5. The name of the intruder

NARRATED BY KIRAN / LI BAO

Two years can seem like an eternity to someone waiting. For me, who's lived for centuries, it was just a breath... And yet, it was enough for everything to change.

The routine with Xiao Mei had become a part of me. Sometimes, I forgot I was a stranger, a dead person among the living. I found myself smiling more than I should have. And I involuntarily sought out her laughter on spring afternoons, as if it could redeem me.

But then he arrived. He appeared like the echo of a badly told tale. A young man dressed in clothes that didn't seem to match the dust of the roads he claimed to have traveled. His name: Han Fei. His story: worthy of a poet... or a con man.

He claimed to be the heir to a powerful southern clan, the only son of an ailing lord, with fertile lands, loyal soldiers, and a proposed alliance with the Xiao Clan. His words were gentle and precise. But his eyes… his eyes were empty.

The maids looked at him with admiration. The council listened attentively. Xiao Mei watched him cautiously. And I… I watched him like a snake before it bites.

The meeting took place in the great hall, a place where the clan and council met every month. The atmosphere was thick, permeated with incense smoke and surrounded by false courtesies. I stood behind Lord Xiao's seat, but close to Xiao Mao, as always. Vigilant. Silent.

Han Fei made his entrance with an exaggerated bow, as if he were in a play.

—I come as an emissary of my father, — he announced, —the great Lord Han of the Southern Valleys. It is my honor to present a proposal of alliance, and with that, a more personal request…

The silence fell like a stone into a lake.

—I wish to ask for the hand of the honorable Lady Xiao Mei. Uniting our houses would be a step toward prosperity for both peoples.

No one said anything for a moment.

I knew it: there was no such thing as the “Han clan of the Southern Valleys.”

Xiao Mei's father didn't respond immediately. He just nodded with empty courtesy.

—I'll think about it, — he said in a neutral voice, although his eyes screamed "no."

That same afternoon, just before the sun set, Xiao Mei received a call at her father's office.

—Daughter, — the clan patriarch said, his voice as gentle as his fatigue allowed, —I know this decision may seem unfair to you. But the men around me have lost their minds. They've cornered me like a beast with no way out.

—So, are you going to hand me over like a chess piece? — Xiao Mei asked, her eyes shining but not letting any tears fall. "Is that what I am to you now?"

—Never, — he replied resolutely. —And that's why I've prepared an edict. Signed by the Emperor himself, sealed with the blood of my loyalty. If I should be gone, if my death occurs before this marriage, that man will have no power over you or the clan. None.

Xiao Mei looked at him, confused.

—An imperial edict...? How did you manage to get it...?

—I still have some favors saved up at court. And even if I don't have them tomorrow, I've used them for you today. If Han Fei shows his true colors after my death, he won't be able to harm you. Not you, nor the legacy that both our ancestors and we have worked so hard to build.

She looked down. Hurt, but feeling protected.

—Thank you, Father. I just hope it won't be necessary.

He took her hand trying to give her comfort and protection.

—Me too. But you have to be prepared for the worst… especially when you love so much.

That night, before the moon reached its highest point, Xiao Mei called me into her room. Her voice was barely a whisper filtering through the door.

—Li… can you stay for a moment?

I nodded and closed the door behind me.

She sat by the window, staring into the darkness of the garden. Her tone was soft, as if the shadows could hear her thoughts.

—Do you trust him? — he asked me.

He didn't need to clarify who he was referring to.

—No," I replied. —And I don't think your father does either. But he's surrounded by snakes. Sometimes, even the wolf has to walk among the lambs to survive.

She turned to me. There was more than just concern in her eyes: there was fear.

—What if she marries me? What if she does something to my father? What will happen to the clan? And to me…?

I approached her and spoke to her with the greatest sincerity I could muster at that moment:

—I won't let that happen. Your father has taken precautions. If anything happens to him, that man won't be able to touch you, neither by law nor by power. And even if there were no such edict… I wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to you either.

—Not even if the council is on your side?

—Not even if everyone is on his side, — I said firmly. —And even if the heavens themselves are against me, I will continue to protect you. I will stay by your side until I am sure there is nothing and no one who can harm you.