after the tumult that thoughts of you bring to my heart."
Yuhan bowed modestly. "All that I wish is to glow in the eyes of my Emperor."
"Have no doubt of that. Within you is a magic flame that warms my weary heart."
They had applauded when the game was over, for the Emperor's colors won.
The festivities ended with a circus. The arena was given over to acrobatic feats of trained athletes, including pole climbing and tight-rope walking. As a grand finale several elephants and a rhinoceros followed the antics of their trainer, swaying rhythmically to music and keeping in perfect cadence. There were also dancing horses, so perfectly trained that they did not even have to have a trainer to lead them. He stood at the side of the ring to give them confidence. The music was furnished by the full strength of the orchestra, and the songs were among those composed by Ming Huang for the drum; the drum beats guided the footsteps of the horses.
Ming Huang leaned forward. For the ears of Yuhan alone, he whispered,
"A mans life is a cloud
Scurrying across the sky,
A single note
Dying away in an echo,
A leaf that grows
And falls to the loam of a forest
