Chapter Text
Nihuang takes a deep breath and plunges without coyness directly to the matter.
“It is a fine match.”
“We Mu’s could not ask for better. In military resources alone, the Lin’s have had generations of battle against northern tribes with deep expertise in horse-back battles and long distance bow-based strategies that could vastly enrich our experience…. “
Then she pauses and looks up at Lin Shu who is pretending to look at the plum flowers airily while secretly watching Nihuang. Her flushed, flustered face, so different from her usual smiling, but collected air is striking and utterly bewitching.
Lin Shu wishes he knew where this was going. Many there were who expected this arrangement, it was no secret that the Mu family scion had spent the better part of her training these last few years in company of the ‘brightest star in the capital’.
In imitation of his usual blasé air he probes “But…?”
“But, I do not wish to marry you.”
Lin Shu’s eyebrows arc in surprise. To be sure they had never discussed marriage. But all these years of growing up together in Great Granny's palace, training together, laughing together, making fun of the palace girls who stood around gaping at Lin Shu together, getting into trouble and waiting together for Jingyan to come, rolling his eyes, to bail them out... if it wasn't quite love, then it was at least close.
Now and then Lin Shu would simply enjoy looking at her as she talks and she would suddenly stammer and fall silent, or they would be in the middle of sword play and suddenly the space between them was too short and their touch too warm...
Even Jingyan, water buffalo that he was, was starting to grumble about the scandal that they had a "blooming flower" from a noble family running all over camp with them daily "without even an official name" and then he would give Lin Shu what he probably thought was a subtle 'look'.
But Lin Shu's voice is light-hearted. “I am not enticing enough? Nihuang meimei you may top the class in sword work, and although I’m the most humble person in the world” (Nihuang snorts) “I can honestly say I’m no slouch on battle strategy and bow work…”
“It’s not that…”
Lin Shu’s eyebrows go up a little higher and he smiles mischievously “Are you complaining that I’m ugly?!” with a toss of his hair in mock vanity, displaying the humor that only came with supreme confidence.
Nihuang disdains to reply but rolls her eyes and bites down an involuntary giggle. Inwardly she sighs that only Lin Shu can make her laugh at a time like this.
“Lin Shu Gege, if you’re fishing for praise, no I’m neither deaf nor blind. Yes, you are justifiably called the ‘brightest star of the capital.’ You’re sharp as a knife edge and twice as fast, the most strategic thinker of anyone I know.”
Then with a wry smile “And if that isn’t enough, your looks and flair for dramatic displays, means girls ignore even Crown Prince Qi to swoon over you- as you take great pains to point out to Jingyan and I all the time.”
Lin Shu smiles smugly in response, leaning close to Nihuang to whisper mock-suggestively.
“Then what is it? It couldn't be the lack of affection, one might say you've worshipped your Lin Shu gege since you were a toddler running….”
Nihuang gives Lin Shu a friendly shove partly so she wouldn’t have to look so closely at his eyes.
“Stop joking for a moment, I’m being serious!”
“Think for me. If I marry you, I’ll be the wife of the most promising, prominent general in our generation. Running your household, bearing your heirs, arranging politically advantageous alliances in the back rooms of the Imperial households in Jinling will be MY life.”
Nihuang gets up and starts to pace.
“Lin Shu I don’t think you realize, but as a woman in the military, I am currently only tolerated because I am heir-apparent if anything happens to father before either Muqing or I marry. Even an announcement of our engagement will mean I am no long that heir-apparent. That will swiftly strip me of the ‘indulgence’ I’m currently held in, and I can forget ever swinging a sword in training again, much less planning a battle or leading a mission to Southern Chu!”
She suddenly stops to look right at Lin Shu.
“And that wouldn’t even be the worse of it.”
She closes her eyes.
“The worse thing would be leaving my father to manage the Southern army of 100,000 on his own. And with Muqing just 6 years old! What if anything should happen?”
