My King of Flowers

CHAPTER TWO

Again, the arrows found their mark against the furthest targets from the platform with athunk—thunk—thunk. Peering with an intense yet serene expression, Weixin stood with an imposing stature, a testament to his unmatched precision. Lord Yan’s second son resembled him almost to a tee, carrying an angular jawline and defined cheekbones of the family’s men. As their quickest servant ran to confirm his third consecutive bullseye, the back wall bore silent witness to his legacy; its surface poxed from the years from relentless practice. Weixin exuded an air of calm confidence, his broad shoulders relaxing as he smoothly withdrew another arrow from the case.

Years of military service had not only influenced Weixin’s attire but also his posture and composure. He wore his hair in a disciplined topknot and a practical black tunic with sleek sleeves adorned with a motif of a red tiger roaring down his left shoulder. As he awaited the signal to shoot again, his brother stood in contrast beside him.

Danbei’s presence was notably more reserved, his oval face framed by a meticulously groomed hairstyle that fell loosely around his shoulders, embodying the ease of nobility rather than the rigidity of martial discipline. His piercing eyes reflected a quiet contemplation, mirroring the stillness of the spring air. The flight of cranes embroidered on his light-colored green tunic and pao lent him an air of grace and poise—more suited for court than exercise.

After a morning congested with ceremonial toasts and the weighty expectations of familial alliances, the relief that washed over Danbei was tangible as Weixin coaxed him to the familiar solitude of their training grounds. The sight of the old scoresheet held aloft by his younger brother offered a silent respite from the pressures of his impending nuptials. With a reserved smile, Danbei accepted the challenge, allowing the thrill of the match to momentarily dispel the heavy realities of his betrothal.

Weixin carefully adjusted his leather bracer, a piece as essential to his attire as his tunic, its surface etched with the scars of countless releases. Beside it, his thumb ring, intricately carved from jade, caught the light—embodying the concentrated essence of love and protection. This ring, gifted by his father on the day he joined the military, was more than a tool for archery but a profound token of affection. The light gleamed with his father’s pride and imbued every draw of the bowstring with the weight of family honor and the protective love that bound them.

Four months had passed, during which Weixin’s commitment to the military had kept him away. Now, as the brothers stood side by side, there was a sense of returning to a shared past. Dropping his pao into the arms of a waiting servant, Danbei reached for his long black bow to inspect the string as the servants rearranged the targets in an array of wiggled lines at varying heights. He selected a bamboo arrow from his quiver, examining the fletching—three feathers perfectly aligned for true flight. The arrowhead, pointed and made of forged iron, reflected his contemplative expression.

“Miss Lei, does seem lovely,” Weixin commented to his brother, his well-shaped lips barely moving, as he retied a red ribbon onto his black bow. Danbei glanced over to the tie, catching Weixin’s piercing gaze and the embroidery of his name on the red silks—Yinuo’s handiwork, a parting gift from the last time Weixin had been home. The ribbon served Weixin as his stabilizer, a subtle reminder of whom he fought for. It’d saved his life once, binding a wound around his leg and preventing him from bleeding out.

“She is,” Danbei dismissed, pulling to test the tautness of the bowstring, then lowering it to wait.

“But you’re not satisfied,” Weixin commented.Thunk—he landed another bullseye at the fresh target.

“Her family holds a high position in the court. I am merely worriedshe won’tbe satisfied,” he replied.

Weixin drew in a deep breath, and slowly released it. “Your shot,” he informed his brother, ignoring the comment about worthiness. Doubt wasn’t something he liked to entertain as oftentimes doubt left men in his career dead. Though Weixin empathized with his brother’s concerns, Lei Xing’s ties to the general came with a promotion for him. He’d reached as far as he could in his career with the only hopes of advancing with a familial tie.

General Lei made his name known for his renowned and skillful executions on and off the battlefield. Stories of the Mad Tiger inspired many young men to take up arms and join the service, especially with his exemplary records of preventing injuries and fewer lives lost. He was also aged, and his son hadn’t joined the military. This was Weixin’s chance to take the ties and advance his career.

For Danbei, the marriage seemed like a pragmatic and dutiful relation. He knew the courts and saw conflict coming. What better way to exude control than to be behind the man who made the militant decisions? Besides, it wasn’t just for the good of him and Weixin. All his brothers would benefit from the marriage to the general’s daughter. If he could keep his new wife happy, but more so, it would promote his family and strengthen their ties. He shook his head and armed his bow, taking a side step over the line and shooting at his target. He’d missed the bullseye, but gained a respectable score. “Weixin, should I send Yinuo to learn more about her?” Danbei asked, preparing to take aim at the further target.

“No,” Weixin replied curtly.

