Legacy of the Lunar Spear

Chapter 30

Wan Castle

“I don’t understand why you agreed to do this. You know I want you dead.”

Cao Cao was glad Dian Wei had stopped to take a piss. “Ling Qi, Dun is like a brother to me. He’s been by my side since we were kids, but I have never been able to come close to repaying him for everything he has done for me. He asked me to train you, so I will do that.”

“He’ll always choose you over me.” She paused to look up at the stars as they rode.

“You’ve known each other for just a few months…”

“He’ll always choose you over me.” She repeated and looked at him. “So do I choose my father over him? Lu Bu, who chose me over Dong Zhuo? If he hadn’t killed him to protect me…”

“He would have killed him anyway. Dong Zhuo was a piece of shit. Your father finally made the right choice then. He chose his daughter over his bastard lord. He chose his family at Xia Pi instead of his life. However, he is dead and you are now responsible for making your own decisions. Do you set aside your anger and serve me, or do you destroy your life again and kill me? What will you have then? Dun would cast you aside. Liao would be destroyed; he is your biggest supporter. You’d be without family, forced to run to a new lord who would be less than excited to hire Lu Bu’s girl who is proving to be just like her daddy.”

“I know!” She snapped. “Do you not think I haven’t played this over in my mind? Do you think I’m a fool?”

“I think that you had your one and only chance to do it at Xia Pi.” Cao Cao nodded as Dian Wei rode up. “Though I do hope you regret not killing Liu Bei while you had the chance.”

“Did he really convince you to kill my father? I have a hard time believing anyone can convince you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Your father would not have been as sensible as you are right now.” Cao Cao looked up as the gates of Wan Castle opened. “I would have never had this discussion with him, do you disagree?”

“No. He would have thought you were an arrogant asshole and resented you for it.”

Dian Wei looked across at her as a rider galloped out to meet them. “What is it that you think, kid?”

“I think you’re an arrogant prick…but somehow I respect you for it.”

“Sounds like about the way I feel about you too, Father.” The one-man welcoming committee said with a grin.

“Ling, meet my son and heir Cao Ang. Ang, this is your Uncle Dun’s new wife, Lu Ling Qi.” Cao Cao relaxed a bit. He hated Ang’s carefree attitude most of the time, but when he wasn’t trying to get the boy to accomplish something…it was actually kind of relaxing to be around him.

“Nice to meet you!” Ang smiled jovially.

“Ang, you behave.” Cao Cao warned.

“I didn’t inherit the pervert gene from you father, Pi did.” Ang stuck out his tongue.

“You know what I mean.”

“You mean actually grovel at your feet and fear you?” Ang chuckled. “Not a chance! You have ever other kid you made for that.”

Ling smiled. “Can we trade Pi for him?”

“Please daddy!!” Ang jumped up and down in the saddle and clapped like a child. “Please!”

“Get inside you fool!” Cao Cao hollered.

“I’ll give you a tour of my personal prison, Lady Lu! Perhaps you can tell me what’s going on in the rest of the world.”

“Sure.”

“How about we plot my father’s demise while we tour?”

Dian Wei grumbled. He hated his lord’s eldest son’s attitude. “Shut your mouth boy.”

“Oh, hey Fluffy.” Ang took out a scroll from his saddlebags. “Don’t make me smack you on the nose for being a bad doggie. I don’t want to step in any pee puddles in the morning.”

“I’ll rip your tongue out brat.”

“Will you be my bodyguard?” Ang asked playfully and batted his eyelashes at Ling Qi. “Please?”

“She’s your Uncle’s loyal bitch, too late for you.” Dian Wei winked at Ling Qi.

“Woof” Ling replied. “At least my bark isn’t worse than my bite, jackass.”

“Son, it’s too late for your shit.” Cao Cao nudged his horse into a trot. “We’ve been riding all damned day and you want to play your juvenile games. We are both too old for this shit.”

“Don’t leave me cooped up for so long next time.” Ang pointed towards the stable. “Do you wanna race?”

