Time flew, and soon, New Year was upon them.
Commander Ho’s New Year was not spent alone. Lan had kept him company throughout New Year’s Eve, and by morning, flocks of his subordinates and members of the local gentry were swarming in to pay their new year’s respects. Commander Ho sat in his Guangxu palace chair, his manners placid as he greeted his guests with smiles.
Li Shih-Yao alone had been late. It was nearly dusk when he finally made an appearance at the front gates.
Commander Ho had been fooling around with Lan in the central room. Lan ruffled Commander Ho’s tousled hair, chuckling: “How can a young man like you treat yourself this way? Just look at your hair. Why don’t you tidy it up a bit?”
Commander Ho allowed him to play with his hair. “Haven’t got an audience.”
Lan took out a comb and some hair oil. “Neither have I, but have I turned my head into a bird nest?”
Commander Ho laughed. He wasn’t one to concern himself with appearances. Besides, in his current occupation, how he looked hardly mattered.
With considerable effort, Lan succeeded in taming his hair into a glossy coiffure. This only made Commander Ho look even more porcelain.
Commander Ho turned to him, his upturned eyes curving slightly with a smile. They held a silent seductiveness.
Lan was lost in them for a slight moment. “Ji-Ch’ing…”
Not noticing Lan’s predicament, Commander Ho picked up a silver cigarette case on the table. He took out a single cigarette and stuck it between his lips, and was about to open the drawer in search for matches, when an orderly at the door announced that Major-General Li had arrived.
Before Commander Ho could respond, Li Shih-Yao pushed open the door and proceeded to invite himself in.
“Commander! How are you?” Li was clad in a black wool coat with fox fur for collars, looking like an upstart mogul. He stood near the door grinning widely, and looked to Commander Ho before turning his eyes to Lan. “Chief Lan is here as well? Wonderful! I was worried Commander Ho might get lonely all by himself.” At this, he cupped one hand in the other before his chest. “Commander, I hereby pay you your New Year’s respect! I wish you a year of power and wealth, and may we dip in some of your glory!”
Commander Ho was a very suspicious man, and had always taken a disliking to Li. The propitious words sounded anything but to his ears, and he suspected there were words within words. But since Li appeared to be in good humour and his mannerism sincere, the Commander was not in a position to ruminate in silence.
“Thank you,” Commander Ho constructed a smile on his face, taking the cigarette out of his lips. “You’ve just come back?”
Li helped himself to a chair. “Aye! And first thing I did was to head over here.” He then examined Commander Ho from head to toe. “Commander, that’s a nice outfit on you.”
Commander Ho glanced down at himself reflexively, but failed to see anything of note. He was sporting in an East-meets-West look, a mix of black dress trousers, leather shoes and a crimson Chinese chiffon jacket. The jacket was only half-buttoned, the collar opening to reveal a white silk shirt.
Li decided to comment again. “You know, no counting women, only you can pull off something like this. It suits your complexion.”
Commander Ho went from his usual pale to red rapidly. “Well…“
He could neither agree nor disagree with Lee’s audacious remark, so he simply smiled and changed the topic. “Major General Li must have had a rough journey.”
Li crossed his legs, his eyes staring straight at Commander Ho. “Not at all,” he smiled. “Riding isn’t all that tiring if you’re accustomed to it. By the way, Commander, after so many victories—and, in effect, beating the shit out of these so-called Fu’s Army, shouldn’t Chao Chen-Sheng express some gratitude?”
Commander Ho threw him a glance and smiled faintly. “These days, war means fortune. You’re able to fry grease out of mud, yet you’re still after Fu’s money?
“Commander, why would you side with outsiders?” Li laughed. “Money doesn’t bite, the more the merrier!”
Commander Ho looked down, staring at the cigarette between his fingers. “A man cannot be ruled by greed, and should know contentment in what he has. Besides—“ He laughed out a “Ha”, and stopped.
Li had no idea what the commander was laughing at, but catching sight of the unlit cigarette in Commander Ho’s hand, he smartly dug a gilded English lighter out of his coat, and brought it lit in front of the Commander with both hands. Deep in thought, Commander was perplexed for a moment as a burst of flame came to life in front of his face. He recovered quickly and brought the cigarette to his lips, lighting his cigarette and exhaling a grey cloud of smoke.