“I would be abandoning the Southern border when I’m finally of an age that I can go home and start to play a meaningful role. Just as you have been raised to be a general after your father, I’ve been groomed and trained to be regent to the heir. How many times have we talked about my plan on how we can combine force and diplomacy to bring a lasting peace with Southern Chu? How long and hard have I studied the martial and diplomatic arts to build toward my dream? And yet” Nihuang gulps “… in 2 days when our engagement is announced, that door will forever be closed to me.”
Lin Shu finally drops his blasé air and turns to Nihuang with a serious smile and holds one of her hands.
“Nihuang, Nihuang meimei, listen to me.”
“When our families are joined in marriage we (you and I, not just me, I promise) will one day have influence to deploy the Chiyan troops- you well know the worth of us! We would not stand by and watch if anything happened to your father or sister. How could we?”
He moves and speaks with the unconscious charismatic air that has won him the faith and loyalty of men many years his senior and Nihuang listens mesmerized.
“Our alliance will not go un-noticed by Southern Chu. A combined 170,000 troops! Between our families we will have the largest army in the Central Kingdoms.”
He smiles, “Diplomacy? Southern Chu will BEG for an alliance.”
Nihuang bows her head and then gently shakes it.
“I don’t want to cow them into submission Lin Shu gege, because that means the next time we get involved in a war with the North, or we have civil unrest internally, or anytime we get weaker, they will jump at the chance to attack us again. I want to win them into a real, lasting alliance.”
Nihuang continues passionately,
“Father and I talk a lot about this, but do have any idea how much wealthier both Southern Chu and Liang would be if Chu had trading access to the Silk route via Liang- which they currently have to go a long way to avoid our borders- and Liang got tariff-free access to their South sea port?”
Nihuang’s eyes sparkle.
“It would be as if we were extending the Silk Route all the way to the South sea and beyond, with Southern Chu ships, into the deep southern islands! The trade potential alone would be priceless, not to mention the wealth of knowledge and exchange of ideas that could enable!”
Nihuang looks back at Lin Shu and it is her turn to hold onto his hands as he holds his breadth at her surge of intensity.
“Give the Mu family full liberty with the army, give us Marshall Yan’s diplomatic support, give us the freedom to make war gestures as well as trade agreements, and in 20 years Liang will have prosperity as never before, Northern Yan and the tribes there will bow to our economic prowess even as they are afraid of our military might, a Chu princess will be a influential Imperial consort in the Liang Court and a Liang princess will sit close to the throne in the Chu court to seal our peace for the next generation!”
Nihuang’s hands seem to burn in Lin Shu’s and yet he is simultaneously frozen with admiration … and trepidation.
Nihuang looks at Lin Shu’s eyes and knows that if she does not say this now his look of affection and boundless charisma will erode her determination.
“Lin Shu gege if my father offered you my hand, but added the condition that you forsake your Chiyan army to do so, what would you do?”
Another breadth but before Lin Shu can protest, she adds.
“And you. You deserve someone who can whole-hearted support you, be the woman behind the “brightest star in the capital”, give her life to you so you can reach your full potential. I couldn't be entirely that woman.” her voice fades a little, "not even for you."
“But Lin Shu gege, I believe in you. Not only do I believe in you, I believe no one but you and Prince Jing will be able to support Prince Qi do the things for Liang’s court and politics he plans.”
They both catch a breadth, suddenly realizing they haven’t taken one in a few seconds, and both also become aware of their hands and Nihuang pulls her hands back quickly.
Both have left unsaid the understood facts that have been discussed extensively in their households for the past few weeks:
The Mu army, although less influential had easily 50% more men than the Chiyan army because the South could spare the men. Families in the North needed every hand to work the unforgiving land. The alliance would bring the North badly-needed recruits and the plan General Mu and General Lin drew up would see the Chiyan army doubling in size in the next 10 years. Not to mention access to wood and ammunition for catapults and bows, food directly taken as tithes from the rich Southern farmlands and Southern troops’ experience with foot-soldier based battle tactics. On the other hand other than the long range battle capabilities, critical strategic strength in water-based fighting the Lin family could offer would change the way the Southern war is fought. Put all together, this was a match neither the Lin’s nor Mu’s could afford to lose.
Nihuang braces herself for the next part.
