Lady Earthquake

Lady Earthquake Chapter 22

In the morning, there was no sign on Ban-Li's face of a wakeful night. His high spirits, caused by a combination of no duties and the fresh cool air, reminded Sun-Sin that his adjutant was only seventeen. He himself felt as ancient as a mountain-dwelling sage. Thus the gap between seventeen and almost twenty-two.

"Eat your nice congee," Nanny Jan said as her grown charge watched his friend run with bounding strides toward the barn. It was three times the size of the house, set well-back from the road and the bridge.

"Come have your breakfast!" he called. But Ban-Li only waved to him and kept on running.

His former nanny stood behind him, combing out the long strands of his hair. "He is a handsome young man, if a little on the short side."

"Would you call him short?"

"Not to his face, your highness. But he probably has some growing to do. You grew so much after I left you."

"That is very true. I had to have new underclothes made every three months because my arms and legs were shooting out of the old ones like a sapling in the forest. Lady Zang threatened to write for an increase in my allowance, but I do not think she ever did."

"Her bark was ever worse than her bite." Nanny Jan sighed happily as she drew the comb through the shining mass. "I almost hate to braid it up," she said, gently touching the white streak.

"I cannot go with it down. Please put it up tightly. It may be a while before it is done again so nicely."

"If I thought leaving it like this would make you stay longer, I would never touch it again."

He reached up and patted her hand. "I hate to go. Nobody ever treats me as well as Nanny Jan."

"Have you given any thought to taking a wife?" He shook his head and she gave him a push. "Hold still. You should consider it. Someone to look after you, care for you, and you could have children."

"There are more than enough heirs to the throne as it is. Wuyue will continue whether I marry and have children or not."

"Oh, Wuyue...who cares about that? I am talking about you. All this marching around...."

"I ride mostly."

"All this marching around...what is it good for? Do you want to be a general before you are thirty? Your ancestors are not being fed well if you are never at home."

"There are plenty of altars in my family's manors. I do not feel there are hungry ghosts waiting around for their next meal from an unfilial T'ien Sun-Sin."

"What about Young Master Shu?"

"Are you suggesting I marry him?" he said, teasing. "That would solve my problem, possibly, but not my ancestors'."

Nanny Jan said angrily, "Such talk! I only wondered if he had a lady in view."

"I have been told that his mole would keep him from marrying."

"Nonsense! I have seen much uglier men happily wed."

"Ah, but were their wives happy?"

"Not many wives are. But it is not a mole or lack of one that determines that. Young Master Shu seems a kind-hearted boy. Look how well he treats his horse."

"Ah, Nanny Jan. You should be an adviser to the king. I have been told as well that as his leader, standing in lieu of an older brother, I should take thought for his marriage when the time comes."

"You? Better leave it to your wife. Do you have someone in view?"

"A most single-minded adviser. No, I do not have anyone in view at the moment."