Li placed the lighter on the table beside Commander Ho. “Keep it, it’s new.”
Biting on his cigarette, Commander Ho looked at the lighter, then at Li. “All right,” he said nonchalantly.
Li remained standing in front him, and appeared to have no intention of leaving. He stared down at the Commander. “It’s New Year, Commander. I came back in a rush, so I haven’t prepared anything fancy. All I have for you is a bit of…you know.”
Commander Ho didn’t care for Li’s gifts, but since Li was being intentionally vague, he couldn’t help but ask: “What?”
Li turned to the door and clapped. An orderly appeared on cue, bringing in a small leather case to Li. Li placed it on the table before opening its lid for the Commander. “Snow.”
Commander Ho glanced at its content, his face impassive. “Where did you get this?”
Li flashed his white teeth in a roguish grin. “Where do you think?”
Commander Ho resented his manners, and made no attempt to be pleasant. “Looted it?”
Li clapped. “No wonder you’re the Commander! Correct on the first guess! This is premium Japanese stuff, you wouldn’t be able buy it with money!”
Commander Ho made a rough estimate in his head—heroin was indeed quite valuable, but the locals didn’t acknowledge that. If he wanted to profit, he’d have to ship it out.
He closed the lid with his hand. “Too inconvenient.”
Li’s eyes lowered, his gaze landing on Commander Ho’s hand lying atop the case. Its fingers were well proportioned and long, its pale skin almost translucent.
“Not at all! If you find it inconvenient, you can always keep it for personal use,” he grinned.
Commander Ho finally looked up at him. “Trying to ruin me?”
“No, it’s good stuff.”
“If I get addicted…”
Li leaned on the table with one arm, his body tilting forward. He could see the Commander’s dark eyelashes from this new angle. “I’ll support you.”
Commander Ho turned to look at Lan, who had been sitting in the corner. “How very generous of Major-General Li.”
Lan, who had remained silent during the conversation, joined in on Commander Ho’s cue. “Major-General Li had made a promise. If Commander Ho ever does need you someday, you better keep your words!”
Li glanced at Lan, finding him rather offensive to his eyes. “By the way, Chief Lan—since you keep around the Commander all day— are you just all talk, or do you have something to show for it? Everyone knows the money from Hsian goes through your hands first. Why don’t you honour the Commander with a bit of your fortune? Don’t be such a penny pincher!”
Not expecting such blatancy, Lan was at a loss of words for a moment. Commander Ho came to his rescue. “It’s all right, your kind thoughts are more than enough. How much you offer hardly matters. Please sit, Major-General Li.” He picked up an empty teacup, looked into it, and turned to the door. “Li Bai! Tea!”
Li knew that the Commander was bound to defend Lan, and wasn’t especially offended by his senseless attempt at mediation. After some chitchatting, he rose to leave, his heart still itching mischievously—the mere sight of the Commander made him restless now. Commander Ho, the wooden beauty, who probably looked even better when he’s stripped naked. Always so proper—Li wondered if Lan had ever fucked him, or if he’d ever fucked Lan.
He considered himself much more of a man than Lan. If Commander Ho liked men, why hadn’t he come to Li?
In fact, Li didn’t harbour any particular interest in other men; he wasn’t Jin Hwan-Ran. To his eyes, Commander Ho was more like a symbol—a symbol of sexual dominance and authority, hidden behind in a dark veil of forbiddance, one that could only be viewed from afar and not trifled with. Symbols had no gender; symbols were just metaphors.
Therefore, as he molested Commander Ho mentally, he wasn’t slightly bothered. Ho Bao-Ting, the Seventh Master, the Old Marshal’s son, the Commander-in-Chief… Fucking him, would be like fucking legions instantaneously.
Li Shih-Yao fancied himself as a hero. What was a hero? Heroes meant boundless pillage and conquest.
One day, he’d strip Commander Ho naked, and conquer him thoroughly.
- : -
Commander Ho watched as Li took his leave, a look of disgust flickering across his features.
Lan smiled when he caught it. “Now, now. He won’t be here very often, just bear with him.”
Commander Ho tapped the small leather case on the table. “This is trouble. Valuable, but difficult to dispose of, not to mention disreputable. I prefer crude opium.”
