The Moon in the Palace (The Empress of Bright Moon Duology) (19 page)

The next day, sunlight dimmed on the pear tree’s branches. The last patch of gold lost its luster and melted into a pool of murky gray. A temporary tranquillity mixed with an eerie silence descended on the courtyard, and gradually the tree’s sprawling branches thickened and joined the night’s darkness.

I tucked the scroll under my mat, dusted the dirt from my skirt, and walked to the Emperor’s bedchamber. I was ready. Well, not entirely. But I could not hesitate, because I might never be ready.

The Emperor’s candleholder, a dwarf, opened the door, a scroll in his hand. The fresh scent of ink wafted to my nose. The Emperor had composed a new poem, it seemed. Any other time I would have liked to know what it was about, but not at that moment.

I ignored the smirk at the corner of the dwarf’s mouth and went into the bedchamber. I coughed, to let Jewel know I was there.

“Is that you, Mei?” Jewel called from behind the screen.

“Yes, Most Adored.” I paused. The arrangement of the furniture looked different from what I remembered. The screens had been moved from near the brazier to shield half of the bed.

“Come.”

The Emperor seemed to be dozing on the oversize bed while Jewel lay beside him, her right hand supporting her head. The dim firelight flickered on her body. She was barely dressed, her breasts and long legs exposed in the candlelight.

“I’m glad you came. Would you read a poem for us?” she said.

I spoke, hoping my voice was calm. “Where is it?”

“There.” Jewel gestured with her foot to a futon near the bed.

I found the scroll, which reminded me of the paintings the Noble Lady had given me, and for a moment my face grew hot. I took a deep breath, sat down, and unfurled the scroll. Then I began to read by the light coming from the brazier. The poem was something about the strength of the grass would be known when the gale assaulted, and the loyalty of a minister would be tested during uncertainty. When I finished reading, the Emperor was still asleep. I did not know what to do. Would he sleep forever?

Then he groaned and sat upright.

My hands trembled, but I managed to sit still.

Jewel covered her mouth, tittering. “Don’t worry. I made him drunk. He’s most agreeable in this state. Believe me, you’ll be glad I did.” She lowered her voice. “You know what to do to make him happy, do you?”

“I know.”

“You should thank me.” Jewel cupped her hand around my ear. “See the front of his pants?” It was stained. “I used pistachio nut oil for you.”

The aphrodisiac? I was surprised Jewel would help me. “Thank you, Most Adored…”

An arm pulled me, and I was in his grip. He smelled of strong kumiss, fermented from mare’s milk, the only drink he indulged in within the chamber, I had learned. “Take it off,” he said gruffly.

I untied my robe, aware that Jewel, smiling, was watching me. After the robe fell, I reached for the strings of my bandeau. My hands shook. I had trouble untying it. Jewel went behind me and loosened the strings. The bandeau dropped to the floor, and I pulled down my skirt and loose trousers underneath.

Even though I did not look at myself, I knew I was as beautiful as Jewel. When I had bathed with her years ago, I was just a girl, but now I had developed an attractive, womanly landscape: slender arms, supple slopes, and smooth curves, just like her. And the candlelight shone on my skin, bathing me with a warm golden hue.

“Lovely, lovely indeed.” He nodded, turning me around.

Remembering the paintings, I wanted to fold my arms across my chest but feared he would view it as unwillingness. So I stood with my arms at my sides. I was so close to him, like I was with Pheasant, and there was nothing between the Emperor and me.

I felt dizzy. Jewel peered at me, her eyes gleaming. I could not tell whether she was jealous, but the sight of her, so close, startled me. I stepped back, my hand sweeping a brush on a stool near the bed. A trail of black ink dotted my white tunic on the floor.

How clumsy I was! I reached out. “I’m sorry!”

“Stop!” His big hand blocked me. “What are you doing?”

“I—” I froze. “I—”

He went behind me. A squeeze on my buttock. Then he came before me. A pinch on my nipple. Coughing, he parted his legs and stood solemnly. His night robe slipped off his shoulders, but he did not seem to notice. “Well?”