“It’s cute that you think you have a chance…” Ling smiled as the young Cao took off at a gallop. Perhaps this vacation wouldn’t be so bad after all! She urged her horse into a gallop to catch up with the Wei heir, though she felt like she had seen his face before. As Firestorm gave chase, she dismissed it as his resemblance to his father.

“Liao…” Qing He gasped and moaned before she could finish her sentence.

“Am I neglecting something?” He asked playfully before reaching around to fondle her. He grunted as she drove her seat bone into his groin.

“I’m never leaving your room…” She panted and buried her head in the pillow as he moved in deeper.

“Good, I don’t want to share you.”

“You feel so good…” She began to feel the tingle that signified an orgasm building. “Harder…please deeper and harder.”

“Qing He…” He felt her hand slap his leg as if she was whipping a horse to move faster. “As you command…”

Xiahou Dun tilted his head to the sky and looked at the stars. He leaned back against a column, pressing his back against it and stretching out his left leg. He placed his right foot on the column to ease his aching knee. Damn Yuan, he should have known that he was too big to try and slide under him. About all it achieved was twisting Dun’s knee and making fools of them both on the training ground. He rested his left hand on his scimitar out of habit and rubbed his neck. Apparently he also strained his neck while being plowed under by his younger brother.

Xiahou Qin decided to join his son on the balcony overlooking the west courtyard. Xu Chang was a beautiful palace; Cao Cao had picked an excellent capital city. “Certainly you understand now why I’m concerned with his obesity.”

“He’s not obese.” Dun snapped.

“He doesn’t even realize how big he is or else…”

“Fucking hell...” Dun gripped the pommel of his scimitar. “Leave him alone. Why the hell do you ride his ass?”

“Do you think he would have done this well without it?” He clasped his hands behind his back and changed the subject. “To be perfectly honest, I came out here to critique you instead.”

“Great.”

“What do you picture in your mind when you think about your future? Do you see a happy family? Do you see a battlefield? What?”

Dun gave him a glare of annoyance. “Just ask what you want to ask. I’ve never been amused by your fucking riddles.”

“You hate me for how I hurt your mother but you’re following in my footsteps.”

Dun shifted uncomfortably. He hated this topic, it was his weakness and he despised being vulnerable. “I idolized you as a warrior. I respected you as a father. Just be happy with that.”

“We’ve never been able to talk about this Dun and as I get older…I know it is a battle I cannot avoid. You hid your marriage from me and I suspect you had every intention of keeping my grandchildren from me too.”

“You have Yuan’s kids.” Dun stepped away from the column and crossed his arms. “Like that matters. Do they even know what you look like? Can Yuan’s wife ever be in a room with you without crying?”

“This isn’t about your brother.” Qin snapped. “It’s about you! You, who holds my decisions against me like I’m some sort of infallible god! I regret the time I never spent with your mother….every day I wake up alone. I put off my marriage until it was convenient for my career and suddenly I didn’t have that option.”

Dun’s mind quick went back to the memories he had buried for so long. Two boys, holding their mother’s hand as she lost a battle with a baby she should have never been carrying. “She wanted that baby to try and get your attention. If you had even put the slightest amount of effort into loving her she would be alive.” Dun balled his fist and shook it at his father. Finally, after years of holding back the accusations, he just didn’t care about being respectful anymore. If the old man was going to push him, he was going to hit back.

“You were still a boy! How the hell can you know that?”

“That’s what she told me! She cried every night you were away. You think we didn’t know that? You think we didn’t look forward to you coming back from a campaign because it meant she wouldn’t cry for just one night. One fucking night when she could be happy? Just so you could stagger in after drinking and celebrating with your men and pass out on the floor? You never deserved that devotion, you never appreciated it! ” Dun’s anger was reaching a dangerous level and he had his father lifted off the ground before he really knew what he had done. He let go and turned his back to him to try and calm himself down.

Qin was quiet. The words stung, even though he knew for years how poorly he had preformed as a husband.

“You convinced us your damned career was for the benefit of us, that things would get better because of your accomplishments and dedication. You fucking lied to us, just because you were too selfish to admit that you liked your job better than your family. I would have never cared if it didn’t cause my mother so much pain. Then she died trying to win you back. She wanted that passion you had for battle to be hers. She did the only thing she knew how to do, the only thing you were proud of. She wanted to give you another child….and it killed her.”