Having no further suggestion to offer, Lan simply smiled.
Commander Ho glanced at him, wondering exactly how much he profited from the army’s commissions. Lan hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Did he think him a fool? But if he were to actually cut off Lan’s route of wealth…
Commander Ho shook his head to himself. He knew Lan. Lan was simply toying with him, as he was with Lan. If one day he were to withdraw Lan’s power, he’d probably abandon his allegiances without a second thought—providing that he could find a new master.
But why should he indulge Lan so? In fact, Lan was a most ordinary man. He had a bit of ambition, but his intelligence was limited. Commander Ho didn’t even know why he liked him so much. Perhaps it was because he’d spent his whole life surrounded by heroic personages—even his mother in title, Lady Ho, was something of a heroine.
Lan Bai-Shan was no hero. His smile was like sunlight, his twinkling eyes like crescents. When he spoke, he spoke of everyday trifles, and now and then when he did speak of greater affairs, his manners would remain placid. His stance never showed aggression—he was like a cunning but adorable little fox, his bite quite harmless.
Commander Ho was getting a headache. His hand was still resting on top of the case as the ghost of an idea formed in his mind. It was an island enshrouded in the thick mist of the sea, seemingly an otherworldly paradise, but in reality barren and perilous.
“Bai-Shan,” he turned to his lover. “Don’t leave tonight.”
Lan blanched. “Wha—what for?”
“Stay with me.”
Lan smiled awkwardly. “Ji-Ch’ing, you want me to spend the night with you? If this ever gets out, what will I become? We’ll both become laughing stock. Don’t act on caprice. I’ll stay late for a bit, and come in early next morning. Would that be alright?”
“No.”
Lan stood up and moved towards the Commander, bending down to gaze into his eyes. He nudged the tip of Commander Ho’s nose, laughing softly. “Ji-Ch’ing, don't be childish.”
Commander Ho tilted his head slightly, reaching forward to land a light kiss on Lan’s lips. His face, however, showed no pleasure. “Stay! You know me, I won’t be able to do anything to you. All I want is for others to know, you are mine!”
Lan went a bit red. “And what do you aim to achieve by this? The Commander slept with the Chief of Staff, does that sound like a good story?”
Commander Ho placed an arm around Lan’s neck, arching a brow as the corners of his lips curled ever so slightly. “Sounds splendid.”
Lan suddenly found the situation very tricky. Commander Ho was going out of his mind. He hadn’t had anything to drink, so where the hell did the madness come from?
“Ji-Ch’ing, have you ever considered my reputation? If people know we’re in…that kind of relationship, how will I ever show my face again?
“Then don’t.” Commander Ho’s hand climbed slowly up Lan’s head, and abruptly, took a grasp of his hair. “Bai-Shan, I’ve suddenly realised that I made a terrible mistake. I’ve just come to my senses, and it’s not altogether too late.”
Lan had a sinking feeling. “What mistake?”
Commander Ho increased the force of his grasp, almost as if he was trying to rip out Lan’s hair. “See for yourself! But remember, I really do love you.”
At the drop of his words, Commander Ho turned to the door. “Guard!”
Li Bai came running in. “Commander, what’s the matter?”
Commander Ho let go of Lan, rose to his feet and strode across the room to Li Bai. He grabbed the pistol hanging by Li’s belt, and turned around wordlessly. Without warning, he aimed it at Lan’s leg and pulled the trigger.
A sudden scream of pain erupted with the gunshot. Commander Ho watched as his bleeding lover lay cowering on the floor. Sighing deeply, he tossed the pistol away. “Good, now my heart’s finally at more ease. Call in a medic!”
- : -
Commander Ho had shattered Lan’s kneecap with a single shot. When it was time to treat the wound, he forbade the medic from using anaesthetics.
“HO JI-CH’ING—“ Lan was howling in agony. “ARE YOU—TRYING TO—FUCKING KILL ME?”
Commander Ho ignored him. When the wound was tended and bandaged, he called out the medic and whispered a set of instructions. The medic listened with a startled look. “Morphine would be enough to curb the pain. Why heroin?”
Commander Ho stared at the medic in silence.
The medic realized too late that he should have kept his mouth shut. He nodded frantically. “I see, Commander. Please rest assured, I’ll administer the appropriate dosage.”
