Phoenix Rising

065

"General Du, Mayor Yu, Lady Du, Lady Yu," Zi-ning greeted politely once she had alighted from the carriage, ignoring the looks of surprise and judgement coming from everyone present.

"Ah... Who might this be, Zhenghuan?" Lady Du asked, visibly confused.

"This is Miss Han Zi-ning, daughter of Minister Han of the Ministry of Agriculture. She was under orders from the king to travel to Zhuiya with the imperial physicians to solve the issue with the so-called plague. We've since discovered that it was actually a case of gu-du poisoning and the city is recovering well," Zhenghuan replied. "Zi-ning is here because she wishes to visit her older brother, who is serving in one of Father's camps."

The elder General Du frowned. "Older brother? And what is his name?"

"My brother's name is Han Yongxing, General, and I believe he is at the Nanmen camp."

"Yongxing?" A flicker of recognition mixed with surprise appeared in the general's eyes. "That scoundrel never told me that his father was a minister! I shall have to give him a piece of my mind about that." His previously sombre expression vanished, replaced instead by a warm smile, and Zi-ning was heartened to see that her brother seemed to be faring well, at least in the general's eyes. "Your brother has recently been promoted to captain and is leading a group of men on a scouting mission around the Nanmen border. He should be back within the week. I'll summon him to Anyang then so that the both of you can meet."

"My gratitude, General," Zi-ning said, curtseying once again. While she spoke with the general, she noticed somewhat less pleased looks on the faces of the other elders present, particularly Lady Yu and Lady Du. It was only then that she also noticed three other girls, possibly around hers or Meisi's age, hovering behind Lady Du. Two of them bore a close resemblance to the elder General Du, so she guessed that they were likely his daughters—and by extension, Zhenghuan's sisters. The third and prettiest of them had a delicate almond-shaped face and a pert little nose, but there was a viciousness dripping from her large eyes that marred the beauty of all that. Like Meiyan, Zi-ning thought. Whoever that girl was, she would have to be wary about her.

"Well that's quite enough. Let's take the conversation inside, shall we?" Lady Yu said, with a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

Zi-ning followed everyone into the Yu manor, carefully observing her surroundings. Unlike the homes of government officials in the capital, the mayor's manor was far more humble in stature, comprising only one main hall and four adjoining courtyards and quarters, along with a small garden. However, Zi-ning noticed that the décor of the manor was most exquisite, with a number of rare art pieces hanging from the walls, which suggested that the mayor and his wife were people of good taste.

Perhaps it would not be so bad making their acquaintance after all, she thought.

While Mayor and Lady Yu stayed in the main hall to play host to the Dus, Zixi politely led Zi-ning towards her manor gardens, where tea would be served to the young ladies while they were waiting for dinner to begin. The other three girls also trailed along, with the pretty one still looking blatantly disgruntled by Zi-ning's presence.

They settled around a stone table within a small hexagonal pavilion, overlooking a lotus pond.

"This is the best pu-er tea that we have," Zixi explained as a maidservant poured tea for everyone, "but it will be nothing compared to what you've had in Huangcheng. Please forgive us for our poor hospitality."

"Not at all. It is good tea," Zi-ning said after having taken a sip. "I am not much of a tea connoisseur myself, so this is more than good enough for me."

"At least someone has some self-awareness," a sour voice remarked.

General Du's two daughters shared a giggle, while Zixi immediately shot the third girl a warning glare. "Enling, watch your tone," she chided. "Zi-ning is our guest." She then turned and flashed Zi-ning an apologetic smile. "Enling is still a child. Please forgive her. Allow me to introduce everyone. Enling is Lady Du's niece, visiting from Lianzhou. Aiwei and Aiying are General Du and Lady Du's daughters, born one year apart."