han prided himself on boundaries and his sense of restraint. She wouldn’t mind if he found her a distraction. He should be tormented, just a little. She shouldn’t be the only one so affected by their time together.
‘So what did you discover today, thief-catcher?’
Han looked grateful to be back on a neutral topic. ‘Cai Yun has been seen about the village once before and everyone assumes he’s someone influential, but don’t know anything about him otherwise. From his manner, he’s acting on behalf of someone. Also he seems afraid of something, or someone. He flinched when I mentioned General Wang.’
‘Everyone is afraid of Wang Shizhen,’ she muttered.
The southern region of the province was even more remote and secluded from imperial control than the rest of the province. Wang had been seizing power city by city, growing his army so that no one dared to challenge him.
‘And he doesn’t know about the jade pendant. It appears the entire shipment belongs to someone else and he’s acting on orders.’
She tried not to show her disappointment, but it must have shown anyway, because Han placed a piece of fish into her bowl to console her. Or maybe he just wanted her to finish up.
‘I did find out where he comes from,’ he said. ‘A man like that doesn’t travel alone. Cai Yun was rather tight-lipped, but his porters were drinking tea on the other side of the village. He’s returning to Minzhou once his business is completed here. Whatever business that may be.’
‘Minzhou?’
‘A prefecture capital just west of here,’ he replied, stuffing more rice into his mouth.
A strange look crossed his face when he mentioned the city. She had never been to Minzhou, but Han seemed familiar with it. He was so well travelled that he probably had past associations in many places.
Now there was silence. The rice was gone. There was nothing but empty dishes on the tray.
‘You know it would be useful to have someone with you tomorrow,’ she said finally. ‘Why won’t you just ask me?’
He gave her a half-smile. ‘You might not want to help a thief-catcher.’
Li Feng turned her teacup around once in her hands. Maybe Han wasn’t the only one confused.
It wasn’t as if he were truly helping her in return. He just smelled some larger conspiracy and was doing his part to uphold justice and order. Yet her gut told her they were in this venture together. She had become involved with reckless undertakings before, with much less trustworthy people.
‘Maybe I want you to be in debt to me, thief-catcher,’ she said sweetly.
Her taunt made him pause. The muscle in his jaw flexed and she wondered how long his resolve would last if she did try to push against it. How long would hers last?
‘We’ll need to act as if we’re leaving early tomorrow.’ He tried to continue as if nothing had passed between them, but she could sense the minute tension that travelled along his spine. They were inescapably aware of one another. ‘Cai Yun and the agent from the Salt Commission believe I was sent by General Wang. They’ll be wary of doing anything underhanded while we’re… Why are you making that face?’
She grimaced as if in pain. ‘I told the tavern keeper’s wife a different story.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I told her that you were a fisherman.’
‘A fisherman?’ He made his own face. ‘You couldn’t make up a better profession for me?’
‘There was a whole steamed fish on the table, looking at me. When Yiyi asked me about you, it was all I could think of. We’ve only been married for one day, you know.’
He blew out an agitated breath. ‘No matter, we’re leaving tomorrow.’
‘But not really leaving.’
‘Right.’ He shot her a cross look. ‘Fisherman,’ he muttered beneath his breath.
Chapter Eight
H
an steered the wheelbarrow along the dirt path that led to the salt works. They had waited until late in the afternoon, at a time when most of the labourers were out loading the boats, to make their attempt. A pair of guards stood watch at the front gate which had been propped open due to all the traffic in and out.
‘What is this?’ one of the guards asked.
Han had replaced his robe with a long shirt made of hemp and loose trousers to blend in with the other workmen. ‘
Baijiu,
a gift from the gentleman from Minzhou.’
The guard lifted one of the jugs of rice wine and inspected the red label. ‘Everyone will be quite thirsty after working so hard today.’
Han nodded and chuckled. ‘Indeed.’
‘Go on in.’ He waved them through, conveniently tucking the jug beneath his arm rather than returning it to the wheelbarrow.
Spying from the trees had given them a chance to plan out their route. There was what appeared to be a set of storehouses beside the area where the labourers gathered for meals. Han settled the wheelbarrow behind the cover of the buildings, then shoved the wine jugs aside. A wooden slat had been fitted into the cart to create a hidden compartment. Li Feng wriggled out from it and handed him his
dao
. She took a moment to stretch out her limbs while he strapped on his sword belt.
‘Only four guards at the gate,’ he told her. ‘The rest of the compound is nearly empty, but there’s still a lookout up in the watchtower.’
‘Wei said the loading work continues until sundown.’
They stayed against the side of the storehouses and crept between the buildings. The front entrance to the main building was easily visible from the gate or the watchtower, but Li Feng had targeted a second-storey window on the side. They stood below it now.
Han made a final scan of the area. ‘Go,’ he said.
She would have to make quick work of it. With a few running steps to lead in, Li Feng stepped up the wall, caught her first handhold, lifted herself, caught another one until she was pulling herself into the window. She moved as if weightless, with hardly any effort at all. He didn’t even have time to blink.
