“Princess of Yue has been seized by the traitor Bai Rongling. The Bai estate in Yangzhou is now under guard. We in Xiangzhou cannot afford to be careless either —”

The newly appointed Military Governor of Zhenchuan, Li Ping, had summoned all the important generals from Xiangzhou and the surrounding garrisons to the residence.

The Li estate had passed through three masters’ hands, yet it was still surnamed Li; when Li Ping moved in as Military Governor, he did not even bother to change the plaque above the gate.

Li Ping raised his voice from the head seat in the reception hall:

“Our Xiangzhou is the very place where that traitor Bai Rongling used to reside. The Counselor-in-Chief has taken this very seriously. I have already ordered portraits to be posted everywhere. Throughout the five prefectures of Zhenchuan, whoever catches sight of the traitor Bai Rongling must report it to the authorities immediately. As for anyone who sees him and says nothing —”

Li Ping swept those present with a look laden with veiled threat:

“Officer or commoner alike, they will be treated as accomplices in harboring a traitor.”

When he heard those below him acknowledge the order, Li Ping allowed himself a satisfied expression. He leaned back in his chair and relaxed, then said: “What is the current situation with those rebels in Jinzhou?”

A military officer who had just ridden in from a garrison — still in light armor, face travel-worn — rose to his feet and reported with a respectful bow:

“In response, sir — the floodwaters in Jinzhou have still not fully receded. The Jinzhou rebels are using the terrain to their advantage, hiding and moving through the marshes and waterways. Most of our soldiers are not at ease in water, and to net them all will take a little more time.”

“A little more time! That is exactly what you told me last time!” Li Ping slammed the table, his face darkening. “How long has it been! You have still produced no results. If Counselor-in-Chief holds me accountable, you will all accompany me to prison!”

“Please calm yourself, sir!”

The officer dropped to his knees with a thud.

Li Ping vented his anger for a moment, then let his cold gaze fall on the three brothers sitting in the corner of the reception hall.

“You three brothers have had long dealings with those rebels. If you hear so much as the wind stirring the grass, I trust you will inform me at the earliest opportunity —”

Da Hu immediately stood and bowed in acknowledgment.

Er’hu followed, rising and bowing with a grin: “What a thing to say, sir. Having chosen to stay, we are set in our resolve to serve the court. The three of us dream day and night of a chance to prove our loyalty. If such a chance arose, we would come to report to you before you’d even have to say the word — at least, that is how I think of it. As for what these two brothers of mine have in their bellies, I wouldn’t know —”

Da Hu knitted his brows. That round, good-natured face of his took on an expression of weary displeasure. “When our father was still alive, he always taught me that an elder brother should be like a father. I have always believed I gave you a great deal of latitude. I could put up with your outrageous remarks to me in ordinary times, Second Brother, but to stir up trouble between us here before the General himself — are you not forcing me to wonder if you are the one with ulterior motives?”

Er’hu’s expression darkened and he was just about to respond when Li Ping cut through the scene with poorly concealed impatience — the brothers’ squabbling was a performance that repeated itself every few days, and he was thoroughly tired of it.

“Are you two finished? Do you know where you are? If you must argue, go home, close the door, and argue there!”

Da Hu and Er’hu immediately fell silent. Li Ping promptly shifted to a look of earnest sincerity and said:

“Employ the man you trust; if you don’t trust him, don’t employ him. All three of you brothers publicly cut ties with Niuwang and his rebels the moment they rose up — we all saw it. But Xiangzhou has its recent rebellion to serve as a warning. If there is another, it will not be a matter of merely replacing a Military Governor. I am speaking out of concern for my colleagues here — I have had no choice but to tread with great care in everything —”

One of the officers seized the moment and bowed: “The General takes such pains on our behalf — this subordinate understands it well in his heart…”

Da Hu and Er’hu nodded and echoed their agreement.

