A Gathering of Heroes series: Anhu

Chapter 6 (Zhang)

The moment I returned to the house with Wei and the maid I resigned myself to the worst. My parents rushed out to the main courtyard as soon as they heard the main gate open. Before my parents, I knelt on my knees in a deep bow with my right hand resting on top of my left; I dared not look up as I waited for them to speak. I heard the rustling of robes as the maids were dismissed. I noticed Wei had bent over in a deep bow as well on my right.

My mother spoke first, "That was very foolish of you to run off, Huizhong, for not one night but two. You gave us no word of your whereabouts. We thought the worse when we heard that you rode recklessly on horseback in the city, causing an uproar among the populace. Then I heard that you were involved in a scuffle." I said nothing as I listened to my mother, lamenting that she raised such a foolish, stubborn daughter. Then she stopped. Her voice cracked in emotion as she spoke, "I... I almost thought that I had lost another daughter."

I looked up, startled to see her eyes glistening with tears. She held her hand toward me. I held it and said softly, "I am sorry to have worried you, mother. I am very sorry."

My father came to me then and gestured that I should rise. Releasing my mother's hand, I rose to my feet and bowed my head submissively. Gently, he patted my shoulder. "I am glad that you are safe, my daughter." It was a gesture of forgiveness but not without consequence, I knew.

"However," he said sternly, "your disobedience will not go unpunished. You may not leave the house without my permission. You will perform any task that your mother assigns you."

"Yes, father."

"As for Wei..." he glanced over to Wei's bowed form. "Since she was not able to return you home immediately, she will have to be punished severely. Kang!"

I tried to intercede as Kang came into the courtyard. "Father, please do not punish Wei. The fault is mine, and I should bear the brunt of it."

My father held up his hand. I fell silent. He was firm on his decision. As he gave instructions to Kang, I tried to catch Wei's eye, but she kept her head lowered in obeisance. As Kang and Wei turned to leave, my mother held my arm, as if fearing that I would take off after Wei. I could feel her tension.

"Now, Huizhong," he turned his attention back to me. "Let us hear what happened during the past two nights." He gestured for us to follow him into the private hall towards the back of the house.

I was thankful for the pot of tea that was brought to us as I relieved my parched throat. It would take some time. I straightened up in my chair and relayed everything from my encounter with the Users to my conversations with Huang-laoshi. My parents listened with rapt attention. At the mention of Users, my mother's face paled, but she recovered quickly as I moved onto my investigation of the Shen family. My father's brow darkened at this. He was displeased that I could doubt the integrity of the Shen family. As I carefully explained, my father silently took in my words. "I will admit that I was wrong in finding fault with Shen-daren and his family. His contributions to the poor convinced me that they are honorable," I conceded. I paused to take a breath. I had to tread carefully now.

I addressed them both. "Father, mother. I understand the position that we are in and that we need to solidify our ties with Shen-daren. However, I need more time to find out the truth. What I believe--" I pressed my hand to my chest. "No, what my heart believes is that there is someone close to us who may be utilizing the Users for his or her benefit. Such strong connections to the Users may mean that the danger is not restricted to our family alone but to others as well." Even the Shen family, I thought.

My father closed his eyes. I knew that he would argue that it would be prudent that I marry as soon as possible. "Father, the only tie I have remaining with Huiliang's death is the Users. If only I could bring the facts to light, then we can set her spirit at rest and be able to rest at ease without those assailants' presence in our minds," I persisted, leaning forward.