67 General Chen Lou (2/2)
”I never understood why we had to come here in person in the first place,” Sei Sei continued. ”We could have given this report via the messenger. We hadn't set foot in the capital for the last nine years. Why now?”
The two of them looked at the still silent general.
”I have my reasons,” he finally said.
”Is it about what happened to the duke and the prime minister? But that's not part of our mission, surely? What do we have to do with politics?” Min Song asked.
”You two, back off,” Min Ling's voice was his official voice as the general's chief adviser. ”General Luo will let us know what's on his mind when the time is right, right Lou?”
The general didn't answer. He merely gave them a fleeting glance before galloping away ahead of the group.
”I really hate it when he does that,” Min Ling complained. ”Why does he have to act like a prima donna sometimes?”
Min Song opened his mouth to speak but he thought better of it and sank back into silence. He merely whipped his horse and followed after the general, Sei Sei following not far behind. Min Ling sighed then urged his horse and galloped after them.
The gates to the imperial palace opened after a loud dong sounded.
General Chen Lou and his men entered, their helmeted figures forming a commanding line of seeming invincibility. The general got off his horse and walked the rest of the way to the dais where the emperor awaited his audience.
The sun had shown its face that day. It was mid-morning but the sunlight was still so high it dazzled the eyes. Despite the presence of the sun, however, a light and teasing wind fluttered underneath the seemingly balmy atmosphere. The wind floated around the dais, whipping clothes against bodies, causing pale cheeks to blush, and breaking the string of a red veil hiding the empress dowager's face from strangers.
The gossamer veil floated away with the wind never to be seen again.
In the stunned silence that followed, a soft and melodious voice was heard.
”There goes my attempts at imperial dignity.Oh, well. The bloody thing was making me uncomfortable anyway,” the empress dowager said, laughing out loud.
”You didn't have to wear it, you know,” the emperor answered. ”It's your present attire that's causing me a lot of worries.”
”My attire? Why? What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?” the empress sounded very indignant.
”My dear An Ning, you are wearing trousers. In court. Tight fitting men's trousers.”
”So?”
”I give up. Hush now or they'll hear us.”
The 'us' were already staring at them stupefied. But what really caught everybody's attention was General Chen Lou who seemed to have turned into a statue.
Lightning seemed to have struck him the first time the voice reached his ears. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.He stared at the woman before him until his eyes hurt.
It was her. It really was her. He was not wrong this time. This was not a dream this time. It really was her. An Ning.
The woman, no...girl. She was An Ning yet she was not the An Ning he once knew. She was younger. Slimmer and her eyes...the eyes of a woman who had known love and grief. The eyes were older, wiser. Even this An Ning with the haunted eyes was not the An Ning he once knew. But it was her nonetheless. There was no mistaking it. The woman who pulled him from the future to a hundred years into the past...it was An Ning.
Unlike him, An Ning was as blunt as ever.
”Du Lu? What the hell are you doing here?”