Time flew, and soon, New Year was upon them.
Commander Ho’s New Year was not spent alone. Lan had kept him company throughout New Year’s Eve, and by morning, flocks of his subordinates and members of the local gentry were swarming in to pay their new year’s respects. Commander Ho sat in his Guangxu palace chair, his manners placid as he greeted his guests with smiles.
Li Shih-Yao alone had been late. It was nearly dusk when he finally made an appearance at the front gates.
Commander Ho had been fooling around with Lan in the central room. Lan ruffled Commander Ho’s tousled hair, chuckling: “How can a young man like you treat yourself this way? Just look at your hair. Why don’t you tidy it up a bit?”
Commander Ho allowed him to play with his hair. “Haven’t got an audience.”
Lan took out a comb and some hair oil. “Neither have I, but have I turned my head into a bird nest?”
Commander Ho laughed. He wasn’t one to concern himself with appearances. Besides, in his current occupation, how he looked hardly mattered.
With considerable effort, Lan succeeded in taming his hair into a glossy coiffure. This only made Commander Ho look even more porcelain.
Commander Ho turned to him, his upturned eyes curving slightly with a smile. They held a silent seductiveness.
Lan was lost in them for a slight moment. “Ji-Ch’ing…”
Not noticing Lan’s predicament, Commander Ho picked up a silver cigarette case on the table. He took out a single cigarette and stuck it between his lips, and was about to open the drawer in search for matches, when an orderly at the door announced that Major-General Li had arrived.
Before Commander Ho could respond, Li Shih-Yao pushed open the door and proceeded to invite himself in.
“Commander! How are you?” Li was clad in a black wool coat with fox fur for collars, looking like an upstart mogul. He stood near the door grinning widely, and looked to Commander Ho before turning his eyes to Lan. “Chief Lan is here as well? Wonderful! I was worried Commander Ho might get lonely all by himself.” At this, he cupped one hand in the other before his chest. “Commander, I hereby pay you your New Year’s respect! I wish you a year of power and wealth, and may we dip in some of your glory!”
Commander Ho was a very suspicious man, and had always taken a disliking to Li. The propitious words sounded anything but to his ears, and he suspected there were words within words. But since Li appeared to be in good humour and his mannerism sincere, the Commander was not in a position to ruminate in silence.
“Thank you,” Commander Ho constructed a smile on his face, taking the cigarette out of his lips. “You’ve just come back?”
Li helped himself to a chair. “Aye! And first thing I did was to head over here.” He then examined Commander Ho from head to toe. “Commander, that’s a nice outfit on you.”
Commander Ho glanced down at himself reflexively, but failed to see anything of note. He was sporting in an East-meets-West look, a mix of black dress trousers, leather shoes and a crimson Chinese chiffon jacket. The jacket was only half-buttoned, the collar opening to reveal a white silk shirt.
Li decided to comment again. “You know, no counting women, only you can pull off something like this. It suits your complexion.”
Commander Ho went from his usual pale to red rapidly. “Well…“
He could neither agree nor disagree with Lee’s audacious remark, so he simply smiled and changed the topic. “Major General Li must have had a rough journey.”
Li crossed his legs, his eyes staring straight at Commander Ho. “Not at all,” he smiled. “Riding isn’t all that tiring if you’re accustomed to it. By the way, Commander, after so many victories—and, in effect, beating the shit out of these so-called Fu’s Army, shouldn’t Chao Chen-Sheng express some gratitude?”
Commander Ho threw him a glance and smiled faintly. “These days, war means fortune. You’re able to fry grease out of mud, yet you’re still after Fu’s money?
“Commander, why would you side with outsiders?” Li laughed. “Money doesn’t bite, the more the merrier!”
Commander Ho looked down, staring at the cigarette between his fingers. “A man cannot be ruled by greed, and should know contentment in what he has. Besides—“ He laughed out a “Ha”, and stopped.
Li had no idea what the commander was laughing at, but catching sight of the unlit cigarette in Commander Ho’s hand, he smartly dug a gilded English lighter out of his coat, and brought it lit in front of the Commander with both hands. Deep in thought, Commander was perplexed for a moment as a burst of flame came to life in front of his face. He recovered quickly and brought the cigarette to his lips, lighting his cigarette and exhaling a grey cloud of smoke.
