be her sister! Lacius blinked, and her face disappeared behind the plates of the fan.
– They can do a lot, not only fight, – the head of security added carefully.
– Oh, yes! I heard that they can build bridges, – the Empress answered with a laugh. – As if our servants couldn’t build them. This is funny.
– They can sing, – Fu Xing said less confidently, not knowing what reaction this would cause in her, but the yellow fan suddenly trembled and froze.
– Sing? This is interesting. I only heard a terrible sound from the pipe. Is this their music? Ha-ha. And what can they sing? Are they really better than our court singers? I think they’re faking it. I hear someone playing a yu, – she said with curiosity and at the same time incredulously, but only the head of security answered her:
– Our lady, your wisdom is limitless, but let these slaves show what they can do, – catching Fu Xing’s approving glance, Lacius nodded to the musicians and looked at Paul. He and Zenon were waiting for this moment and took a deep breath.
Then Fortune decided to have mercy on Latium, and the Parks put the scissors aside from the thread of his fate. From Chow Li’s stories, he remembered that Empress Yu Wang loved music and songs, but he could not imagine that she would listen to them until sunset! When Paul and Zeno sang two hymns and moved on to previously learnt songs, the senior eunuch ordered small chairs to be brought to the Empress and the ladies of the court. They sat around the musicians, and now that all the women were sideways to Lacius, their faces were better visible. To the surprise of the senior eunuch, the Empress sang the second song together with Paul Domician and after that ordered the musicians to play again and again. Paul and Zeno realised that they needed to sing melodies with their voices, and, feeling that their talent was truly appreciated, they tried to show everything they were capable of.
– Oh, what a pity to kill such wonderful singers! – the Empress said wearily, leaning back in a small chair. – No, we will leave them. These two. They will sing to us on holidays and during long trips. It’s decided! Hey, you, – she called the chief of the guard, – make sure that they are not killed and are well fed. – I really enjoyed everything. I haven’t said such words for a long time. You are a good storyteller. It’s a pity that General Chen Tang is not here. Oh yes, he would have already been decapitated! I forgot! Who painted these pictures?
– Masters of the arts, – Fu Xing answered so quickly that even Lacius was amazed at his intelligence.
– Let them draw me several of the same pictures tomorrow. But a smaller size. I want to see them in my rooms. And let Zhi Zhi’s head be drawn there. I want it! – the Empress waved her fan and said in a tired voice: – I feel bad! – Phew, I remembered how awful it smelled! – the wide fan made several waves and, swaying, headed towards the stretcher. Tired ice bearers and servants with umbrellas jostled, trying to keep up with her. The rest of the women in multi-coloured robes also tiredly reached out to their stretchers, surrounded by eunuchs.
– Tomorrow Tiberius and Lucro will have a lot of work, – Paul noted joyfully.
– Yes, – Lacius drawled. – But nothing is clear for us yet.
– It’s good that at least they won’t cut anything off, – Paul added. – And we will sing. And they will feed you. That’s good.
– It’s good for you, your blind head, – Lucro interrupted him. – And in a month, they’ll put us in a slaughterhouse. – Did you hear her words?
The blind singer fell silent, feeling the absurdity of his joy. Lacius lowered his shield and sat down on the ground. All the other Romans began to sit down after him. Evening was approaching. And no one knew what awaited them next.
CHAPTER VI. CONCUBINES AND EUNUCHS
In the morning, Chow Li’s servant came. He said that everything remained unchanged and his mistress was sad. But perhaps two more people would come later. Two old ministers. That’s all. Lacius couldn’t find out anything else. He understood that Chow did this for a reason. She was afraid of something. Probably, this idea with paintings did not arouse the Emperor’s interest, and now the fate of General Chen Tang hung in the balance. So was hers, along with his. So far there have been no hints of changes. Lacius felt sad and unpleasant.
Just yesterday, hope for some turn of fate, the mercy of the gods, and the curiosity of stupid courtiers helped him resist despair and terrible thoughts. Now it was the other way around. He remembered the face of the narrow-eyed eunuch with prominent cheekbones like plums. His yellow, well-fed eyes were lazy and motionless, like those of a well-fed tiger. It was an obsession…
Having taken a sip of water, Lacius looked around at the sad faces of his comrades, lying side by side along the back wall, the musicians and the chief of the guard, Fu Xing, who was sitting opposite. The young warrior took off his helmet and leaned his back against the pillar. Lacius did not notice how his eyes closed by themselves and he fell asleep. The inflamed imagination again began to draw pictures, one more terrible than the other, where he resisted, fought, struggled, screamed and even bit… But everything always ended the same: a terrible eunuch was approaching him, with the long sleeves of his robe pulled forward, and small, hooked fingers appeared from them holding a sharp knife… The funny house on his head trembled nervously, a wide smile froze across his wide, semicircular face… This eunuch didn’t like something. He twitched his shoulders, raised them to his ears, waved his arms, and reached out to Lacius with trembling fingers. For some reason, Fu Xing stood next to him. He was all stretched out, frozen, listening. The cheekbones were compressed, the eyes did not blink, the lips did not move. He knitted his eyebrows and looked at the eunuch carefully. He looks and also waits for something…
An unexpected blow to the shoulder brought Lacius to his senses. A guard with a stick stood at arm’s length. Seeing that the Roman had woken up, he moved on. Lacius blinked several times, not understanding why the senior eunuch had not disappeared. Moreover, now behind him stood two dozen decorated servants, somewhat similar to him, only in different clothes.
From somewhere off to the side, Governor Bao Shi appeared, wearing a shiny black robe with yellow stripes on the edges of the sleeves. All those weird people gathered around the head eunuch. Lacius looked at them and stupidly asked himself, “Is this a dream? Or not… It looks like it’s not a dream.”
He slowly turned his head to the side, looked at Zeno and Paul, and extended his hand to the bag. The water was just as warm and rotten as before. The faces of everyone around were gray and swollen. For some reason, Paul seemed to him like blind Mercury.
– Hey, hurry up, hurry up! – the head of security hurried to the musicians, who continued to sit on the ground, leaving their instruments aside. – Tell your people to form up! – he said to Latsius as he walked.
– Emperor? – Paul asked from behind.
– Hardly, – Lacius answered in a hoarse voice. – Why does he need a eunuch?
– Yes, you’re right, – agreed the blind singer. – But today it’s a different colour. – Yellow and brown. Oh, gods! It changes colour so quickly! I don’t like it…
– Me too, – Lacius answered quietly and turned his head to Lucro. – Stand up! – he squeezed out the command with difficulty and leaned on the new shield. Swaying, the Romans began to straighten their ranks.
Soon, a pair of pink stretchers with white flowers and birds on the sides appeared from the direction of the inner palace. The stretchers themselves were small, but they were carried by eight people in shirts, trousers and closed sandals. At this time, the head of security, Fu Xing, approached Lacius.
– You have to sing well, – he said, putting a sour smile on his face. – This is very important…
– Who is this? – Lacius