“Lin Shu Gege.” She begins softly, “I want you to know that in spite of what I say next, you are my best friend. You have stood by me, played with me, trained with me through all these years, and New Year’s eve when we were hanging lanterns I thought.. well…. I know I didn’t say anything, but I thought to myself that if I had to marry anyone, I would marry you.”
Lin Shu’s usually sparkling witty eyes darken to the color of the deep sea and he lifts his eyes to hers only to quickly glance away again.
“I remember the lanterns, Nihuang meimei,”
He picks up a twig and twirls it in his fingers.
“Did I ever tell you that I stayed up all night that night after you left?”
The twig gets tossed and whirled.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I drew up a detailed alliance proposal for the Mu and Chiyan army, including a list of the trainings, troops, goods that we could exchange that would be critical for each army. I presented that to father on New Year’s and he loved it.”
He catches the twig again in a deft gesture.
Nihuang pales.
But there is no going back now.
“Lin Shu gege, I have given this some thought and spoken to father today. You know Muqing is the baby of our family, father and I both adore her and her wedded family will be dear to us beyond measure... ”
“Nihuang….” Lin Shu tries to spare Nihuang where he can see this is going, but Nihuang starts to babble.
“ … she’s 6 so it’s a little early to say if she’ll be a beauty but she is clever enough at her studies and although she's mischievous- how could you blame a 6-year-old?- she is the most loving sister one could hope for and the other day she... ”
“Nihuang…”
Lin Shu raises one of his hands to her lips to stop her. The last cocky smile fades from his face to be replaced by something warmer and wiser. Nihuang sharply averts her eyes aware of the heat radiating from Lin Shu.
“Nihuang meimei. Do you know what I think?”
“I think everyone has been a fool.”
Nihuang looks back at Lin Shu in surprise and is caught up in his gaze.
“With your ambition and vision, YOU, and not I, are the capital’s brightest star.”
They stay there a moment, a falling petal is caught in Nihuang’s hair and Lin Shu slowly, gently brushes it off.
Lin Shu finally drops his hands, reluctantly, and continues softly
“I have always said I would defend you, yet I never seem to learn that you don’t need my defending. Not the first day I saw you when you showed the boys at the training yard that just because you were a girl with a Southern accent, you weren’t to be trifled with. Not today, and … and not even in the future.”
“But you will always be able to count on my support.” With determination “For anything.”
He gives her a brilliant smile, “I accept..but on one condition”
“You promise never, never to have to consider twice asking me if you need my help. For anything.”
Nihuang's feelings are awhirl, "Lin Shu gege.... I promise." She manages a wry smile. "You've been my support and hero really since I was tall enough to run around with you in Great-granny's household. Since when have I NOT come to you when I needed your help?"
"But Lin Shu gege I know you well." She grins. "You think you're going to conquer the world just you and your bow, and you may be right, but I also want you to promise that when you're in need, ever, ever in need, you must let me help you!"
"Deal?" Nihuang offers her pinky finger
Lin Shu nods and grins at the childish gesture but returns it. They stand there in the chill of spring, littlest fingers touch, but each engulfed in huge thoughts of how different the future now looks.
Lin Shu smiles and falls back on banter "Well, since I'm the capital's most eligible, dashing young general, I suppose my hoards of admirers will be weeping in the streets all week at the news. But perhaps they'll finally stop preening around me. Except..." and he pauses, looking unconvincingly concerned "...should I worry that some of them will die of disappointed love for someone they've never spoken to or even met?"
Nihuang snorts at Lin Shu's vanity, "Yes, poor Lin Shu gege, all those broken hearted women littering the street in your wake. You realize that I'm the one who really had problems right? In the last year, Jingyan can't stop grumbling about the impropriety of me running all over the place with you two. Well now he can finally sigh in relief since we’re properly, formally family!”
They lapse into a comfortable silence and feel the chill wind, watch as early plum blossoms promise a glorious spring-to-come.
"You know we'll always be who we've always been right Lin Shu Gege?"
Lin Shu grins “The terrors of the Chiyan barracks? The bane of Prince Jingyan's existence?"
"Those too," Nihuang smiles with the confidence of youth. "And the capital's brightest stars."