Li placed the lighter on the table beside Commander Ho. “Keep it, it’s new.”
Biting on his cigarette, Commander Ho looked at the lighter, then at Li. “All right,” he said nonchalantly.
Li remained standing in front him, and appeared to have no intention of leaving. He stared down at the Commander. “It’s New Year, Commander. I came back in a rush, so I haven’t prepared anything fancy. All I have for you is a bit of…you know.”
Commander Ho didn’t care for Li’s gifts, but since Li was being intentionally vague, he couldn’t help but ask: “What?”
Li turned to the door and clapped. An orderly appeared on cue, bringing in a small leather case to Li. Li placed it on the table before opening its lid for the Commander. “Snow.”
Commander Ho glanced at its content, his face impassive. “Where did you get this?”
Li flashed his white teeth in a roguish grin. “Where do you think?”
Commander Ho resented his manners, and made no attempt to be pleasant. “Looted it?”
Li clapped. “No wonder you’re the Commander! Correct on the first guess! This is premium Japanese stuff, you wouldn’t be able buy it with money!”
Commander Ho made a rough estimate in his head—heroin was indeed quite valuable, but the locals didn’t acknowledge that. If he wanted to profit, he’d have to ship it out.
He closed the lid with his hand. “Too inconvenient.”
Li’s eyes lowered, his gaze landing on Commander Ho’s hand lying atop the case. Its fingers were well proportioned and long, its pale skin almost translucent.
“Not at all! If you find it inconvenient, you can always keep it for personal use,” he grinned.
Commander Ho finally looked up at him. “Trying to ruin me?”
“No, it’s good stuff.”
“If I get addicted…”
Li leaned on the table with one arm, his body tilting forward. He could see the Commander’s dark eyelashes from this new angle. “I’ll support you.”
Commander Ho turned to look at Lan, who had been sitting in the corner. “How very generous of Major-General Li.”
Lan, who had remained silent during the conversation, joined in on Commander Ho’s cue. “Major-General Li had made a promise. If Commander Ho ever does need you someday, you better keep your words!”
Li glanced at Lan, finding him rather offensive to his eyes. “By the way, Chief Lan—since you keep around the Commander all day— are you just all talk, or do you have something to show for it? Everyone knows the money from Hsian goes through your hands first. Why don’t you honour the Commander with a bit of your fortune? Don’t be such a penny pincher!”
Not expecting such blatancy, Lan was at a loss of words for a moment. Commander Ho came to his rescue. “It’s all right, your kind thoughts are more than enough. How much you offer hardly matters. Please sit, Major-General Li.” He picked up an empty teacup, looked into it, and turned to the door. “Li Bai! Tea!”
Li knew that the Commander was bound to defend Lan, and wasn’t especially offended by his senseless attempt at mediation. After some chitchatting, he rose to leave, his heart still itching mischievously—the mere sight of the Commander made him restless now. Commander Ho, the wooden beauty, who probably looked even better when he’s stripped naked. Always so proper—Li wondered if Lan had ever fucked him, or if he’d ever fucked Lan.
He considered himself much more of a man than Lan. If Commander Ho liked men, why hadn’t he come to Li?
In fact, Li didn’t harbour any particular interest in other men; he wasn’t Jin Hwan-Ran. To his eyes, Commander Ho was more like a symbol—a symbol of sexual dominance and authority, hidden behind in a dark veil of forbiddance, one that could only be viewed from afar and not trifled with. Symbols had no gender; symbols were just metaphors.
Therefore, as he molested Commander Ho mentally, he wasn’t slightly bothered. Ho Bao-Ting, the Seventh Master, the Old Marshal’s son, the Commander-in-Chief… Fucking him, would be like fucking legions instantaneously.
Li Shih-Yao fancied himself as a hero. What was a hero? Heroes meant boundless pillage and conquest.
One day, he’d strip Commander Ho naked, and conquer him thoroughly.
- : -
Commander Ho watched as Li took his leave, a look of disgust flickering across his features.
Lan smiled when he caught it. “Now, now. He won’t be here very often, just bear with him.”
Commander Ho tapped the small leather case on the table. “This is trouble. Valuable, but difficult to dispose of, not to mention disreputable. I prefer crude opium.”
