Breaking Bamboo Read online

  The servants were bringing in breakfast. Shih watched in amazement as dozens of delicate green bowls with an exquisitely distressed glaze were laid out: rice-balls flavoured with sesame and anise; strips of roasted pork wrapped in wafers; piquant prawns fried in batter; cups of the weak wine known in the city as dawn-dew, and more of the stronger brew called dusk-dew.

  As he ate, Dr Shih’s mood lifted. Still he kept an eye on the boy. Surely he had earned an absurd fee – and not just from the Pacification Commissioner! That was the least of it. Word would circulate how he had healed the great Wang Ting-bo’s son. Patients would besiege his humble shop in Apricot Corner Court. With the better sort, he could double – no, triple his usual fee.

  If only Cao were here now, to witness this moment! He would buy her new silks and lacquered furniture to replace all that had been scuffed and dulled by years of hardship. Oddly, the prospect of her pleasure made him restless. Soon his thoughts drifted another way.

  It seemed he had also made an enemy of Dr Du Mau. The Pacification Commissioner’s own nephew had said as much. As head of the guild Du Mau possessed a great capacity for mischief.

  Dr Shih had laboured over many years to establish a Relief Bureau intended to assist the destitute and those without family. In return he received a pittance from the city authorities and Cao sometimes complained his work there kept them as poor as the patients. Shih’s fear was that Dr Du Mau might seek to appoint someone else to manage the Relief Bureau, a prospect he could not bear.

  Still he ate the delicacies set before him, making sure Chung received a share. The lad was determined to taste every dish –a banquet like this was worth a thousand boasts among the other apprentices in Water Basin Ward.

  Third Tutor Hu was gone a long while. He returned with the Pacification Commissioner and his wife, accompanied by a dozen secretaries and officials. Among them was Wang Ting-bo’s handsome nephew, Wang Bai.

  At the sight of Little Tortoise, the couple’s stern expressions melted. Husband and wife tentatively approached the bedside.

  Shih noticed their hands touch as they gazed down at their son.

  Tears were back in Wang Ting-bo’s eyes. He reached out and brushed the boy’s forehead, marvelling at its coolness. The Pacification Commissioner’s wife also bent over the boy and then looked up to smile at Dr Shih with fierce gratitude.

  ‘Doctor,’ said Wang Ting-bo softly, so as not to wake the boy. ‘Do appearances tell lies?’

  Dr Shih bowed respectfully.

  ‘I think we might call Little Tortoise safe, Your Excellency,’ he said. ‘From this malady at least. Though, as the proverb says, one step at a time is good walking.’

  Wang Ting-bo nodded stiffly.

  ‘Perhaps I had too little faith in you. In my position one is confronted by so many incompetent and self-seeking men. . .

  You will receive an auspicious reward.’

  ‘When your son wakes and eats an appropriate meal, I shall feel myself rewarded,’ said Shih. ‘It is crucial the boy is not stuffed with too much rich food.’ He added hastily: ‘Your Excellency.’

  The Pacification Commissioner chuckled.

  ‘What is your name again, doctor?’

  ‘Yun Shih, sir.’

  ‘Good. Carry on.’

  As they left he noticed the Pacification Commissioner’s wife whispering urgently to her husband, who silenced her with a curt gesture. Wang Bai was the last of the great people to leave.

  He stepped to the bedside and examined Little Tortoise coldly for a moment. The boy murmured anxiously in his sleep.

  ‘Ah,’ he said, looking over at Dr Shih. ‘Do not forget our little conversation.’

  Then he strolled out after his noble uncle.

  While Shih waited for Little Tortoise to awake, Third Tutor Hu slipped from the room. An hour later he was back, looking troubled.

  ‘Dr Shih,’ he said. ‘May I speak with you alone?’

  Tutor Hu led him to the garden and they sat on a long bench.

  The sun was beyond its zenith. Shih was glad of the warmth on his face.

  ‘I must tell you,’ said Hu. ‘That an embassy from the Physician’s Guild has begged yet another audience with His Excellency. Dr Du Mau, in particular, is most vexed. He claims that under his instructions magicians were busy all night and that their spells are the only reason for the boy’s recovery.

  He is concerned your meddling will undo his good work.’

  ‘Dr Du Mau is claiming to have cured Little Tortoise?’

