much they held the higher ranks in their thrall.
“Your mother will be very honoured,” she said.” And Minister Lo as well.”
His voice grew quiet. “And you?”
“I’ll tell everyone that I knew a famous magistrate once—”
“ Rose. ”
It was Cheng scolding her now. She’d made the mistake of sounding too cheerful. Too dismissive. She was already pulling away. She was a practical soul. Hanging on would only leave her devastated.
“Rose,” he said again, gentler this time. He stroked his fingers through her hair. His gaze pinned her and dark fire glinted in his eyes. She knew his next touch wouldn’t be a tender kiss on her forehead. There would be more. Much, much more.
Her heart thundered and her breath grew shallow. Could she turn him away now? Or if she just let him—if she just let both of them have this last moment, would it be easier to go away afterward? She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her hands into the corded muscle of his arms. Pull him closer or push him away? She didn’t know. His weight pressed over her, securing her beneath him, and her body answered for her, turning to liquid silver and heat.
A pounding at the door made them both jump.
Cheng shot to his feet. Jia clutched a hand to the front of her robe. Both of them stared at the door. The pounding came again. With a creak of wood, the door flew open and three armed men strode into the chamber. The insignia on their armour marked them as Golden Eagle guards, as did the swords at their sides. The officer in charge directed two fingers toward Cheng.
“Take him.”
“What is this?” Cheng demanded.
The two guardsmen stepped forward only to be shoved back roughly by Cheng. He wore only his trousers, but even disrobed he loomed large and powerful. The guards reached for their weapons and Jia gasped. Only then did the guardsmen pay her any notice.
She fumbled with the sash at her waist as one of the guardsmen came at her. By the time he reached her, she’d managed to close her robe despite her trembling fingers. The young guardsman cast her a warning look and stretched out an arm to keep her back.
Cheng was still arguing with the officer. Her cronies had told of how he’d fought them and she was afraid Cheng would do that now. The Eagle guards patrolled the city. They were the enforcers of Changan and had the authority to imprison and punish.
“He’s an imperial scholar,” Jia cried out. “Here to take the exams.”
The officer looked to Cheng and then to her. In that one glance, he dismissed her as an insignificant singsong girl, but at least he addressed Cheng with an extra grain of respect.
“You’re to come with us,” he told Cheng. “You’ve been accused of theft.”
Her blood grew cold. The book of poems. Guo had somehow discovered them.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Cheng shot her a look, urging her to stay silent. He snatched his robe from the floor and shoved one arm then the other into it. The two guardsmen secured him by each arm once he was dressed.
The exams. The exams were this morning and Cheng was being arrested.
“Cheng.” She reached for him as they dragged him toward the door. She had to do something.
Cheng tried to remain composed. “Get Minister Lo.”
She nodded mutely. Cheng kept his gaze fixed onto her as long as he could before the guards shoved him past.
Jia tried. She tried with every breath inside her to get to Minister Lo.
The administrative district was at the north end of the city. Jia left the ward and hurried to the main avenue that cut through the centre of Changan. She managed to hire a sedan, not wasting any time to haggle over the fare. The markets would open within the hour and the streets were already filling with traffic. They’d only pushed past five wards before the gong sounded five times. The Dragon Hour.
Helplessness sank in. She gripped the edge of the carriage window and tried to breathe past the tightness in her chest. Her eyes stung. The next
“Your mother will be very honoured,” she said.” And Minister Lo as well.”
His voice grew quiet. “And you?”
“I’ll tell everyone that I knew a famous magistrate once—”
“ Rose. ”
It was Cheng scolding her now. She’d made the mistake of sounding too cheerful. Too dismissive. She was already pulling away. She was a practical soul. Hanging on would only leave her devastated.
“Rose,” he said again, gentler this time. He stroked his fingers through her hair. His gaze pinned her and dark fire glinted in his eyes. She knew his next touch wouldn’t be a tender kiss on her forehead. There would be more. Much, much more.
Her heart thundered and her breath grew shallow. Could she turn him away now? Or if she just let him—if she just let both of them have this last moment, would it be easier to go away afterward? She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her hands into the corded muscle of his arms. Pull him closer or push him away? She didn’t know. His weight pressed over her, securing her beneath him, and her body answered for her, turning to liquid silver and heat.
A pounding at the door made them both jump.
Cheng shot to his feet. Jia clutched a hand to the front of her robe. Both of them stared at the door. The pounding came again. With a creak of wood, the door flew open and three armed men strode into the chamber. The insignia on their armour marked them as Golden Eagle guards, as did the swords at their sides. The officer in charge directed two fingers toward Cheng.
“Take him.”
“What is this?” Cheng demanded.
The two guardsmen stepped forward only to be shoved back roughly by Cheng. He wore only his trousers, but even disrobed he loomed large and powerful. The guards reached for their weapons and Jia gasped. Only then did the guardsmen pay her any notice.
She fumbled with the sash at her waist as one of the guardsmen came at her. By the time he reached her, she’d managed to close her robe despite her trembling fingers. The young guardsman cast her a warning look and stretched out an arm to keep her back.
Cheng was still arguing with the officer. Her cronies had told of how he’d fought them and she was afraid Cheng would do that now. The Eagle guards patrolled the city. They were the enforcers of Changan and had the authority to imprison and punish.
“He’s an imperial scholar,” Jia cried out. “Here to take the exams.”
The officer looked to Cheng and then to her. In that one glance, he dismissed her as an insignificant singsong girl, but at least he addressed Cheng with an extra grain of respect.
“You’re to come with us,” he told Cheng. “You’ve been accused of theft.”
Her blood grew cold. The book of poems. Guo had somehow discovered them.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Cheng shot her a look, urging her to stay silent. He snatched his robe from the floor and shoved one arm then the other into it. The two guardsmen secured him by each arm once he was dressed.
The exams. The exams were this morning and Cheng was being arrested.
“Cheng.” She reached for him as they dragged him toward the door. She had to do something.
Cheng tried to remain composed. “Get Minister Lo.”
She nodded mutely. Cheng kept his gaze fixed onto her as long as he could before the guards shoved him past.
Jia tried. She tried with every breath inside her to get to Minister Lo.
The administrative district was at the north end of the city. Jia left the ward and hurried to the main avenue that cut through the centre of Changan. She managed to hire a sedan, not wasting any time to haggle over the fare. The markets would open within the hour and the streets were already filling with traffic. They’d only pushed past five wards before the gong sounded five times. The Dragon Hour.
Helplessness sank in. She gripped the edge of the carriage window and tried to breathe past the tightness in her chest. Her eyes stung. The next
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