had remained. Ping and the old dragon had escaped together. She smiled to herself. That wasn’t really true.
Ping, frightened of the world, had been reluctant to leave. Danzi had kidnapped her, snatching her up in his talons as he took wing. He had revealed her name to her. She touched the bamboo square hanging from a silk cord around her neck. It had been given to her by her parents when she was a small child. There was a single character written on it in faded ink—Ping.
A gong sounded to announce that the midday meal was about to be served. As the dining hall was still being repaired after the fire, the servants brought the food to Princess Yangxin and her ladies-in-waiting in the Hall of True Delight.
Kai sat on embroidered silk cushions next to Ping. A servant brought in a low table set with a bowl, spoonand chopsticks for Ping and a large dish for Kai.
The first course was golden thread mushroom soup. Kai’s meal was different. His dish was piled with 15 stuffed quails and 30 turtle eggs. While everyone else was quietly sipping their soup, Kai hungrily stuffed the birds and eggs into his mouth, eating everything—including the bones and the egg shells. Ping didn’t eat much.
“Doesn’t Ping want her soup?” Kai asked.
Ping shook her head, so Kai drank her soup. Servants brought in the second course, which was baked deer in hot sauce. For Kai there was a large bowl of warm ewe’s milk sweetened with honey which he slurped up happily. Since Ping didn’t seem to be interested in the baked deer, Kai helped himself to that as well. The serving girl returned, and Kai looked at her expectantly. His spines drooped when he realised that the meal was over and she was only clearing away the dishes.
“Any worms?” he asked Ping.
“I thought you would’ve grown out of eating worms and insects by now,” Ping said. “I’ll mention it to the cook.”
After the tables and dishes had been removed, Ping studied the silk square again.
“Those shapes look like Lady An’s game of Seven Cunning Pieces,” Kai said.
Ping traced a fingertip over the faint intersecting lines. They formed four triangles, a square and a misshapen diamond.
“May I borrow your Seven Cunning Pieces?” Ping asked Lady An, who was sitting nearby marking a design on a piece of dark blue silk.
“Of course,” she said. “They’re in the box with the chessboard and other games.”
Ping went over to the box and pulled out a little bag. She brought it back to the rug and emptied out the contents. There were seven shapes made of ebony wood, carved with patterns of plum blossom and bamboo. The shapes were the same triangles, square and diamond that were marked on the silk.
Ping had watched Lady An play this game. It involved rearranging the pieces to make shapes—a rabbit, a running man, a bird in flight. Ping didn’t mind playing chess, which improved the player’s skills at strategy, but she had never seen the point of playing Seven Cunning Pieces.
“Can I borrow your chalk, please?” she asked.
Lady An handed her the piece of chalky rock that she was using to mark lines on her sewing.
Ping formed the seven pieces into a square, as they were arranged on the back of the silk square. She marked the characters on the black pieces, exactly as they were on the silk.
Ping turned the shapes this way and that on the rug. She arranged them to make patterns and shapes—a jug, a boat and a dish. It was amusing for a few minutes, but she soon grew bored. The characters were still a senselessjumble. She studied the silk square again. There was no clue as to what she should do with the pieces.
Lady An came over to see what Ping was doing. She was fond of the game.
“Which shape do you want to make?” she asked.
“I don’t know, that’s the problem. Danzi didn’t say.”
“A dragon,” said Kai.
“You’re right, of course. It has to be a dragon.” Ping was the only one who could understand Kai. His dragon sounds translated
Ping, frightened of the world, had been reluctant to leave. Danzi had kidnapped her, snatching her up in his talons as he took wing. He had revealed her name to her. She touched the bamboo square hanging from a silk cord around her neck. It had been given to her by her parents when she was a small child. There was a single character written on it in faded ink—Ping.
A gong sounded to announce that the midday meal was about to be served. As the dining hall was still being repaired after the fire, the servants brought the food to Princess Yangxin and her ladies-in-waiting in the Hall of True Delight.
Kai sat on embroidered silk cushions next to Ping. A servant brought in a low table set with a bowl, spoonand chopsticks for Ping and a large dish for Kai.
The first course was golden thread mushroom soup. Kai’s meal was different. His dish was piled with 15 stuffed quails and 30 turtle eggs. While everyone else was quietly sipping their soup, Kai hungrily stuffed the birds and eggs into his mouth, eating everything—including the bones and the egg shells. Ping didn’t eat much.
“Doesn’t Ping want her soup?” Kai asked.
Ping shook her head, so Kai drank her soup. Servants brought in the second course, which was baked deer in hot sauce. For Kai there was a large bowl of warm ewe’s milk sweetened with honey which he slurped up happily. Since Ping didn’t seem to be interested in the baked deer, Kai helped himself to that as well. The serving girl returned, and Kai looked at her expectantly. His spines drooped when he realised that the meal was over and she was only clearing away the dishes.
“Any worms?” he asked Ping.
“I thought you would’ve grown out of eating worms and insects by now,” Ping said. “I’ll mention it to the cook.”
After the tables and dishes had been removed, Ping studied the silk square again.
“Those shapes look like Lady An’s game of Seven Cunning Pieces,” Kai said.
Ping traced a fingertip over the faint intersecting lines. They formed four triangles, a square and a misshapen diamond.
“May I borrow your Seven Cunning Pieces?” Ping asked Lady An, who was sitting nearby marking a design on a piece of dark blue silk.
“Of course,” she said. “They’re in the box with the chessboard and other games.”
Ping went over to the box and pulled out a little bag. She brought it back to the rug and emptied out the contents. There were seven shapes made of ebony wood, carved with patterns of plum blossom and bamboo. The shapes were the same triangles, square and diamond that were marked on the silk.
Ping had watched Lady An play this game. It involved rearranging the pieces to make shapes—a rabbit, a running man, a bird in flight. Ping didn’t mind playing chess, which improved the player’s skills at strategy, but she had never seen the point of playing Seven Cunning Pieces.
“Can I borrow your chalk, please?” she asked.
Lady An handed her the piece of chalky rock that she was using to mark lines on her sewing.
Ping formed the seven pieces into a square, as they were arranged on the back of the silk square. She marked the characters on the black pieces, exactly as they were on the silk.
Ping turned the shapes this way and that on the rug. She arranged them to make patterns and shapes—a jug, a boat and a dish. It was amusing for a few minutes, but she soon grew bored. The characters were still a senselessjumble. She studied the silk square again. There was no clue as to what she should do with the pieces.
Lady An came over to see what Ping was doing. She was fond of the game.
“Which shape do you want to make?” she asked.
“I don’t know, that’s the problem. Danzi didn’t say.”
“A dragon,” said Kai.
“You’re right, of course. It has to be a dragon.” Ping was the only one who could understand Kai. His dragon sounds translated
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