  ‘His Excellency sent him away curtly. Indeed I do not think Dr Du Mau will be returning to Peacock Hill. All his fees here are at an end. I wish you to know this, so you might be prepared.’

  Shih sighed.

  ‘His anger will pass. He has many other patients.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ replied Tutor Hu. ‘I must also tell you that others are displeased by the boy’s recovery. You know Little Tortoise is His Excellency’s heir?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘If he had died, the new heir would have been Wang Bai, as His Excellency’s nephew. You should know this as well. Wang Bai’s wife is distantly connected to Dr Du Mau by marriage and the Du clan own much property in Fouzhou. So you see, there is more to this than meets the eye. If Wang Bai had become heir, it would have enhanced the Du clan’s position inestimably.’

  Dr Shih concealed his hands in his sleeves.

  ‘I am a simple man. What has any of this to do with me?’

  ‘Surely that is obvious,’ said Tutor Hu, severely.

  Weariness crept through Shih. His deepest longing was to be back home, away from Peacock Hill.

  ‘Since we speak in confidence,’ he said. ‘This morning I overheard the Pacification Commissioner and his wife arguing.’

  Third Tutor Hu regarded him shrewdly.

  ‘When a man like His Excellency reaches the end of middle age, he becomes susceptible to influences. You see, good doctor, our household is not a happy one. And all for the sake of a mere woman!’

  He nodded significantly and leaned a little closer, so that Dr Shih smelt onion on his breath.

  ‘The Pacification Commissioner has grown too fond of his concubine, Lu Ying, and surely she is a remarkable girl. But she is foolish. Not only has Lu Ying offended His Excellency’s wife, but she argued against some advice of Wang Bai, who is not a man to forgive opposition. I fear our household will never be at peace while Lu Ying holds her current station.’

  ‘If Little Tortoise had died,’ said Shih. ‘This concubine might have provided the Pacification Commissioner with another heir. After all, his official wife is almost past child-bearing age.’

  ‘I see you understand politics,’ observed Third Tutor Hu. ‘I have told you these things as a warning. The rest is up to you.’

  It was late afternoon. Shih stood beside the sick child’s divan, watching him eat wheat cakes and shreds of roast duck, dipped in a vinegary sauce, all conducive to yang. Shih was surprised by the boy’s appetite.

  ‘Well, Little Tortoise,’ he said. ‘Are you feeling stronger?’

  The boy examined him coldly. There was much of the father in the son’s haughty demeanour. Yet he was still a child, un -

  corrupted by the excesses of flattery and ambition, and his grave expression melted into a sudden giggle.

  ‘You made up a rhyme about my name when I was sick. That was funny!’

  ‘Yes, it was. But now I have a riddle for you.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘My back is a shield,’ said Shih. ‘But I walk slowly. What am I?’

  ‘Why, a tortoise, of course,’ replied the boy, scornfully.

  ‘But you are a little tortoise! Well then, let’s see if you can walk slowly.’

  He helped the boy upright. The servants stirred anxiously.

  ‘You can,’ said Shih, gently.

  Holding Little Tortoise’s arm, they walked up and down, until the boy grew tired. Third Tutor Hu joyfully clapped his hands three times.


  *

  At dusk Dr Shih found himself on his knees before the Pacification Commissioner of Nancheng Province. He had expected Wang Ting-bo to be happy but the great man’s face bore an ugly flush. As always, his nephew Wang Bai stood silently to one side.

  ‘Ah, Dr Shih,’ said Wang Ting-bo. ‘I hear from Third Tutor Hu that our son is walking round his chamber.’

  ‘He is, Your Excellency.’

  ‘I am grateful to you,’ he said, glancing at his wife. ‘You have brought a painful episode to a close and now we can return to normal. I shall offer thanks at the ancestral altar and everything shall be exactly as it was before.’

  Shih stayed on his knees. He sensed the great people in the room were too preoccupied by matters of their own to notice him.

  The Pacification Commissioner’s wife said quickly:

  ‘Husband, may I remind you that all cannot return to its former condition. What of the girl? You promised before the tablet of your father that if our son lived, she would be sent away as a sacrifice to Heaven. Let it be done at once or the Jade Emperor will surely punish us.’

  Wang Ting-bo shook his head.