This was it. I stumbled to the bed and pushed the crimson quilt aside. The silk felt cold, like a dead man’s skin. But that was not all. There was something else soft touching my fingers. A piece of gilded paper.

I squinted at the words. I could not make it out at first, and when I did, I could not believe it. The paper announced Jewel’s crowning as Empress.

I froze. There lay her true intention. She had not given me her night for free. She had prepared the ink and wanted to slip the scroll to the Emperor when the time was right. I did not know when or how, but if he signed it, it would give her the dream of a lifetime.

I straightened and faced the Emperor. The candlelight radiated above his shoulder and blinded my eyes. But my mind had never been clearer. I must take control. I must be the master of my night.

I gave the Emperor a deep bow. “Allow me to serve you, the One Above All. It is the privilege of which I have only dreamed.”

“I don’t need your service.” His voice sounded ominous.

I must do better. I slid my hand across the bed’s smooth redwood frame. “If you don’t mind, the One Above All, I would like to share some inspiring paintings I viewed today. The paintings portray the joy of fish swimming in the water.” The phrase was a common expression for the bedroom affair in the painting. “Or would you like me to describe them to you?”

“No paintings.”

Jewel snickered. I must not be distracted. But she reminded me the Emperor often summoned her. I put on Jewel’s smile, the one that was coy and seductive. “Then perhaps there are other ideas the One Above All might find interesting. If I may suggest—”

“You don’t make a suggestion unless I ask you.”

My heart pounded frantically, but I continued to smile. “How disrespectful I was, the One Above All. I beg your forgiveness!” I tilted my head, and with my eyes half open, I parted my lips and then my legs. “Whatever the One Above All has in mind, I will be happy to oblige.”

There was silence, and at the corner of my eyes, I saw him fingering his whiskers while his eyes flicked to my chest and below.

I could not stop. I walked to him, my back straight, my hips swaying, slowly, one pace at a time, and when I neared him, I kissed his hand.

“What is your name?” He lifted my face, his voice gentler.

“My parents called me Mei.” Meaning
little sister
, it was only an informal name used among my family, but then, none of the women in China were given official names, even the noble ones, as was the tradition. Men, however, had at least three official names: a given name, a noble calling, and a title.

“Stand straight. Arms at your sides.”

I felt cold, even as the candlelight shed its golden sheen on my skin, but I did not hesitate. I gave him a dip of my head, let my arms drop naturally, and straightened my back.

He put his hands on my chest. “Good.” He nodded and then increased the pressure. I tried not to grimace. His fingers felt like iron tongs. “Perfect.”

He was still again, as though considering his next move. Then, suddenly, he grabbed the brush on the stool and flexed his arms. His face grave, his eyes unwavering, like a general on a battlefield ready to send an attack signal to his army, he threw his right hand upward and swung his hand with great energy. The wet goat hair licked my skin like a dragon’s fiery tongue.

“There.” He puffed out, and in his authoritative voice, he said, “I do believe you deserve it. I now formally name you Mei Niang.”

I could barely identify the sprawling strokes and vertical lines of my new name. The ink flowed from my breasts, converged in my cleavage, and snaked toward my navel. It tickled terribly.

But Mei Niang, the seductively beautiful girl. He had honored me greatly by bestowing on me a formal name, and I would be the first woman in the kingdom to bear an official name.

“I am honored.” I lowered my head.

“Precisely. So beautiful and seductive,” Jewel said, but her face suggested otherwise.

I had surprised her. I had earned myself a name and his attention. “Thank you, Most Adored.”

“Go.” The Emperor prodded me with the end of his brush. “Walk to the door and show me the living calligraphy.”

I took one step, my heart filled with happiness. The ink flowed down my thigh, but it no longer bothered me. My hand on my waist, I held my head high, strutted to the screen, and paused there. When I turned around, the Emperor nodded, stroking his whiskers, his eyes alight with mirth.

“This is the seductive girl I want to keep.” He squeezed my buttocks when I returned. “Should I deal with you now?”

“How about one more round to the door?” Jewel’s voice came suddenly.

She did not wish him to bed me. But even if she got her wish tonight, she had already lost. I smiled. “Would you like me to walk again, the One Above All?”