A moment later, a rope snaked down the side of the building. He gave it a tug before beginning his own climb. As soon as he was inside, he pulled the rope up behind him. The interior was still and quiet. A quick search showed that the top floor contained the private chambers and sleeping areas.
They moved downstairs. At the bottom, the sound of footsteps down the hall chased them into the dark corner beneath the stairs. They crouched there, listening and waiting. Li Feng gave him a sideways look as he crushed himself against her. Though she said nothing, her eyes carried all the reproach required.
The footsteps receded and he and Li Feng were moving once more. They slipped inside the front office and shut
the door.
Han began rifling through the scrolls and papers on top of the writing desk. He could just make out the characters in the fading daylight.
‘What are you looking for?’ she whispered. Li Feng remained by the door, with an ear pressed to the wood.
‘Records of some kind. Official documents.’
Han wasn’t exactly sure himself. He found a thick ledger book and scanned the entries at the end. There were pages of figures stamped with an official chop. It would have to do. He wound a strip of cloth around the book and tied the makeshift pack around his back. With a nod to Li Feng, they retraced their steps back to the outside. Unfortunately, they returned to the storehouse to find their wheelbarrow was gone.
‘Death take me,’ he cursed.
Li Feng remained surprisingly calm. As if he didn’t admire her enough already.
‘You’ll be able to walk out the front gate,’ she said. ‘I can find my own way out.’
‘Absolutely not. We go together.’
She looked around the compound. ‘All right, from the top of the storehouse, we might be able to jump on to the fence and then over.’
Han looked at the barrier sceptically. The bamboo fence was over two man-lengths high and cut at a slant to create sharp points at the ends. They would be impaled if they misjudged the jump and climbing on to the storehouse would certainly put them in sight of the lookout tower.
‘I have a different plan,’ he suggested.
‘What would that be?’
‘We go out the front gate, as you said.’
She frowned at him, but followed without protest as he went towards the tower of the nearest salt well. They stayed low and hid behind the extensive scaffolding at the base. He searched through the bamboo piping and found a set that led towards the brine vats.
‘The wells produce fumes that can make the workers sick,’ he explained, following the piping. ‘The best way to be rid of the poisonous air is to burn it and then the workers use the flame to boil the brine. Don’t breathe too deeply.’
Li Feng backed away as he broke open the bamboo pipe with the hilt of his
dao
.
‘There’s nothing there,’ she said when he returned to her side.
‘You can’t see the poison.’
Han found a lantern and struck a flint to light it. Keeping as far back as possible, he threw the lantern towards the broken pipe. The paper shell ignited instantly. Li Feng let out a shout as plumes of flame licked out towards them.
By the time they returned to the storage area, the gong was already sounding from the tower. The few remaining workers rushed to the fire. As shorthanded as they were, the guards at the front gate were forced to leave their post to see to the catastrophe.
‘Now,’ Han said.
They made their escape into the surrounding forest.
* * *
Hours later, they were situated in their temporary hideout, a makeshift shelter they had built in the woods. The area was removed from the road and situated outside the boundaries of the village.
The evening was upon them and the clack and buzz of night insects filled the air. Han scanned the ledger book by the meagre light of an oil lamp while Li Feng appeared to be searching the ground for snakes.
‘I think it would be safer to sleep in the trees,’ she said. ‘I’ve done it before.’
‘What if you fall? You could break your neck.’
‘I never fall.’
Han turned the page and held it close to the flickering light, trying to focus on the reports.
‘You can read all that?’ she asked.
He nodded with an affirmative grunt. Reading was one thing, but comprehending it all was another. The book contained a meticulous log of operations within the salt works, complete with reports of official inspections, but if there was any evidence of wrongdoing, it was beyond him to decipher. The result was a headache and it didn’t help that Li Feng watched him with such rapt attention.
‘That’s quite impressive,’ she purred.
‘What?’ He held up the book. ‘This?’
She touched a hand to her cheek in what might have been the most girlish gesture he’d seen from her. ‘What woman doesn’t dream of marrying a scholar?’
‘Failed scholar,’ he reminded her.
Li Feng laughed. The lamplight was warm on her skin and set her face aglow. It was an easy sort of laughter. Genuine, not teasing or flirting or coy. It spoke of all they had just done together. Outwardly, it involved subterfuge and theft and the destruction of property, but inwardly… Inside, his heart was suddenly pounding. He turned a page and the characters faded before his eyes, forgotten.
He was in trouble.
‘I’m afraid of you, Wen Li Feng,’ he confessed.
‘I didn’t think Thief-catcher Han would be afraid of anything.’
Setting the book aside, he placed two fingers beneath her chin to tilt her face towards him. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to become accustomed to having you by my side.’
Her lips curved and that smile was his undoing. If he kissed her now, he could capture it for eternity. At least he could claim this moment. He lowered his head towards Li Feng while she pressed closer to him.
The snap and rustle of movement in the woods stopped them both.