Li Ping administered the stick and followed it with the carrot, achieved the desired effect, said a few more closing remarks with satisfaction, and dismissed everyone — everyone except one trusted aide.

Once the room had cleared, Li Ping dropped the false expression he wore for outsiders, and said with furrowed brow: “I had you watching San Hu — what have you found?”

“In response, sir — the three San Hu brothers, other than Da Hu accepting bribes, Er’hu taking colleagues along to visit pleasure houses, and San Hu becoming infatuated with a comely maidservant purchased from a broker… there has been nothing out of the ordinary. No one has passed messages to them in secret either.”

“Keep watching them closely.” Li Ping said with a severe face. “Da Hu’s face looks simple but his mind is calculating; Er’hu has honey on his lips and daggers in his heart; San Hu speaks little, but those eyes of his are clearly sharp. You must never let your guard down. Not only might the rebels in Jinzhou contact them — whoever killed the former Grand Counselor might contact them too, and that Bai Rongling spent some time in Xiangzhou, so there may be some connection there as well. In short: the moment you find anyone of unknown identity attempting to make contact with these three men, report it to me immediately, day or night.”

The aide quickly replied: “Sir may rest assured — this subordinate will watch them closely.”

At that same moment, the rumbling of carriage wheels rang out. Three carriages parted ways at the Li estate gates, and then, after the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, pulled up one by one outside a tavern.

“What a coincidence, Elder Brother — you’ve come here to eat as well?” Er’hu opened his folding fan with an expression of delighted surprise.

“Truly a coincidence. I can see that Second Brother would not much welcome my company, so I’ll spare myself the trouble — Old Zhang, take me to the Floating Fragrance Teahouse instead —”

“Is Elder Brother still cross with me? What Second Brother said back at the Li estate was a bit out of line — I’ve been reflecting on it, and I ask for Elder Brother’s magnanimity; let this one go. Tonight’s meal is on Second Brother!”

Er’hu stepped forward and draped himself over Da Hu’s broad shoulder, ushering him inside without giving him a chance to object.

“What a coincidence! Both my brothers are here too — did you arrange a meal together and leave me out on purpose?”

Da Hu and Er’hu looked around. San Hu was walking toward them with a relaxed expression, his arm around a tall, elegantly dressed young woman with an elaborate painted face, the lower half of which was concealed behind a curtain of fine pearl beading.

Er’hu pulled one brother in from each side. The three brothers, along with the beautiful maidservant, bantered as they went inside the tavern.

Not far away, the spy who had been tailing them shook his head — he had long since grown accustomed to this scene. The brothers’ cycle of squabbling and making up played out almost every day: one moment they looked ready to tear each other apart, and the next they were perfectly cheerful as though nothing had happened. He could not decide whether these three had a good relationship or a poor one.

After the three brothers entered the tavern, a server came forward eagerly.

“Gentlemen, would you prefer the main hall or a private room?”

Da Hu said: “The main hall is fine. It’s open and spacious, and we have nothing secret to discuss —”

Er’hu and San Hu had no objection. The group settled at a square table near a window in the main hall. Er’hu, hearing that Elder Brother was paying, ordered over a dozen of the tavern’s finest dishes in one breath, while Da Hu sat listening to the list of dishes and watched the corners of his own mouth twitch.

Once the order was placed, the server responded with a resounding affirmation and made smartly for the kitchen. Er’hu leaned his back against the window, shook open his fan, and gazed with a smile at the busy diners filling the hall. His voice came low and soft from beneath the fan:

“The scholar in blue sitting in the southwest corner is one. The man in the long gown chatting with someone at the second-floor staircase is one. The beggar who just came in is one. Plus the one watching from outside — four pairs of eyes on us now, all told.”

“Four spies — this man surnamed Li really does think highly of us.” San Hu tilted up the chin of the beautiful maidservant beside him with a rakish grin. “Isn’t that so, beauty?”

The beauty frowned faintly. Her chin shifted away from San Hu’s fingers without drawing notice, and a look of warning came from the bright, almond-shaped eyes above the pearl curtain.