“And your reason?” Danbei asked, releasing the arrow and looking back towards Weixin, whose eyes darkened.

“General Lei’s son is a leech,” Weixin spat. Danbei was taken aback by this comment. The last he’d heard was that General Lei’s son entered the Hall of Justice and was making a name for himself as a lawful man. “Your marriage opens up opportunities for wolves to seek out, meimei. I do not wish for her to accidentally catch the eye of him. And if I am thigh deep in mud, reading about how you permitted Yinuo to marry him, I will hunt you down myself.”

“Noted, dear brother,” he replied, avoiding the confrontation.

Weixin exhaled his breath. “I know I will gain many sisters in our lifetime, but I am not ready to give away, Yinuo.”

“You cannot keep her young forever,” Danbei reminded him. “But I do understand where it’s coming from. I will ensure to keep the leeches off her.”

“And the wolves,” he ordered.

“I will see what I can do, brother. Your shot,” Danbei commented. As Weixin loosed his arrow, his attention was abruptly drawn to a flash of pink over the wall. “Yinuo!” he shouted, a surge of fear gripping him. There she was, perched precariously atop the wall, one leg dangling as she struggled to balance a silk package and herself.

“Meimei!” Weixin called, rushing to her. “Arms down!” he shouted as the Second Young Master entered the archery range, bolting for his sister, who lost her balance and fell from the wall. Weixin caught her just in time. “Meimei! Are you all right? Is your leg okay!” He asked frantically, steadying her.

“Yes, yes, thank you, Weixin, but I’m all right,” she beamed to him, patting his shoulders. She was still caught in his arms.

“What are you doing coming from there! You know we practice archery here!”

“Eh, are you supposed to be practicing with the wedding so close?” she filled in her logic, and his brows furrowed. He shook his head and put an arm around her to march her to behind the archery line. He signaled all clear before sitting her down and picking up his bow.

“Do you have a death wish?” he asked. Yinuo shook her head, but knew better than to interrupt her brother. “What are you doing coming from behind that wall?”

Danbei had joined them in the conversation this time. He’d handed the bow to a servant. “Yes, I’d like to hear this as well.”

She bit her lip, trying to find a reasonable explanation, but ‘I was running from Ruijian’ didn’t have the same feel as ‘I thought you weren’t allowed to practice.’ Her brothers honed in on her, both taking a side. While Weixin crossed his arms, Danbei kept his at his sides, but both had a threatening presence that made Yinuo shrink. She’d swear they’d skin her alive if they didn’t care so much about her. Yinuo held the wrapped silks closer to her body and flitted her eyes to Weixin, away from Danbei. Both were rather attuned to her secret language, and Weixin picked up on her anxiety before Danbei sighed.

“You went to fetch Lei Xing a present,” Danbei stated. He relaxed a little, and a smile crept into the corner of his mouth. “Little Sister, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I did, though! Her father is a higher rank, and I wanted to make her feel welcome. I want her to like me. I didn’t have an appropriate present for the granddaughter of a princess. And it’s not just for Miss Lei—“Yinuo dropped her eyes to the hem of his robes. She’d been scared of not having as much time with Danbei, though it seemed now they barely had meals together with his position in the court.

Her brothers Danni, Ruijian, and Weixin’s careers all took them away from the house. Danni had joined the priesthood. Ruijian spent most of his time taking over his uncle’s trade. Even Weixin’s military career only granted him so many hours at home. Danbei’s wedding had brought her family back together for this brief moment, but she’d lose them all one by one again. So, she resolved that she had to make the most of it. Who knows when it would end?

“See, this is your fault,” Weixin said to Danbei as he gently reassured his sister with a pat on her shoulder.

Danbei sighed, “Just because I’m the eldest...”

“Means I’m not in trouble for once,” Weixin smiled broadly. “I’m sure your sister picked out a wonderful and appropriate gift. You should thank her.” With that, Weixin focused his attention back to the targets, leaving Danbei to handle the conversation with Yinuo. He positioned his thumb, encased in the jade ring, around the bowstring and swiftly released the arrow, striking the target with precision.

Danbei sighed and brushed back his hair as Yinuo briefly glanced at his condition. While her brother maintained an air of reverence, today, she saw the darkness beneath his eyes and the tired look that aged him far more than he was. She even thought she saw gray hair, leaving her wondering how much stress he bared. Danbei returned her look with a strained smile and ordered a servant to bring him a chair. Now sitting beside her, he put out his hand for her; a childhood signal, she answered by threading her fingers to his, feeling his firm grip. “You missed her, by the way,” he told her.

“I’m sorry, gege,” she said, shame hitting her. She looked away, defeated, as she felt her brother’s reassuring grasp again.