Li Feng bent to extinguish the lamp. Before the flame went to smoke, Han saw her touch a hand to her sleeve. With as little movement as possible, he ducked outside the shelter to see several lights floating in the distance. Lanterns. Someone was moving through the brush.
‘Leave them. They won’t find us here,’ Li Feng urged as he straightened.
‘I need to see what they’re about.’
She made an impatient noise, but stood to follow him anyway. Li Feng was a rare sort of woman. Fearless. He had known during that first chase over the rooftops that she would be his match.
After a few minutes outside, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The moonlight cast the forest into black against deeper black. The dark figures were moving towards the river. Han let them gain more distance before attempting to follow.
They stopped at a clearing long before reaching the water. It appeared the lanterns had been fashioned out of thick layers of paper to block the light. What filtered through was dimmed, but there was enough illumination to reveal six or seven men. Han could make out several carts packed high with sacks. The cargo had been placed there ahead of time, to be retrieved under the cover of night.
When he’d first started thief-catching, Han had assumed salt bandits were dirty thieves, lurking in the dark and raiding salt farms. He’d come to learn that the business of salt smuggling was much more organised.
He tapped on Li Feng’s shoulder to signal a retreat. There was nothing more he could do here besides gather information. Apprehending a gang like this required some planning.
‘Who’s there?’
Han cursed at himself. He’d missed the presence of a rear lookout. Li Feng tensed beside him, but she didn’t remain immobile for long. Together, they started for the forest while the smugglers gave chase. Han had no account of their numbers any longer, but from the shouts around him, he knew that he and Li Feng were being flanked. Not good. Beside him, he heard the whisper of a blade being unsheathed. Li Feng had her short sword in hand as she planted her feet to face the pursuers. He followed her instinct and drew his
dao
.
At the sight of the weapons, a few of the smugglers fell back. The men were meagrely armed with clubs and sickles, but they still had sheer numbers on their side. Brute force could readily defeat a skilled sword.
Han took advantage of their hesitation. ‘Over here!’ he shouted into the night, directing it towards his supposedly hidden comrades.
The simple ploy seemed to shake them. The smugglers broke formation, what little formation they had to begin with, and Han took the moment to charge. A cry of pain punctuated the darkness to his right. Li Feng had already drawn blood. A moment later, his
dao
also sliced through cloth and into flesh.
Trained fighters were rare among such gangs. These men were confused and lashing out in fear and blind instinct. Han repositioned himself and assessed the situation. Visibility was low, but it seemed their numbers had thinned considerably.
After fending off a few swipes from the crude weaponry, Han turned to search for Li Feng, but she had disappeared.
* * *
Li Feng sheathed her sword. There were two men chasing her through the trees and the gleam of metal could be used to track her. As she pulled away from her pursuers, the woods closed around her, looming with dark shadows.
She wasn’t alarmed. In the night blindness, she started relying on touch—her footing on the ground, her hands scraping against the brush. She had grown up surrounded by mountains and wilderness.
After she had gained some distance, Li Feng launched herself up into a tree and settled behind the cover of the branches where she remained as still and watchful as an owl. The pursuers never even ran by underfoot. She had lost them.
She stayed crouched, waiting and listening. Her sense of direction was unassailable. The river was to her right, the village slightly north of that. She could find her way back to their hideout once she was safe. She strained to listen for the sounds of fighting, but she was too far away to hear anything. A knot formed in her stomach at the thought of Han fighting outnumbered in the darkness. He could be injured and helpless, bleeding out on to the ground.
Such an imagination! She had to trust Han to defend himself. These were untrained bandits, and not particularly stealthy ones. They were no match for Han.
Li Feng stilled as a lone figure passed by below her carrying a lantern. She couldn’t discern his facial features, but she was certain that he didn’t have Han’s stature or build. He appeared to be heading towards the village.
Her fingers started to twitch. This was a dangerous situation and she had no business chasing after bandits. That was Han’s obsession, not hers. She was safe up here. What she ought to do was stay put until daybreak.
Still, there was only one man. She had the cover of darkness and she had her sword. If there was any threat, she could disappear again into the trees.
Climbing down, she landed soundlessly on the ground and kept her distance. A lantern bobbed in the darkness ahead. The man was moving rapidly, but there was an unevenness to his gait. As she reached the far edge of the village, her heart seized. The bandit was sneaking into the tavern. Yiyi and little Ping were in there, asleep and defenceless.
Li Feng broke into a run, lungs filling with air and muscles straining. Drawing her sword, she entered the main room and prepared to strike first and strike hard. Her feet froze on the threshold.
The intruder was bent over a table. He propped himself up with one hand while the other was clutched to his side. His fingers were slick with blood. It was the tavern keeper.
Li Feng took a step forward. ‘Wei?’
‘There was a man with a sword—’ He stopped when he saw the weapon in her hand.
She came forwards slowly. ‘Where is this man?’
The tavern keeper gritted his teeth. ‘He’s coming.’
The prosperity of the tavern didn’t come from the occasional travellers or the labourers from the salt wells. Wei and his wife were part of the salt-smuggling ring and Han was coming for them.