“Go now.”

I swung my arms and swayed my hips, treading on the ground of triumph. The scent from the brazier was fragrant, and the yellow candlelight danced. Everything in the chamber—the shiny crimson bedding, the carved posts of the bed, and the green balls of the dragons on the top of the posts—seemed to brighten.

When I stopped at the screen, a lean figure appeared at the door.

“Father!” he called.

I dashed behind the screen to hide my nakedness.

“Who is there?” The Emperor stood. Jewel gave him a robe, and they both went to the door, where they talked rapidly. It sounded as though Taizi was hurt, and the Emperor had to leave.

“We must go now, or they’ll kill themselves, Father,” the informer said.

The voice sounded anxious and concerned but familiar. Too familiar. I froze.

Pheasant! Why had he come? Why had he come then? I pressed myself against the wall. My heart pounded. If only I could slip into another chamber. If only the wall could dissolve. If only I could dissolve.

“Mei Niang!” the Emperor called out. “Come.”

Blood rushed to my head. I did not wish to go anywhere. I just wanted to stay at the corner of the bedchamber and not be seen. But I could not disobey him. He would know something was wrong if I refused.

“Yes, the One Above All.” I scrambled to put on my bandeau. But I could not find my trousers. Hastily, I grabbed my robe and put it on, and then I stepped from behind the screen to greet the Emperor and my lover.

Two figures stood near the door: one old, the other young. One had his back to the fire, and the other’s face was bathed in light. Both stared at me.

The candlelight was too bright. It glared on my naked face like daylight, scalding me. I lowered my head.

“Here you are. Come with me.” The Emperor turned around, pulling his cape around him.

“Mei Niang?” Pheasant said. There was a thick current of confusion in his voice, and something else, a tremor, like that of a wounded animal.

My throat tightened. Did he believe I had betrayed him? Did he believe I no longer loved him? I could explain. I could tell him I was pleasing the Emperor only to help my family. I could tell him it had nothing to do with how I felt about him. Would he understand?

“Prince Zhi.” I bowed and prayed he would not say anything to expose us.

The smoke drifted from the brazier and stood between us. It smelled scorched, like that of a pyre.

“That’s the formal name the Emperor bestowed on her,” Jewel said.

“I see.” Pheasant sounded as though something had caught in his throat. There was silence again, and then I realized he was staring at my naked legs. Awkwardly, I covered them with the sleeves of my robe.

“Shall we go now, Father?”

The Emperor waved and left with Pheasant. I went back to the bed to look for my trousers and girdle. I was still shaken. The Emperor did not suspect anything between Pheasant and me. We were fortunate. But Pheasant… I thought of him and how his voice had changed when he saw my bare legs.

“We should follow them quickly,” Jewel said, returning. “Where is my girdle? Mei?”

I composed myself and pulled up my trousers. “Yes, your girdle is near the futon.”

She took it and wrapped it around her. “It’s a great honor to have the Emperor bestow a name upon you.”

“I know. I’m honored. Shall we go now? Where are we going?”

“To the Eastern Palace.” She stuffed the unsigned golden paper in her pocket. “If you don’t wish to go, you could stay here.”

I wanted nothing other than to hide in a corner, but if I stayed, Jewel would suspect something was wrong.

She cocked her head toward me, her catlike eyes glinting. “Are you all right?”

I could not arouse her suspicion. I squeezed out a smile. “Of course. I am disappointed, that’s all.”

“Disappointed?” She arched her painted eyebrows. “Are you blaming me for ruining your night?”

“No. I’m not.”

She nodded and walked toward the door. “Did you see how Prince Zhi stared at you?”

My hands froze on the ties of the skirt. “How did he stare at me?”

She chuckled but did not answer. I could not understand whether she was fishing for clues or simply testing me. I tidied up my skirt and tucked my hair behind my back. When I was ready, I folded my hands across my abdomen and followed her out.