“If you’re going to perform, perform convincingly. I’m currently smitten with you, so won’t you cooperate a little?” San Hu grinned and leaned to whisper in the beautiful maidservant’s ear, all the picture of intimate closeness. “Isn’t that right, Little Que?”

Li Que stilled, and allowed her chin to return to San Hu’s hand. The dense pearl fringe swayed in front of her powdered and rouged face, concealing entirely the patch of red visible on her cheek.

“Talk through it then,” said Er’hu, shielding his lips with the fan. “What is the situation now? Any word from Jinzhou?”

“That place turned into a proper pond long ago — but don’t let the pond fool you into thinking it’s small. There’s plenty going on under the surface —” San Hu said. “Big fish eat little fish, little fish eat shrimp, shrimp breed more shrimp. The way I see it, sooner or later the water in that pond is going to overflow.”

“Overflow is exactly what we want,” Da Hu said. “The bigger the pond, the more it can hold.”

“If we could come across another true dragon, there’s no telling what might emerge.” San Hu gave his fan a languid wave, and spoke with weighted meaning.

“The question is where to find this true dragon.” Da Hu said.

Er’hu said: “It’s been a very long time since anyone reported seeing one. Yet since rumors still circulate, one must have existed at some point — surely not every last true dragon in the world is dead.”

“A true dragon — how could it die so easily?” Li Que, who had remained utterly silent until now, finally spoke. She used a practiced falsetto voice, and the gaze she turned on Er’hu carried a trace of cool composure.

“Little Que has a point,” Da Hu said, smoothing things over with a smile. “After all these years, the only thing that has ever circulated is news of a true dragon appearing — no one has ever reported finding the carcass of one. Second Brother, spare yourself the needless worry.”

“We wait… there’s no other option for now.” San Hu lowered his gaze to the murky, rippling surface of the tea in the bowl before him, and his thoughts seemed to travel back to the great flood that had once swept over him. His expression grew deep and quiet as he said slowly: “All of us sitting here today — who among us hasn’t received a kindness from that true dragon? If it can transform into a great dragon, all the better; if not… I would still be willing to be a water serpent in the pond, at least free to come and go as I please. What do my two elder brothers say?”

“Whoever it may be makes no difference to me,” Er’hu lifted his fan to cover the cold curl at the corner of his lips. “But Fu Xuanmiao owes Pingshan Stronghold several thousand lives, and I intend to make him repay each one with his own.”

Da Hu glanced at him with a smile: “Well now, that’s a rare thing — the two of us finding ourselves in agreement.”

“Then there’s nothing more to say.” Er’hu leaned back in his chair and swung one leg over the other with careless ease. “We wait — and watch to see when that true dragon chooses to reveal itself.”

An hour and a half later, the three brothers ate their fill, left a table of picked-over dishes behind, and parted in satisfaction, each going their separate way out of the tavern.

One of the spies who had been watching them returned to the Li estate after sundown and reported the three men’s movements throughout the day to Li Ping.

“…The three San Hu brothers dined in the main hall of the tavern without avoiding the crowd, talking only of supernatural tales and curiosities — nothing of particular note. Afterward, Da Hu arranged to go river-fishing with a colleague; Er’hu went to the Yihong Courtyard; and San Hu took his maidservant home.”

Li Ping pondered this for a while and found nothing worth his attention. It seemed he truly had been overly suspicious. These three brothers were simply three disloyal, shallow gluttons — rough men from a bandit background, so no wonder.

“Very well. You may go.” He said.

The informant paid his respects and withdrew. Li Ping picked up his brush and wrote a letter to Fu Xuanmiao, pledging with firm confidence that all five prefectures under Zhenchuan were entirely in his grasp.

“Counselor-in-Chief may rest completely easy,” he wrote with great assurance: “Should anything untoward occur, I, Li Ping, will bring my own head to offer in account.”