  ‘She can hardly be blamed for noxious air leading to a common disease,’ he replied.

  An uncomfortable silence settled. The Pacification Commissioner’s nephew stepped forward.

  ‘Honoured Uncle, hear me out,’ he said. ‘Examine the matter clearly, I beg you. In any case, you have already decided. All that remains is for you to tell us how she should be sent away.

  You have concluded Lu Ying is a source of great disquiet in your household and we all honour your judgement. That is one thing. For the sake of the girl’s feelings, do not prolong her uncertainty. Send her away at once! She may then accustom herself to her changed situation all the sooner.’

  Wang Ting-bo squeezed the arms of his chair.

  ‘It is true that I spoke rash words, fearing for my son’s life, but that does not mean. . .’

  ‘Of course, Uncle!’ urged Wang Bai. ‘Of course your oath has no less validity. I return to the issue at hand. Where is she to be sent?’

  Wang Ting-bo’s eyes flicked to a side door. Dr Shih sensed the girl in question was standing behind it, listening as her fate was thrown back and forth like a wooden ball.

  ‘You know she has no family to return to,’ said the Pacification Commissioner. ‘She is an orphan. Perhaps I should give her a small mansion adjoining Peacock Hill.’

  Wang Ting-bo’s wife and nephew exchanged hurried glances.

  ‘I fear that might give the wrong impression,’ said Wang Bai.

  ‘Your solemn oath was to send her away forever.’

  Dr Shih crouched silently on the audience chamber floor. He was not the only one in this awkward position. Third Tutor Hu knelt beside him, as did an astrologer and various intimate household officials. If only they would dismiss him to the comforts of Apricot Corner Court! He became aware Wang Bai’s glance had fallen on him. A thoughtful look crossed the sleek Prefect’s face.

  ‘Honoured Uncle,’ he said. ‘She should be sent into the care of a kind man, a good man, who will treat her as she deserves.’

  ‘That is one solution,’ conceded Wang Ting-bo.

  ‘I know just such a man,’ said Wang Bai. ‘Everyone would applaud your noble wisdom. The Twin Cities will ring with your praise!’

  Wang Ting-bo shifted in his chair uncomfortably.

  ‘I suppose that would be the best thing. But where could one find such an unfortunate fellow? In any case, is it really necessary?’

  ‘Think of it,’ continued his nephew, as though musing aloud.

  ‘The girl is of lowly origin. It might confuse her to enter another noble household after living here. If nothing else, people would gossip that she preferred her new master to the old. That is unthinkable.’

  ‘Someone respectable then,’ said Wang Ting-bo. ‘But not too high. Perhaps I will keep her here and never see her.’

  He was like a fish flapping on the hook. Dr Shih kept his eyes downcast. When the powerful grow distressed they often seek relief in punishment.

  ‘I know just the person,’ said Wang Bai. ‘I beg you to trust my judgement, Uncle. Heaven itself has arranged his presence here. Who better than the saviour of your son? I mean, Dr Yun Shih.’

  There was a shocked silence in the room. Wang Ting-bo examined the kneeling doctor.

  ‘You mock me,’ he said, angrily. ‘From me to him. That is not possible.’

  ‘Husband,’ said the Pacification Commissioner’s wife, genuinely distressed. ‘Dr Shih saved our son. . . If nothing else, think of the expense for him! Lu Ying’s wardrobe alone would bankrupt a small town.’

  Wang Bai held up a long finger. His well-proportioned mouth puckered with concern.

  ‘I must disagree, Honoured Aunty,’ he said. ‘Dr Shih deserves a great reward for saving His Excellency’s heir. I, for one, cannot imagine a greater honour. Besides, I have been informed by Dr Du Mau that Dr Shih’s wife is barren. And he is not of high birth, so no comparison with the Pacification Commissioner is possible. Most important of all, he is assuredly kind and patient.’

  Dr Shih looked in amazement between the aristocrats. What exactly were they proposing? He could barely follow their argument.

  ‘I will not allow it.’ spluttered Wang Ting-bo.

  Wang Bai shook his head sadly.

  ‘Then I tremble, sir. To have made so public an oath to Heaven . . . I know your feelings for the girl, but honour is as brittle as the petals of a frozen rose! And your enemies at the Imperial court are full of spite. They will seize on anything.’