We soon caught up with the Emperor, who was riding on a sedan carried by four porters, and Pheasant, who walked behind him with a number of servants holding lanterns. The Eastern Palace, separated from the Inner Court by a tall wall, had one entrance, Tongxun Gate, which opened to the Inner Court. It required a long walk from the Emperor’s chamber, and we would need to pass the back of the Imperial Silkworm Workshops before reaching it.

I walked slowly behind them, putting some distance between Pheasant and me. Pheasant’s gait looked stiff, and he nodded while the Emperor talked.

“So what happened, Prince Zhi?” Jewel asked, walking near the Emperor.

“Taizi and Yo had a wrestling match near dusk. Yo lost. He insulted Taizi.” Pheasant turned sideways and glanced at me.

I stumbled, my face burning and my heart racing faster.
Look away, look away, Pheasant
.

“I’m certain it didn’t mean anything,” Jewel said. “Brothers banter with each other all the time.”

“He cursed Taizi’s women too and said they were barren.”

“That was thoughtless of him.” Jewel sighed. “However, he does have a point. The heir is a grown man and has twenty concubines. But he has not fathered a child. Shouldn’t he have a son by now?”

Neither Pheasant nor the Emperor answered as they ascended the stairs to enter a gate. I lifted my skirt to walk easier, gazing at the light dancing before me. I prayed Jewel would keep focusing on the heir so she would not pay attention to me or Pheasant.

“And I suppose Taizi insulted him back?” Jewel asked as we left the gate and entered a corridor.

Pheasant cleared his throat but did not speak.

“Nothing? That’s unlike the heir.”

“He pissed on Yo.”

“Pissed! How inappropriate! I certainly would not have imagined that. Did you hear that, the One Above All?”

The Emperor grunted. We finally reached the Tongxun Gate.

“What do you think about the heir, Mei?” Jewel turned to me while we waited for the guards to open the gates.

She would not leave me alone. I felt the Emperor’s gaze on me, and Pheasant’s too. My heart pounded. “I… Most Adored…I’m afraid…I don’t know.”

“Don’t know? What does that mean?” Jewel asked.

“Enough talk,” the Emperor said.

The gate opened. He entered the passage under the archway, his back red in the lantern’s light. Fortunately, Jewel said no more and we entered the Eastern Palace, heading toward the heir’s stable, where many shadowy figures were gathered.

“Halt!” The Emperor got off the sedan and went straight to them. Pheasant followed. The crowd parted, and a clamor arose as the men shouted.

“Father, this swine insulted me!”

“Father, he pissed on me!”

“I think this is the moment,” Jewel said, standing close to me. A group of ladies came before us, blocking our view. I stood on tiptoe, watching the two princes, their faces lit by the bonfire in front of the stable.

“What moment?” I asked.

“What kind of Emperor would he be if he gives his kingdom to an uncouth heir like Taizi? He’s finished. The Emperor will depose him.”

Of course Jewel wished Taizi to be deposed so the Pure Lady and her son could rise. I could not stand her tone. “This is rather hasty, in my opinion. Taizi is a good man.”

She tilted her head at me, and I looked away, afraid she could read my mind.

“We’ll see.” She faced the Emperor.

Some guards held Taizi and Prince Yo apart, but they still argued with fists and spittle. Their arms thrust violently, and their heads jerked this way and that. Pheasant stood between them, pushing them apart. Poor Pheasant. It must have been hard on him to see Taizi suffer such a disgrace.

“Has he met you before?” Jewel said, her voice smooth.

My heart tightened. “Who?”

“You know whom I’m talking about. Empress Wende’s youngest son,” Jewel said. “He has grown up to be such a handsome man. So delightful and charming. Do you know he lives in the Eastern Palace with Taizi, and the Emperor allows it?”

Only Taizi was supposed to live there, and the other princes, those older than fifteen, lived in the wards outside the palace. I said honestly, “I did not know.” After all, I had thought he was a groom of Taizi, who was always surrounded by many men.

“Wouldn’t you say he is a man of many girls’ dreams?”

There was something in her voice that made me pause. Suddenly, I recalled that Jewel used to live in the Inner Court. So she must have known Pheasant when he was young. I looked at her levelly. “Well, you seem to like him, Jewel, very much. Is there something I should know?”

