“I have never heard of such a thing,” the earl drawled.
Of course not. Zhi Hao had just made it up. “It is a custom in the south. Begun by the Shaolin monks.” Silently, he begged his old teacher’s forgiveness. At least, the monk had often taught kindness.
“Is that where you learned to fight? You are a monk?”
“I am nothing so honorable. I was merely a boy among many who was taught by a generous monk.”
“Hmmm. He taught you well. You defended me from a sword with nothing but a broom.”
It wasn’t much of a sword, but Zhi Hao would take it.
“And since you defended my life so ably, I will give you a boon. What is it you want?”
So many things sprang to his tongue. A simple boon would be to discuss the exam that Earl Song had passed so many years ago. Another would be to share an afternoon’s tea simply to further the connection for the time after he did pass the exam. He longed instead to ask for his daughter’s hand, but that was too far to go. And it would serve no one for him to be so bold.
In the end, he couldn’t force himself to select any of those choices. Instead, he looked at the dirty and tear-stained face ofthe woman who knelt over the man as if her frail body could protect him. He couldn’t abandon them to their fate. As far as he could tell, their only crime was being hungry.
“Thank you, Earl Song. You extend me great indulgence. I merely ask that these people be allowed to finish their task here. While you and your family feast, they will complete the cleaning and defend the tomb from any who would harm it.” He looked down at the pair on the ground. “Is that not true?”
“Y-yes, honored sir.”
“We will make the stone gleam.”
All around them, the eight children and one very old man quickly murmured their agreement.
The earl chuckled, the sound openly mocking. “You claim these people as kin. You, who would serve the emperor, now stoop so low as to claim them?”
Zhi Hao flinched. He knew the trap he was in. No one who hoped to pass the imperial exam could claim any connection with people as wretched as this. Those who served the emperor had to pretend to wealth and status, else they would reflect badly upon the emperor.
But having already defended these people, he could not change his position. They were too wretched, and he knew how perilously close he might be to them one day. If he failed the exam, if he couldn’t find students, then he too might be desperately hungry.
Even if it cost him his future, he would not abandon them now.
“They are my kindness family,” he repeated. “They are good souls,” he said, praying it was true. “It is no crime to be hungry.”
“No, it’s not,” agreed the earl solemnly. “Indeed, some might say it is a mark of honesty.” The man shook his head. “Very well. I will allow this kindness kin to defend my ancestors.”
Zhi Hao exhaled in relief, but it was a short-lived moment as the earl continued.
“But I will have every one of their names, and each one shall be like a stone around your neck. If they perform their duties poorly, then it shall be you who bears the punishment.”
Oh hell. What sort of people he had just tied himself to? Then the earl waved his hand to the whole party.
“Let us leave Ko Zhi Hao to the gathering of names. We shall return home to feast.”
Everyone turned, readying themselves to go, but the earl wasn’t finished. As his family trailed out of the shrine area, he paused long enough to look back on the wretched group left behind.
“Ko Zhi Hao?”
“Yes, honored earl?”
“See that they dispose of the food properly. I cannot have animals coming to eat it. It would defile my ancestral shrine.”
“Of course,” he said bowing deeply. “The food will be managed, and the stones kept polished.” He would have to return here tonight to make sure of it.
“Good. And once you have written down all their names, bring it to me at my house. Master Gao and I will assess your calligraphy during the feast.”
Zhi Hao’s head shot up. Had he just been invited to dine with the earl? He couldn’t read the truth of it off the earl’s face. But beside him, he heard Ling Xin gasp. He wondered if her sound was from shock or surprise, then he saw the slight hop to her step as she filed out of the area with her family.