Mei Ling arrived at Queen Dusshela’s pavilion with her sponsor, Senior Mandarin Li. Since no men were allowed in the harem at Hóugōng, Senior Mandarin Li was left to wait outside the gate. Unlike his predecessors, the Khan was quite liberal when it came to his harem; after all, the Kharaks were known to raid, rape, and pillage, making the very concept of a harem strange to him. It wasn't that he didn’t enjoy it—he did—but he had brought Chabi, his steppe wife, to Xanadu and, despite fathering many children within the harem walls, he never remarried.

  Mei Ling sat in the middle of the room on silk cushions. The three Queens occupied three sides of Dusshela’s receiving room, positioned behind their writing tables. Everyone rose to bow, and then tea was served by Sumita and RajiDewi.

  "Welcome, Mei Ling, to my humble pavilion," Dusshela said graciously.

  "Humble it is not!" Mei Ling replied, looking around. "You have a lovely home."

  "Tea?"

  "Oh, yes please."

  Sumita approached with the cups and a teapot resting on a warmer, while RajiDewi followed with the moon cakes.

  "Oh, these are delicious!" Mei Ling exclaimed, popping one into her mouth. Throughout the interview, she made sure they knew she was an expert in banking, though she also managed to finish three plates of cakes. She knew her subject matter, but she clearly had the appetite to match her ambition.

  The interview ended as politely as it had started. The three Queens asked how many children she thought she’d like to have, but Mei Ling found herself unable to answer. When they asked if she had hobbies or if she rode horses, she simply shook her head. By the end of the hour, the doors closed behind her.

  "She’s got a good appetite," one Queen remarked.

  "She bores me," another sighed.

  "Do the Temple Masters like her, or do they just like her father’s bank?"

  Later that evening, Lin Hua of the Han Nation sat in the same receiving room. As a historian, she rattled off dates and events of the distant past, explaining their significance to the present day. But the mood shifted when they asked if she liked children.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "Well, I suppose I need one... just one," Lin Hua admitted.

  "She is advanced in age," Dusshela whispered to the others later. "Perhaps one is all she can have."

  The next day, the Queens interviewed Yanli of the Qin and Suyin of the Sui. Suyin was eager to impress, offering to perform the Dance of the Nine Shrouds of Passion and the Three Stages of Ecstasy. She was undeniably provocative and insisted she wanted plenty of children.

  "Perfect!" the Queens agreed.

  Meanwhile, Yanli, the spice trader’s daughter, giggled through her session. Outside, her sponsor, Chancellor Qingzhao, seemed to be in a permanent daze, waving at the clouds while he waited at the harem gate for his protégé.

  That evening, Zhenjin invited his old friend Dusshela and the other Queens for dinner. The Vassal-Heirs—noisy and nosy as ever—were all present. The whole of DaDu was thrilled at the prospect that their handsome Crown Prince, their Khazan, would finally marry.

  "Who will it be?" Rajiv asked, leaning in.

  It was no surprise that the Vassal-Heirs favored Xiaowen the most; even TaraBai liked her.

  "The Queens like Suyin the best," reported RajiDewi.

  "The one who dropped the Seven Veils of Ardor?" Tala asked with a smirk.

  "Yes, that’s the one," Sumita replied. "But the Temple Masters don’t like her."

  Uddiawan, an elderly lady who knew of such things, tilted her head. "Why? She’s got good hips."

  "Tenger says her dance was immodest," Sumita explained.

  "Those moralist hypocrites," Urduja snickered.

  "Shhhhh!"

  "Who do the Temple Masters favor then?" asked Cheongsun.

  "They seem to like JingFei," said Sumita.

  "The one who can sit still?"

  "Yes, that’s the one."

  "It’s not a skill I have," Urduja bemoaned.

  "One I must acquire," Zhenjin admitted. "A difficult skill for a warrior."

  Urduja summarized the situation: "So, the Temple Masters want JingFei, the Queens want Suyin, the Vassal-Heirs like Xiaowen, and Emperor Khublai probably likes Mei Ling, the banker." She turned to the Prince. "And which one does Khazan Zhenjin prefer? Which beautiful lady?"

  "I like Yanli," Zhenjin said, surprising everyone.

  "Why her?" the table asked almost in unison.

  "Because I want to trade in spice and join the brotherhood," Zhenjin announced loudly. He turned to Zalir and gave a sharp wink.

  The Vassal-Heirs exchanged stunned glances.

  "My Prince, my Khazan..." Zalir stuttered, "did I hear right? To have you as a brother is an honor I dared not dream possible." Zalir moved forward, his face solemn. "Itaga mo sa Bato."

  He gave the hand gesture of the Austronesians. And Zhenjin also put his fist to his heart. As Kharak warriors, they grasped each other’s biceps—swordsmen checking the strength of each other’s arms. And that was how the dinner ended.

  The next day, the Queens interviewed JingFei and Xiaowen, but their minds were already made up. It would be Suyin. They decided they definitely needed those Nine Shrouds of Passion and the Three Stages of Ecstasy in the palace.