“In the years since her death…I tried running from that truth and gave myself completely to my work. I couldn’t run forever. Now I am paying for my stupidity. This empty, meaningless life I have now. Just counting the days before I die, knowing I serve no purpose to anyone anymore.”

“You certainly don’t have any problems making yourself feel better by ridiculing Yuan.” Dun scoffed.

“Son, keep you mouth shut for a single damned moment.” Qin growled. “I’m not dead yet and I am sick of feeling sorry for myself. All I can do to make up for how I neglected your mother is to make sure her boys are taken care of. That means I have to stop you from going down the same path I did. The same exact path that you despise me for!”

“Me?” Dun threw his head back and laughed. “God, you never quit finding something you can degrade us for can you?”

“I said, shut up.” Qin’s hand whipped across his son’s face and he shook with the Xiahou rage that had been buried for so long. His son seemed shocked; never fathoming the old man would hit him this late in life. The elder Xiahou didn’t care how old his son was, if he deserved to be smacked…he would get just that. “You spontaneously married a woman after you helped kill her father. You let her tend to your wounds and impregnated her. You have her so madly in love with you that she risked her life and your baby to come save you from your stupidity! Now keep your mouth shut and listen to how I met your mother. I raided an enemy outpost and killed the rebellion leader only to find that he had a young beautiful daughter there with him. I took her and made her my wife; she was the only thing of value he had left. On the way home I was attacked by bandits and injured, this limp I have a reminder of that. She tended to my wounds and I eased my pain with her body. That month of recovery was nothing but time spent with my beautiful new wife and she fell in love with that strong warrior who came to put down a rebellion. We came home and I bought a small farm for her and our soon to be family. However I couldn’t let go of the fun I could have carousing with my men…and I got drunk a lot. We went on a rampage and burnt a few villages. In the flames of destruction a lone woman came to us crying, begging for us to stop before the Imperial cavalry arrived. That woman was your mother, and she saved us from getting butchered for our stupidity. Do you see now? Do you see how you’re on the same fucking path? Damn you, Dun, you’re supposed to be better than me.”

“We are not the same...”

“Like hell we aren’t.” Qin hissed.

“I think you left out the part of the story where you get bored after your second child and only come home for three days a year.”

“I’ll come back in two years and tell you that then.” Qin replied. “You’re lucky. You have your cousin watching over you, he loves you like a brother. I can see how well you self-destruct and the fact that you have a marriage still intact after this long is a testament to his genius. He can’t watch over you forever though, and the trying time will be coming. You, your wife and your baby…and a war raging. How long before you push them aside? Mengde needs you to establish his empire and his ambition will come before your marriage. Not just in his mind, but yours. How many times a year will you get home? At least my war raged over a few provinces…all border campaigns. Now this war will rage across our entire country.”

“You’ve underestimated my wife in your assessment.” Dun smirked. “She’ll be more willing than me to push aside a family for war. She takes pleasure in fighting, knowing she’s the daughter of the best. Lu Ling Qi will not be left at home, I can guarantee you that.”

“So you’re bringing an infant into battle? Or leaving your brother’s wife to raise your child…or worse your cousin’s? Who will raise your child?”

“Not you, that’s for sure.” Dun shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers. There’s a huge difference between you and I. I can actually admit I don’t know the future.”

Xiahou Yuan rested his head against the wall of the hallway. He had been listening for a few minutes from inside the palace. It hadn’t taken long for word to reach him that Dun and father were arguing and Dun had already grabbed him by the throat. Patricide was becoming an epidemic and Yuan raced to the scene to ensure that tempers didn’t get out off hand. By the time he had reached them, things had calmed down. He couldn’t intrude; he wasn’t about to interrupt this battle that was years in the making. Yuan would never confront their father, but Dun could never not do it. This conversation was long overdue and his intrusion would only cause it to be delayed another fifteen years. There was a lot being said that he never wanted to hear, or for that matter remember. Neither Xiahou boy had ever forgotten their mother dying in childbirth while their father was away nor her tears of heartbreak and loneliness as she told them how much she loved them and to be good boys. Dun had decided to never love, knowing he was so much like his father he hated. Yuan had chosen to love his wife and family with every ounce of his being. Now the Xiahou family problems were out in the open, unhealed wounds all raw and bleeding again. He felt like a kid again, a vulnerable boy crying at his mother’s deathbed as she begged her eldest son to not be angry at their father. This wasn’t his fault. Yet here they stood, grown men, and the same scene was being played out. His big brother was fighting the battle and Yuan was too emotional to help. He looked away and closed his eyes. Sorry brother, only he’s going to be able to help you now. As much as you hate it.