“Oh, Mei. How clever you are.” She chuckled. “Certainly I like him. Without a doubt. He’s the Emperor’s son! Everyone likes him. He has the softest heart and is the gentlest soul of all. Even his half brother, Prince Yo, doesn’t complain about him. Can you imagine that?”

“I certainly can’t.” I cleared my throat, thinking about what she had told me when we bathed together a few years ago. “But, Most Adored, I wish to ask you, you never did tell me who exiled you to the Yeting Court. If you had done nothing wrong, like what you have said, why were you exiled?”

The smile on her face faded. “Exiled?” Her voice was suddenly stiff. “Where did you hear that?”

She was going to deny it? She had told me herself.

A cry came from the crowd. I raised my head, searching. Howling, Prince Yo hurled something into the air. A dark shadow hit the Emperor. He staggered back, covering his face.

The crowd quieted in shock.

“What’s this?” The Emperor wiped his face. His voice was shocked. “You threw horse dung at me?”

“I told you he’s crazy! Why don’t you listen to me?” Prince Yo shouted.

“Do not question me!”

“You’re blind. He pissed on me. He did it first. Why did you not say anything about that? Why do you blame only me, not him?”

I sucked in air and heard the crowd gasp as well. Prince Yo had gone too far. He needed to stop. But he fumed, his thick eyebrows twisted dangerously. He looked ready to throw himself at the Emperor.

“He’s a freak,” the prince shouted again. “Like his dead mother. Can’t you see it? I’m better than him!”

The Emperor pointed at Prince Yo, his hand shaking. “Out of my sight. Out! I don’t want to see you again.”

Prince Yo was not finished. “I have had enough of his shit. A champion wrestler. So what? Give me two years. I’ll make him weep like a girl. I beat him in the polo game. Didn’t you see that?”

“I said out, now!”

Prince Yo spat. “Fine. I’m going.”

“Stop,” the Emperor roared, his whole body trembling. I had never seen him so angry. “That way.” He jabbed to his right. “That way you go. Do not come back.”

“Where?”

“Shandong Prefecture.”

Gasps rose around me. Shandong Prefecture was one thousand
li
away from Chang’an City. The Emperor was exiling the prince.

“Yes. You go. Go! Take him. Take him now!” The Emperor was fuming with anger.

“He’s drunk,” Jewel said, her voice faint as though she had lost all her strength.

I was too shocked to speak. I had no sympathy for Prince Yo or his brash behavior, but to ruin his life by banishing him, a mere twenty-year-old, to a remote land, separated from his mother and the rest of his family, was most harsh and unforgiving.

“Father.” Pheasant stepped up to him. “Let’s not rush into decisions.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Pheasant.”

“I brought you here.” He looked chagrined. “I shouldn’t have.”

“He hit me with horse dung and spat at me.” The Emperor turned to Prince Yo again. “You will leave by dawn’s light.”

Pheasant looked as though he would speak more, but two guards had already wrung Prince Yo’s arms from behind.

“The One Above All.” The Pure Lady rushed out of nowhere. Her cat leaped from her arms, and she dropped to her knees. “May I plead on behalf of my son, his impudence and stupidity—”

The Emperor threw up his hand to silence her. “Take him.”

“You can’t do this to me,” Prince Yo screamed. “You can’t!”

The guards dragged him away, and he disappeared into the night’s darkness. The Pure Lady rose stiffly, her tall frame sharp and unbending like a spear. She had enjoyed much attention and esteem with the ascendancy of Prince Yo in the court these days, but in a moment, she had lost her son and her hope of becoming the Empress.

And Jewel looked as though she had been struck dumb. Her carefully chosen ally had fallen. I wondered what the Noble Lady would say when she heard about it. She would probably sigh, but out of relief rather than sadness.

“Come!” the Emperor shouted, walking toward the stable’s entrance.

I looked up. He was beckoning to me. But I did not wish to go. I wanted to see what Pheasant was doing. I wanted to talk to him, to explain, and to comfort him too. But the Emperor was waiting. Quickly, I moved toward the entrance, feeling Pheasant’s eyes chasing me in the dark.