Jade Fire Gold(70)

“I read your note, but I wanted to get something, so I had Master Luo’s daughter help me with my outfit. What do you think of my disguise?”

“It’s not a very good one.”

It’s Ahn’s turn to scowl. She shoves a festive-looking red box into my hand. “Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.”

“What’s this?”

“The Mid-Autumn Festival’s nearly here. I got you mooncakes in case I don’t get another chance. Double yolks with lotus seed paste. Chewy, not flaky.”

“You remembered.” My voice is strangely hoarse.

She gives me a look. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Not knowing what else to do, I show her my bag of apples. “For you.”

Her eyes narrow suspiciously. “Is this some kind of competition?”

“Why would you think that?” I say, bewildered.

Before she can respond, shouts of distress ring out from the street ahead.

I jerk my head at Ahn. She edges away from the crowd that is gathering around two soldiers. One grips the shoulder of a young boy no older than twelve, the other is glaring at a middle-aged woman kneeling in front of him.

“What’s going on?” I ask an old lady standing nearby.

She replies in hushed tones, “The official decree came from the palace this morning for a new military draft. One male per household starting from the villages nearby, and not just men who are of age. If you can hold a sword, you’ll be called up. The boy’s father was a farmer who came here often to sell his produce. He has passed on, and this boy is the oldest of his siblings. There’s no one to take his place.”

But he’s a child! I want to yell.

The old lady shakes her head, muttering, “I’m afraid our town will be next.”

“Shh, don’t curse us, ah pó,” scolds a well-dressed man next to her. “The soldiers will get enough recruits from the village and leave us alone.”

I shoot him a menacing glare and he scurries away. My grip on the box of mooncakes is so hard it starts to crumple. There is no reason for this recruitment unless the palace is planning something. Shīfù was right. The truce is a farce; war is coming again. But why would Zhenxi pull such a move? Our troops have suffered losses in the last war, and she will need to rally the people’s support. This isn’t the way to do it. Did Zhao Yang advise this? What is the endgame?

The mother of the boy prostrates in front of the soldiers. “I beg you, please. Don’t take him! My boy is all I have.”

The taller of the two soldiers sneers. His face is hard, nostrils flaring like a bull. He points to a parchment pasted on a wall. “It’s a command from the Imperial Palace. How dare you show your defiance, peasant!”

“Please, have mercy,” wails the boy’s mother. Red-faced and puffy-eyed, tears stream down her face. Desperately, she clings on to the bull-faced soldier.

“Get lost!” He shoves her back forcefully, and she falls onto the ground with a cry.

“Ma!”

The boy tries to run to her, but the other soldier holds him back and cuffs him on the head. “Shut it or I’ll make sure you know what pain is.”

The boy whimpers and the crowd murmurs disapprovingly, but no one steps forward to stop the soldiers. Of course they wouldn’t interfere. This woman and her child aren’t dressed in silks like the people of Heshi. She isn’t one of them; she must have followed the soldiers into town after they snatched up her son.

Anger drums against my chest and the ball of energy at the pit of my stomach begs for release. But I can’t use my magic without revealing myself as a Tiensai and Ahn is somewhere around here. I need to keep her safe and her identity secret.

“Please,” cries the mother. She tries to rise, but Bull Face kicks her and a collective gasp rises from the crowd.

Bastard. I run out into the street to help the woman up.

“Are you all right?”

The mother shudders and coughs, winded from the soldier’s abuse. Her skinned and bleeding hands reach for mine. “My son, please, give me back my son.”

I stand and face the soldier. “Only a coward would strike a mother and child.”

Bull Face spits, a hand reaching for the pommel of his sword. “This decree comes from the Imperial Palace. You have no say in this, and you have no right to speak to me like that, foreigner.”

I set the box of mooncakes down on the ground, ready to teach him a lesson. But as I’m reaching for my sabers someone grabs my arm from behind.

“Use your head,” hisses a voice.

Bull Face scoffs. “Listen to your friend, boy. He’s the wiser of you two. It will only end badly for you if you challenge me.”

I grind my jaw so hard it feels like it’s breaking.

“Altan,” Ahn warns in a low voice.

It takes all my willpower to sheathe my blades.

“Come on, we’ve wasted enough time,” grouses the soldier holding on to the boy. “Got a schedule to keep and the sun’s setting.” He pushes the boy forward and struts away.

With a last taunting twist of his lips, Bull Face turns and follows his comrade. The crowd disperses, carrying on with their lives, unaffected by what they witnessed.

Guilt pools in my stomach. I’m ashamed that none of my countrymen stepped in to do the right thing, ashamed that I stood by and let it happen. I am no better than them.