  The Pacification Commissioner stared at the floor miserably.

  ‘I must not risk my honour,’ he said.

  ‘Whereas your inner struggle is a sign of great integrity,’

  added Wang Bai, smoothly. ‘Everyone will know you put duty before inclination.’

  All eyes were on the Pacification Commissioner. His Excellency glanced at Shih with suspicion and outrage.

  ‘Very well,’ he said, finally. ‘Let it be as you advise.’

  An involuntary gasp of surprise escaped from many of his servants. He turned to face the tablets on the wall depicting his ancestors, thereby indicating he had nothing further to add.

  Wang Bai blinked rapidly, then looked grave and solemn.

  Still Dr Shih dared not speak. Did they expect him to maintain the girl as a guest? Yet they had talked about conceiving a child. Was she to be his concubine, then? In either case, who would pay for her clothes and perfumes, the other necessities of a fine lady? It was all nonsense, and he waited for his chance to refuse the great honour they offered.

  ‘Bring us Lu Ying,’ ordered Wang Bai hurriedly, before the Pacification Commissioner could change his mind. A servant returned with a slim young lady of exceptional beauty. Her silks glowed in the soft light of dusk, the corals in her hairpins caught the declining sun. Her oval face was perfect in its symmetry. Her bound feet, though a little large, were alluring enough to attract the attention of any man. Indeed, Dr Shih found himself gazing at them, then at her perfect figure. He had never seen such a woman. More striking still were her eyes of willow green, flecked with amber, copper and gold. There was something dangerous about such beauty, reminiscent of the madness for a concubine that had brought down Emperors and entire dynasties.

  In that moment of astonishment Shih lost his opportunity to protest against Wang Ting-bo’s reward, for His Excellency rose from his chair and rapidly left the room. Casting a mournful look of apology at the saviour of her son, his wife followed.

  Once they had gone, Wang Bai addressed the young woman sharply.

  ‘Lu Ying, His Excellency has determined that you must accompany this man to his home and pleasure him in any way he requires. Your concubinage here is ended.’

  The girl moaned, her hand flying to her mouth.

  ‘I take it you agree to His Excellency’s decision,’ said Wang Bai. ‘Of course y
ou do. You can hardly refuse.’

  Lu Ying bowed her head in assent. She seemed about to speak but thought better of it.

  ‘By the way, Dr Shih,’ said Wang Bai with a smile. ‘Knowing Lu Ying as I do, I am quite certain your reward will bring nothing but joy. Rest assured, suitable financial arrangements shall be made. A small monthly stipend for food and other necessities. As for luxuries, well, you must hope Lu Ying decides all her former extravagances are at an end.’

  Still smiling, Wang Bai strolled from the room. Dr Shih was left on his knees, staring at the beautiful girl beside him. She did not notice. For her, he hardly existed. He became aware of a disturbing fragrance in the air and realised it came from her person – a musk, deep and beguiling. He quite forgot Cao waiting for his return to Apricot Corner Court. He even forgot his twin brother, Guang, facing Heaven’s judgement in Wei Valley hundreds of li to the west – in lands occupied by the Mongol invaders.

  two

  ‘All reasonable men agree Heaven has surrendered the entire world into the Great Khubilai Khan’s keeping. All that is below Heaven belongs to him – and those he appoints to rule on his behalf. . .’

  from Court Memoranda by Yeh-lu Ch’u-tso

  Wei Valley, Western China. Summer 1266.

  Yun Guang entered Wei as the first light of dawn filtered through the mountains. The valley was strangely deserted, no peasants about the lord’s business as one might expect. Even the gibbons were quiet. He reached his hiding place, a cave on a hillside above the thatched rooftops of the village, just as the first people below began to stir.

  The cave was a haunt from childhood. Here he had fled Father’s moods, crawling beneath an overhanging boulder bearded with moss and lichen. Beyond lay a low-roofed, narrow space lit by cracks in the stone, reeking of damp earth and mould. Once, only ten years old, he had experimented with tinder and candles, singeing his hand to test how much pain he could endure. Then he had tried to melt the stone – his first lesson: that fire cannot consume everything.

  From the cave one could spy on the village like an Immortal, seeing while safely unseen. What he saw as the light thickened brought no pleasure.