“You look as if you need a drink,” Ren said, holding out his cup.
“What I need is something stronger,” I said, but I acceptedthe offering and took a slow sip. The water slid like heaven down my throat, clearing it of the dust and death I’d been inhaling.
“Were you rolling in a pigpen?” Ren teased, gesturing at my dirt-smeared face and clothes.
“Wereyou?” I set down the cup and reached over to swipe ash from his nose. His topknot was fraying, the hems of his sleeves slightly scorched. “I’ve never beheld such an unkempt prince.”
“Yes, well…” He trailed off as his gaze wandered to the townsfolk still roaming the mansion grounds. Some were huddled in groups, exchanging cups of water and catching their breath. Others moved in and out of the house, assessing the damage and searching for scraps to save.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Hesitant, he said, “I was thinking about my family.”
“You miss them?”
“No, it’s—” He tapped his thigh, his expression torn. “When Yuyan possessed me, I was exposed to pieces of her memory. I saw what she’d done to the Jings, and I learned the true story of her ancestors, the Chius. Did you know the head of the Chiu clan was sentenced to death by a thousand cuts? Yuyan suspected my father was involved in the verdict because he denied requests for a more thorough investigation of Chiu’s crime.”
“I didn’t know that,” I said. I’d clearly missed some details in my own glimpses into Yuyan’s past. “What was his crime exactly?”
“The Jings accused him of plotting with the Wen governor to overthrow my father. Back then, Wen was just starting to grow discontented with the monarchy, and the governor was still on decent terms with us. So, of course, he rejected thedamning accusation and assured everyone he knew nothing of the matter.”
“You sure seem to know more about the kingdom’s politics than you let on,” I said appraisingly.
“Well, I did know my father had some powerful friends in Wen. He didn’t exactly hide that from me.” Ren’s attention shifted to a pair of children running across the veranda while their mother shouted for them to get off. “Seeing the families here tonight… it makes me remember what I felt in Yuyan’s mind. The deep-rooted anger—toward the Jings and toward my family.”
I traced the rim of the cup with my finger. “It’s true that your family has harmed a lot of people, both in Wen and Sian.”
“But I never thought it’d be this terrible,” he said, growing more agitated. “Thisintentional.”
“It’s difficult to see the full truth when you’re surrounded by finery and high palace walls.”
“Perhaps.” Ren turned and placed his hand on mine. “Mistress Kang, I admit my family’s failures toward this kingdom. You, as well as the people we’ve encountered, have shown me the undeniable pain caused by the crown. I want to make it right, but I need your help.”
I frowned. “What can I do?”
“What you’ve already promised,” he said. “Take me to Baimu. I stole my father’s seal before I left the palace—”
“You didwhat?”
“I was being spiteful, I know.” He waved his hand and continued, “But I wasn’t foolish enough to take it with me to the military. I hid it in Baimu when I traveled past. Now I need to retrieve it, so I can give it to my brother.”
“No,” I blurted. “You can’t give it to the first prince.”
“Why not?”
“Because”—I thought of the prince who’d visited the Jings just before their demise—“he shares the same interests as your father. He personally came to collect intel about the Wen military from the Jing family.”
Ren’s brows drew together. “No, that can’t be right.”
“You didn’t see him in Yuyan’s memories?”
“No.”
“Well, I saw him,” I said, somewhat defensive. “He was here for a party, and he was talking to Yuyan’s husband.”
“And you heard them discussing Wen’s secrets?”
“Well… no. But I saw Yuyan accusing Jing Ruchang of working for Prince Liqin.”
