The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin

from having no name. His name was rather important, yet he didn’t rely on it when speaking to her.
    He didn’t need to reason with a maidservant to get what he wanted. Any other aristocrat would command or threaten or simply assume she would obey.
    “Maybe she didn’t realize it was a life-or-death situation until too late,” Yue-ying guessed, her heart pounding at his directness, at her own boldness.
    “She must have known. She was desperate to flee the city. If Magistrate Li couldn’t help her then, he can’t help her now. She needs us.”
    “Us?”
    Bai Huang was trouble. Constable Wu was right; he was hiding something. She had noticed that about him from the beginning. There was careful deliberation behind his every act. And when no one was watching, a calculating expression would flit across his face, transforming his careless beauty into something honed and dangerous.
    Over time, Yue-ying had let herself be assuaged by his antics. He had a way of wearing away at one’s defenses with his awkward attempts at charm and humor. But she’d never completely let her guard down with him. And she was right not to do so.
    “I can’t help you any further,” she insisted.
    “I understand,” he replied too easily.
    She paused. “You do?”
    “Yes, but I need one last favor.”
    Before she could protest, he had taken her arm and was leading her out into the street and then beyond the Three Lanes.
    “Where are we going?” she asked through her teeth, determined not to make a scene.
    “To the canal. I want you to show me where the banquet was hosted.”
    Her slippers dragged as he pulled her along. “Enough! I can walk. You’re like a persistent housefly,” she snapped.
    Laughing, he loosened his grip. “Come now, Miss Yue-ying. This is an adventure.”
    “You’ve never shown yourself to be dedicated to anything before this. Why now?”
    “I promised Huilan,” Bai Huang said soberly.
    Something in his tone made her relent. Even though they weren’t close, Huilan was still one of the women of the North Hamlet. There were rivalries and jealousies among them, but they all shared a history of being uprooted and sold into the life they were forced to lead.
    A series of transport canals and waterways cut through the city, feeding the artificial lakes and wells. They walked along the bank to the point where a major artery met up with the Grand Canal. The larger river barges were docked near the juncture of the two waterways.
    The steps leading down the embankment were cut roughly and Bai Huang offered his hand to help steady her, a gentleman at heart. His touch was warm on her arm and the trace of it remained long after he let go. As they neared the docks the swampy, stagnant smell of water rose around them.
    “The banquet was during the evening,” she reminded him. “It was dark outside and there were lanterns lighting the walkway. I might not be able to find this pleasure boat.”
    “I know. Just try to look.”
    “It may not even be here anymore. Ships sail in and out of the city every day.”
    She set foot onto the wooden plank of the dock that stretched along the waterway. The port was clogged with every sort of vessel, large and small. Yue-ying searched among them.
    “It might have been this one.”
    They came to a stop before a massive vessel that rose out of the water. It was a pleasure barge fitted with painted columns supporting two tiers. A dragon’s head graced the bow and elaborate carvings curled along the eaves. Red lanterns hung along the length of the boat. Passengers were meant to enjoy the view of the water through the open panels, but Yue-ying had been so nervous when she was on it, all she could remember was that she had wanted to get off.
    After a brief scan, Bai Huang directed her along the dock at a leisurely pace, as if they were a young couple enjoying a stroll.
    “You said that the guests at the banquet were mostly merchants and traders.”
    “Yes.”
    “Do those sorts of men