Cao Cao sat in a comfortable robe with his hair down and a cup of wine in his hand. He wanted this to be informal; he didn’t need her mind clouded. He was also enjoying himself immensely, the Art of War was amazing to read but discussing it enhanced the enjoyment. Teaching someone often brought more insight than debating about it. “Are you ready to begin?”

Ling rested her head on her hand and looked him over. “I can’t believe you’re actually this attractive.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s weird. You’re actually handsome.”

He smiled at her, her way of delivering startling news was very much like Dun’s. “Thank you.”

“Hmpf.” She shook her head in disbelief and looked back down at the scroll. “I’m ready teacher.”’

“Let’s begin then…

According to sun tzu

Ask:

Which ruler has the Way,

which general has the ability,

which has gained Heaven and Ground,

which carried out Law and commands,

which army is strong,

which officers and soldiers are trained,

which reward and punish clearly,

by means of these, I know victory and defeat!’”

Ling stared at the words on the scroll before her eyes and looked up at Cao Cao as he continued to read it off to her.

Cao Cao noticed the odd look on her face and stopped. “Something wrong?”

She hesitated and looked back at the words on the paper. It was him. Sure he didn’t have a happy go lucky “Way” like Liu Bei had, but the Shu mission statement was a joke. They cared for their people all right, but waging a losing war against more powerful kingdoms and leaving behind nothing but bodies was hardly a positive for the peons. Wei was strong, their cities prosperous and the kingdom healthy. It may be Cao Cao’s ambition, but he wasn’t selfish like Dong Zhuo. He had the ability…he was intelligent, a born leader and an excellent swordsman. He gained territory, established laws and commands, had a sizeable and capable army with trained and competent soldiers and officers but wasn’t afraid to punish those who made mistakes. He took care of those who were dedicated, like Dun. She couldn’t be bitter anymore about being Dun’s reward…he never treated her like that. Even in defeat she and Liao had been treated well. They had been given a second chance.

“Ling?” Cao Cao said and touched her hand. What the hell was with her?

She jumped as he touched her. She looked at him and was surprised to see him looking concerned.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you think of this line about ‘gaining heaven’?” She wanted to honestly know.

So this was about him? “I think it’s heaven and earth. Yin and Yang. To master both opposites and balance them. No matter what it. A leader cannot be imbalanced. He must be able to see the positive and negative in each situation and act with that in mind.”

“Oh.” She read it literally, thinking about conquering the heavens and the ground. It made sense. You had to balance everything properly. From what she could see…he seemed to have a firm grasp on that. It hurt to think of it in such terms, but he eliminated her father but in the same stroke gave his most treasured officers a prize from Lu Bu’s demise. What did anyone gain from Dong Zhuo’s death? Lu Bu got Diao Chan…that was all. He was gone because he acted for himself and his men received nothing. The balance was not there and they betrayed him. Daddy, why didn’t you read this? Would you have listened if you did?

“This is hardly a lesson if you keep all your thoughts to yourself.” Cao Cao reminded her. He was curious; he wanted to know what these words meant to her.

“Sorry. I just have to think on things a little while.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “How does this affect me though? This is all about you.”

“A general is only as good as his cause. It is very important to determine if your lord is worth serving. You are assisting him to gain territory and power. Generals are who keep a man in power.”

“Then what of loyalty and duty…”

“Loyalty is not an excuse for overlooking wrongs. You must dedicate yourself to something you believe in; simply fighting for the hell of it serves no greater purpose. Too man men just fight because they want to win. What do you want to fight for?”