“Don’t be, even mother was taken by surprise by the visit. However much she would have appreciated having you with her, everything went well. Miss Lei and her family left quite pleased with the visit.”

“Was mother upset?”

“En.”

“Gege, will you—”

“Oh, no. I’m not covering for this one. A man my age, especially one about to be married, shouldn’t be out on the lawn.”

“You do make a lovely lawn ornament, brother,” Weixin teased as his arrow landed another bullseye. He shot a few more, aiming each at a different target and landing in the center every time. “Clear” was called, and the servants rushed to remove the arrows from the targets. He looked back at his sister. “Your turn, eldest brother,” he said. Weixin switched seats with Danbei, allowing his brother to take up his bow. Weixin smiled, sitting down with his sister and calling for huangjiu wine from the servants.

“How many points did you get?” Danbei asked, eyeing the targets.

“All of them,” Weixin smiled as he took the small cup and offered his sister one as well. “Do you want huangjiu, gege?”

“No, pour me another round of the General’s Baijiu. You know I can’t stand that sweet wine,” Danbei said, focusing his shot again on the reset targets.

Yinuo smiled, “I’ll try baijiu!”

Weixin flicked her on the nose. “You know better, meimei.”

Yinuo rubbed her nose and returned his warm smile. “Weixin ge, who else knows I went out?”

“Did you go out?” He feigned, tapping his lip and winking at her. “We found you here pouting and decided to keep you company.”

“Thank you, Weixin.”

“No worries, meimei,” he reassured her with a brilliant smile. The warmth of the huangjiu flushed her cheeks as she sipped it slowly, savoring the rich, slightly fruity taste. Her brother, Weixin, alternated between huangjiu and baijiu, though his marksmanship never faltered. He led the challenge by a few scores until he got bored and let Danbei win the last few rounds.

As the servants cleared the field and organized the equipment, the sun began to set. Yinuo stretched, resting her head on the back of her hand, and looked to her brothers, who continued conversing in a low drone. “I think we got her drunk, little brother,” Danbei remarked.

“It would appear so,” he replied.

Yinuo groaned, “I’m not drunk. I’m just warm.”

“Ah, yes, dear sister,” Danbei teased. “Weixin, go fetch Yaolin. We should get Yinuo to bed.”

Yinuo waved her hand. “No, I’m fine. I’m still awake. Your conversation just got boring.”

“En. That definitely means it’s time to rest, meimei,” Weixin remarked. He rose from his seat and headed towards the servants, leaving Yinuo and Danbei together. Danbei sipped his wine calmly, his eyes nearly closed. Yinuo observed him, caught in the warm glow of the setting sun behind him, the sweet fragrance of magnolias in the air.

“Gege,” she whispered. “He leaves...”

“I know, Little Yi,” Danbei replied.

“He’s coming back, right?” she asked, tears ebbing at the corners of her eyes. She brushed her cheek and shook her head. “Danbei...”

“Yes, Little Yi?” he responded softly, his eyes closed, his hand poised on the delicate cup between his thumb and forefinger.

“I saw Dehai again,” she whispered. At this, her brother’s posture stiffened; he straightened in his chair, his brows knitting together as he focused on Yinuo, who looked away longingly. He did not see the woman before him, with her cheeks rounded and flushed from the warmth of huangjiu, nor the spirited glint that resided in her warm, almond-shaped eyes. Her inky hair cascaded in soft waves over her shoulders, framing a face that had gracefully absorbed the essence of her beauty. The dim lighting highlighted the elegant contours of her femininity and gleamed off the softness of her slightly curved lips—lips that were always smiling, even when downtrodden. No, Danbei did not see the woman before him; instead, he saw an image of his little sister—with her leg bandaged, her rugose hanfu, and tear trails marking her face. He shook the image from his head and reached for her hand, but she recoiled.

“I know he’s dead,” she whispered. “It must have been a coincidence...”

“Who are you talking about?” Danbei asked, his voice tight with concern.

“In the peony garden...the one I fell into. He was there,” she said, smiling faintly. “No, he wasn’t there; it was someone else with a deep scar on his brow and a smaller one on his chin. It couldn’t have been Dehai, right, brother?”

“En,” Danbei replied, squeezing her hand. “Let’s get you inside; you can dream and forget about him.”

“Yes, I will forget about Dehai...” Yinuo confirmed, but her heart rebuked it with a lurch. Weixin returned with the maid, Yaolin, who helped steady the young miss and escorted her away from her brothers. Weixin took Yinuo’s seat as Danbei watched her struggle to walk.

“What is it?” Weixin inquired, “Brother, what’s with that face?”

“Nothing, just a coincidence. Another round?” Danbei offered, his attempt to divert the conversation palpable. Weixin took the wine bottle from him and poured the clear liquid carefully into his clouded cup.