Chapter 23: The Edict

The governor was a heavy man in a yellow-trimmed robe, with a travelling cloak still dusty from the road.

He came up the platform steps at a stiff trot, with four riders at his back.

An imperial courier at his shoulder carried a long red lacquer tube.

He looked at the six thousand raised hands, at the sergeant holding up a boot, and at the lieutenant with a paper over his head.

"I seem to have missed something," he said.

"Governor," said Du, hurrying forward.

His round face was pink and shining.

"Thank heaven you are here."

"The general has just confessed to treason before the whole garrison."

"A most distressing scene."

"I require her arrest, and I have the Ministry's roll to prove her husband was never in the Eastern Column."

The governor took the roll from him and glanced at it without interest.

"Is that so," he said.

"General Ye, is it true?"

"It is true," said Lanxin.

"All of it?"

"All of it."

The governor grunted.

"Then it is fortunate," he said, "that I did not come empty-handed."

He held out a hand, and the courier laid the red tube in it.

The seal on the end was the Emperor's own, gold on crimson.

A hush went across the square, deeper than the one before.

The governor broke the seal and drew out a roll of yellow silk.

"I am commanded to read this before the court and the garrison," he said.

"It arrived at my residence nine days ago, in answer to a sealed memorial sent by the fast post from this city."

"Because it concerned the army, I was told to hold it for today."

Lanxin had gone as white as paper.

Shuyi saw her hands close.

The governor cleared his throat and began to read.

"By the will of Heaven and the Emperor, we have received the memorial of Ye Lanxin, Commander of the Northern Garrison."

"We have read it three times, and once aloud to the Empress Dowager, who wept."

"It tells us that Frostgate held after its marshal died, with no relief on the road."

"She did so by a means not known to the law."

"We observe that the law was written for men who lie to profit."

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Calligrapher and the Widowed General from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.