Having no further suggestion to offer, Lan simply smiled.
Commander Ho glanced at him, wondering exactly how much he profited from the army’s commissions. Lan hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Did he think him a fool? But if he were to actually cut off Lan’s route of wealth…
Commander Ho shook his head to himself. He knew Lan. Lan was simply toying with him, as he was with Lan. If one day he were to withdraw Lan’s power, he’d probably abandon his allegiances without a second thought—providing that he could find a new master.
But why should he indulge Lan so? In fact, Lan was a most ordinary man. He had a bit of ambition, but his intelligence was limited. Commander Ho didn’t even know why he liked him so much. Perhaps it was because he’d spent his whole life surrounded by heroic personages—even his mother in title, Lady Ho, was something of a heroine.
Lan Bai-Shan was no hero. His smile was like sunlight, his twinkling eyes like crescents. When he spoke, he spoke of everyday trifles, and now and then when he did speak of greater affairs, his manners would remain placid. His stance never showed aggression—he was like a cunning but adorable little fox, his bite quite harmless.
Commander Ho was getting a headache. His hand was still resting on top of the case as the ghost of an idea formed in his mind. It was an island enshrouded in the thick mist of the sea, seemingly an otherworldly paradise, but in reality barren and perilous.
“Bai-Shan,” he turned to his lover. “Don’t leave tonight.”
Lan blanched. “Wha—what for?”
“Stay with me.”
Lan smiled awkwardly. “Ji-Ch’ing, you want me to spend the night with you? If this ever gets out, what will I become? We’ll both become laughing stock. Don’t act on caprice. I’ll stay late for a bit, and come in early next morning. Would that be alright?”
“No.”
Lan stood up and moved towards the Commander, bending down to gaze into his eyes. He nudged the tip of Commander Ho’s nose, laughing softly. “Ji-Ch’ing, don't be childish.”
Commander Ho tilted his head slightly, reaching forward to land a light kiss on Lan’s lips. His face, however, showed no pleasure. “Stay! You know me, I won’t be able to do anything to you. All I want is for others to know, you are mine!”
Lan went a bit red. “And what do you aim to achieve by this? The Commander slept with the Chief of Staff, does that sound like a good story?”
Commander Ho placed an arm around Lan’s neck, arching a brow as the corners of his lips curled ever so slightly. “Sounds splendid.”
Lan suddenly found the situation very tricky. Commander Ho was going out of his mind. He hadn’t had anything to drink, so where the hell did the madness come from?
“Ji-Ch’ing, have you ever considered my reputation? If people know we’re in…that kind of relationship, how will I ever show my face again?
“Then don’t.” Commander Ho’s hand climbed slowly up Lan’s head, and abruptly, took a grasp of his hair. “Bai-Shan, I’ve suddenly realised that I made a terrible mistake. I’ve just come to my senses, and it’s not altogether too late.”
Lan had a sinking feeling. “What mistake?”
Commander Ho increased the force of his grasp, almost as if he was trying to rip out Lan’s hair. “See for yourself! But remember, I really do love you.”
At the drop of his words, Commander Ho turned to the door. “Guard!”
Li Bai came running in. “Commander, what’s the matter?”
Commander Ho let go of Lan, rose to his feet and strode across the room to Li Bai. He grabbed the pistol hanging by Li’s belt, and turned around wordlessly. Without warning, he aimed it at Lan’s leg and pulled the trigger.
A sudden scream of pain erupted with the gunshot. Commander Ho watched as his bleeding lover lay cowering on the floor. Sighing deeply, he tossed the pistol away. “Good, now my heart’s finally at more ease. Call in a medic!”
- : -
Commander Ho had shattered Lan’s kneecap with a single shot. When it was time to treat the wound, he forbade the medic from using anaesthetics.
“HO JI-CH’ING—“ Lan was howling in agony. “ARE YOU—TRYING TO—FUCKING KILL ME?”
Commander Ho ignored him. When the wound was tended and bandaged, he called out the medic and whispered a set of instructions. The medic listened with a startled look. “Morphine would be enough to curb the pain. Why heroin?”
Commander Ho stared at the medic in silence.
The medic realized too late that he should have kept his mouth shut. He nodded frantically. “I see, Commander. Please rest assured, I’ll administer the appropriate dosage.”