“To keep my family alive.” She said and nodded an affirmation. “I will not fail them as I failed my mother and father.”

Cao Ang stretched as he sauntered in. The Wei prince seemed to have no problem interrupting. “He’s not acting inappropriately is he?”

“No.” Ling was happy for the distraction. She didn’t want to get too personal with Cao Cao, he made her nervous. He could so easily use anything against her.

“Amazing.” Ang shook his head. “So are you bored yet?”

“No, this is actually interesting. Unlike the formations.”

“Your father wasn’t into the book learning huh? You lucky girl.” Ang sat down and took his father’s wine glass.

“Quit whining.” Cao Cao grabbed his glass back and smacked his son on the back of the head. “You’re going to be a damned King one day.”

“Sure make me do all the work so my brothers can write poems and piss people off by stealing their wives. Oh wait…Pi got that idea from you.”

“Mmmm…I doubt it.” Cao Cao smiled. “He doesn’t listen to anything but his crotch.”

“So you steal a guy’s wife with Yuan Shao back in the day and then Pi comes along and steals Yuan Xi’s wife…huh. Just a coincidence.” Ang took the wine bottle and drank from it.

“She’s beautiful. He doesn’t really think past that.” Ling shrugged.

“Why did he get married before me? Hell, Uncle Dun got married before me…that’s like hell freezing over. When can I get out of this hostage situation and out into the world so I find a woman? I need to do it now! You’ve already slept with and impregnated 78 of the population. Two more years and I won’t be able to find someone in China that isn’t a relative. Do you want your kingdom to be known for that? Incest?”

“I’ll find someone worth allying with. What about Ma Teng’s daughter?”

“Is she hot?”

“She’s not related to you and she’s too young to be married already. Sound like a match?” Cao Cao asked.

“Sorry, try Uncle Dun. He likes marrying someone half his age.” Ang smiled at his aunt.

“I like men, not boys anyway.”

“Ohhh…you should spank me for my inappropriate behavior Auntie Ling.”

“Son, I’ll write your Uncle and tell him what you’re thinking about his wife…” Cao Cao kicked the kid’s chair.

“Sorry!” Ang threw up his hands in defeat. “It’s just the wine talking!”

“Why is everyone afraid of Dun?” She asked slightly amused.

“He’s mean and fucking violent.” Ang almost choked on his wine.

“So am I.”

“But you’re hot.” Ang said. “That makes it acceptable.”

“So is he.”

“You really must be one hell of a couple. I can’t wait to see you two together…I can’t imagine it at all. What are they like together, father?”

“Yelling, destruction, sex in my damned kitchen.”

“The kitchen? That’s unsanitary!”

“He told you about that?” Ling asked.

“I walked in on you two.” Cao Cao shook his head. “I just wanted some damned tea.”

Ling giggled. “Sorry.”

“I’m sure they walked in on you too dad. Like all of us young impressionable children have.”

“No.” Ling said. “I’m surprised though.”

“I am discreet.” Cao Cao gave his son a nasty look. How the hell did this conversation get on the topic of sex?

Cao Ang burst into laughter. “Like when you brought Lady Bian home and laid her on the table and shouted how great it was to be in a nice warm pussy instead of mom who was so frigid your cock froze?”

“You were a child. I was…”

“A whore?” Ang suggested.

“Young and impetuous.”

“Now you’re old and a pervert. I hear you want the Qiaos now. They’re even too young for me! Hell they’re probably all in a group orgy with Zhou Yu and the Sun family, how the hell are you ever going to get them?”

“I’m going to deliver them straight to his bed.” Ling Qi piped up.

“You?” Ang was flabbergasted. “Are you serious? Why the hell would you do that?”

“They escaped after Hu Lao Gate and Dong Zhuo blamed me…and my father. So the bastard figured he’d take me and Diao Chan instead. So he ended up decapitated. It was my duty to watch the prisoners and they escaped. I will correct that.”

“Ended up decapitated?” Ang asked. “That just, happens?”

“Happened to my father, happened to two of his. Might happen to yours. It happens.” Ling cool reply came without hesitation. Her eyes flashed with a rising anger and they fixated upon the young Prince.

Cao Ang wasn’t too thrilled with the change in her. “Ah…now I see how you and Uncle Dun get along so well. That dangerous edge that can just be triggered by saying the wrong thing.”

“It’s a sore subject. I failed to guard them. I failed to protect Diao Chan. I failed to obey orders. I failed to save my father….are you seeing a trend?”

Cao Cao spoke up, his voice clam and soothing. Ang was rattled, but the boy didn’t understand people as well as he did. While he feared his Uncle’s rage, Cao Cao knew how to utilize it. The young woman before him was no different. “Ling Qi, you must balance your failure with victory. ‘Gain heaven and ground’. You can only reflect upon your past and see failure, but there is ‘light’ in that darkness as well... The Qiaos escaped, but Dong Zhuo would have torn them to shreds and started a war with Wu. Diao Chan needed to be stronger, to protect herself in the event she was in trouble. You disobeyed orders to leave at Xia Pi, but you would have never met Dun otherwise. Your father…has made a tremendous impact on your actions now that you see the results of his poor decisions. Yin and Yang. Keep that in mind Ling Qi. There is always light and dark and if you only see dark you will fail.”

Ang raised his eyebrows as Ling instantly cooled off. He gave his father an appreciative look. Sometimes, the old man just left him speechless.

Xiahou Dun tossed aside his jacket and looked over at Zhang Liao as he practiced against Xu Huang. “When you’re done, I’m next.”

Xu Huang backed up a few steps as Liao used the distraction to gain the advantage. He barely got his axe up in time to deflect the attack. Liao quickly spun and kicked him backwards. “Dammit.”

“Next.” Liao turned on the man he knew wasn’t just here for practice.

Dun threw his sheath down next to his jacket and took up his defensive stance. “We have a few things to settle.”

“Don’t waste my time with your insecurities.” Liao met the first blow and took a swipe with his spear at Dun’s knee.

The one-eyed warrior jumped back and raised his scimitar. He smirked. Apparently he was going to have it out with everyone this week.

“Gentlemen, this is just a sparring match. Practice only.” Xu Huang reminded them.

“What is it you want General Xiahou?” Liao asked. “You want me to step back out of Ling’s life so you can be a bad husband unchallenged? Do you want me to ignore the needs of this growing army for an able commander? Or do you want me to relieve you of your agony since I refuse to do either?”

Dun stuck his scimitar in the dirt and snorted. “I’ve heard better insults from my wife.”

“She’s a teenager.” Liao reminded him. “They like to test the line of vocabulary.”

Dun liked that he slipped that age difference in there as a small slap in the face. “I may have not made the best decisions were she is concerned but I will rectify that. I don’t need your interference.”

“Family is hardly interference.” Liao reminded him.

“You really haven’t been around here long.” Dun chuckled. “Around here, they do nothing but interfere.”

Liao frowned. He was prepared to pound Xiahou Dun into the ground but it seemed like the other officer did not come here with the intention to fight. “What is it that you want, General?”

“To talk business.” Dun leaned on his scimitar and scratched his beard. It was quite the role reversal, Liao was fuming and he was calm and collected. The difference was that he had been left in charge and he had to prove to himself he was capable of the task. He also knew the recent discussions with his father had prompted this; he was not going to be like his old man. “You a damned good officer and even I have to admit the best candidate for grand commander. However, now isn’t the time. Right now Wei needs to rise to power under it’s King. When he returns I’ll inform him of my decision.”

Liao was surprised. He didn’t expect Xiahou Dun to be able to think that clearly when presented with an opportunity to settle a score, but it was obvious the man could be capable of a lot when emotions were set aside. “I agree that Cao Cao should remain at head of our army. When the empire becomes larger than the position of grand commander can be reassessed.”

“No. You’re the one.” Dun shook his head.

Liao nodded his thanks. It was an overwhelming compliment, especially for such a new officer, and he knew it was extremely difficult for the man to admit and carry thru with. To remedy the awkward silence he lowered his spear and looked at the officer with sincerity. “You’re lucky you’re dealing with me and not Lu Bu.”

“I’m far from perfect, Liao.” Dun sheathed his sword and turned away. “However I’m a better man than my father and I hope Ling will decide she’s going to be better than hers. In the meantime you should probably start looking for a woman of your own before Mengde comes back and makes the decision for you.”

“Why? So you can criticize my marriage?”

“Yeah.” Dun smirked and began walking towards the palace. “Grand Commander and bachelor are just two titles that don’t mix.”

Liao frowned and Xu Huang handed him a ladle of water. “He’s behaving oddly.”

Huang watched the one-eyed general walk back up the stairs and into the palace. “According to the servants he’s been arguing with his father and almost killed him one night.”

“He misses his wife.” Liao smirked with the assessment.

“He hasn’t taken any concubines, according to the girls.”

Liao handed the ladle back to Huang and shrugged, trying to dismiss the topic. His own mind was never far from Qing He who had so quickly captivated his long neglected heart and he was glad he didn’t have to compete with Cao Cao or Xiahou Dun for her time at the moment. Every night was spent with her and he admonished himself for wishing the days were shorter so he could spend more time with her. “Smart move on his part. If Ling comes home to hear of him toying with another woman, it will ruin any progress our Lord makes with her.”

“It hasn’t been that long.” Huang chuckled oblivious to Liao’s eyes darting over to the harem and watching Dun’s progress across the courtyard. “Dun isn’t that capable of controlling his impulses.”

Liao put his hat back on and patted Huang’s arm. “Time for lunch.”

“We did work up an appetite.”

Liao waited for Huang to gather up his things and knew his appetite had nothing to do with food. He had to see her; he had to reassure himself that she was not in another man’s bed.

Qing He tried in earnest to keep a straight face as Liao paced back and forth ranting about how she was too good of a woman to be used by some sexually frustrated officer for a little relief. It was heart-warming and adorable and had quickly turned to putrid as soon as he admitted he was concerned about Xiahou Dun being the officer in question. “He has no interest in me.”

“You have no idea how dominating he is. He’ll get off on that and he’ll look for someone who isn’t meek.”

She made a sour face. Despite having her living quarters in a harem, the girls were tactful enough to not relay stories about men she was related to. It bothered her to think of her Uncle like that, he was always a presence in their lives growing up and it was just weird.

“Qing He I am serious, the thought of you with another man is not sitting well with me.”

She smiled and stood up to disrobe him. “Then let me take those thoughts out of your head.”

“I have to be back soon…I’m sorry I took up all our time with a jealous rant.”

“Your jealousy is adorable.”

He frowned. “That’s really not what I wanted to hear.”

“Oh?” She pet his lips with her finger and grinned. Her body pressed up against his and she gentle rubbed her pelvis against his crotch.

“I just can’t stop worrying that one night I will find my bed empty and you’ll be in someone’s arms. I can’t share you, I’m not that type.”

She stepped back, annoyed that her erotic actions did nothing to distract him. “Like who? Who the hell are you so worried about?”

“Cao Cao for one…Xiahou Dun for another.”

She didn’t think that anything could kill her arousal, but then again she didn’t think her lover would accuse her of jumping in bed with her father or uncle. She was too appalled and annoyed to give him a break for not knowing she was who she really was. “Get the hell out.”

“What?” He asked innocently.

“OUT!” She snapped with the authority of a princess, not of the concubine she was trying to portray.

“I see.”

She growled at him as his shoulders slumped in defeat. Now he did think she was with them! “Damn you Zhang Liao! I have never and will never be in bed with either of those men!”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I am…” She caught herself. No, now wasn’t the time to tell him. “Yours.”

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. “I wish you had the power to make that decree.”

She slapped him. “Just go back to work and I’ll be waiting in your bed tonight to punish you for being an idiot.”

He blinked and watched her storm out of the small library. He took a deep breath and wondered what the hell that was about. Now he actually felt a bit of remorse for being so hard on Xiahou Dun, women were so damned complicated.

He put his hand to his cheek and felt the heat begin to rise where her hand had made contact. It actually felt good to have a woman mad at him again.