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

by Weina Dai Randel

  “If my mother were alive, she would be happy I gave this to you.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. “This is the silkworm; only the most worthy should keep it. If anyone should have it, it’s you. Besides”—he stuffed the jade silkworm back in my hand—“I stopped seeing Rain. Well, I’ll see her in the court. I can’t avoid her. It’s just you won’t catch me with her in the haystacks anymore. And”—he hesitated—“I never cared for her. She came to me.”

  I closed my fingers on the jade, my heart swelling with delight. He had given me the precious jade as a token of his promise.

  But even if he had given me a rock, it would have been more valuable than any gem. But I could not let him know that.

  “I don’t want to lie to you.” I opened my scent pouch and placed the silkworm there, my fingers lingering on the pouch’s opening as if it were a gate to happiness. “I can fetch a nice gown with this.”

  He looked dismayed and then realized I was teasing him. He caught my arms. “If I see this silkworm anywhere other than your pouch, I swear I’ll never talk to you again, you sour girl.”

  I struggled to free myself, but he was stronger than I thought. “Get away from me.” I giggled. “I’m not your girl, or one of your girls.”

  “If you say so.”

  He lowered his head, and his chin brushed my forehead. It pricked me with a strange sensation. I met his gaze. His arms, so hard and solid, were like nothing I had ever touched. I wished to stay there forever, to be close to him and feel his heart beating next to mine, but I also felt like a fish caught in a net, terrified about what awaited me.

  His lips fell on mine. Gentle, like a breeze. Soft, like smooth silk. Sweet, like a summer’s dream.

  “Will you come here next time?” he whispered.

  I thought of Father and Mother. And the Emperor, who had hanged the maids for putting him in the wrong dress. Would he whip me to threads if he knew about Pheasant and me?

  But I whispered back. “Yes,” I said. “Yes.”

  AD 642

  the Sixteenth Year of Emperor Taizong’s Reign of Peaceful Prospect

  EARLY SPRING

  13

  I was ordered to go to the Chengxiang Hall to receive my apples, the first fruit allowance of the year. I was excited. I had not tasted fresh fruit for months, as Talents did not have a fruit allowance in the winter. The ladies of third degree and above, however, received fruit every month, which came from the imperial ice pits where many fresh fruits—pears, melons, oranges, and berries—were stored.

  But I was also excited because I would finally meet the Four Ladies, who would distribute the apples to us.

  I waited in the corner of a corridor with Plum and the other Talents. On the other side of the corridor stood the seventh-degree ladies, the eighth-degree ladies, and the ninth-degree ladies. The Ladies-in-Waiting, Beauties, and Graces were ahead of us in the courtyard. I looked around. I did not see Jewel. I wondered why she was absent. Being Most Adored, she could have anything she wanted.

  The courtyard became quiet when four ladies in splendid gowns appeared near the gates, followed by a group of eunuchs carrying barrels of apples. They placed the barrels in the center of the yard, and the ladies sat on the arranged stools in front of the barrels.

  I identified the Noble Lady right away. She was in her thirties and carried an air of confidence and loftiness that none of the others had. She wore a golden phoenix headdress and a necklace with pearls as big as quail eggs. She was also plump. Her cheeks bulged like ripened apples, and when she nodded, every part of her body seemed to shake, the layers under her chin, the long, golden tail of her phoenix headdress, as well as the two strings of jade earrings dangling from her thick earlobes.

  “Remember what I said about her?” Plum whispered to me as a eunuch called the Ladies-in-Waiting, who knelt before the Four Ladies to receive their apples.

  I nodded. The Noble Lady was clearly the one in charge. The eunuchs picked up apples, turned to her for consent, and then bowed and put the apples in the basket. “People revere her.”

  “They do.”

  “Who’s the lady with pale skin on the right?” That lady appeared to be obsessed with her looks. Sitting on the stool, she did nothing except stare into a bronze mirror held by her servant. Even with all the noise and confusion around her, she did not seem distracted.

  “She’s Lady Virtue. She was Most Adored once.”

  “I see.” She was undoubtedly the most beautiful of the four ladies.

  “The Emperor grew tired of her. She likes to eat chickens’ feet and pork skin because she believes they improve her complexion. They are her beauty diet. She also drinks only morning dew because it’s purest and won’t tarnish her fair skin.”

  That sounded extreme to me. “Who is the one next to her?”

  “Lady Obedience. She’s a dancer.”

  No wonder she wore a dancer’s costume, a low-cut red dress that exposed her bosom and a shawl that draped to the floor. Only a dancer would walk around in an immodest gown like that.

  “She doesn’t have a chance to compete with the others. She’s also sick.”

  The Ladies-in-Waiting bowed and left with their baskets of apples, and the Beauties moved to the courtyard to take their place. The people ahead of us began to step forward in the corridor. I moved forward as well. “What kind of sickness? Anything serious?”

  “Hemorrhoids.”

  I stifled a laugh. But perhaps having hemorrhoids was deadly when one’s business was to attract the Emperor. I stared at the last lady, who was stroking a white cat in her lap. She was very thin, wearing a silver gown, and like the Noble Lady, she looked to be in her thirties. “And that’s the Pure Lady?”

  As if hearing me, the lady looked in my direction. Her stare was cold, unfriendly, sending a chill down my back. I lowered my head instinctively. Just then the Beauties left and the Graces walked to the courtyard. I was relieved to follow them.

  “I just heard this.” Plum cupped her hand around my ear, and her voice was so faint I strained hard to hear. “Remember the assassination plot? It is rumored she planned it.”

  I sucked in air and looked around, glad no one was behind me. The three groups of seventh-degree ladies, eighth-degree ladies, and ninth-degree ladies were on the other side of the corridor and whispered among themselves. But a eunuch in the courtyard turned around and glanced at me. I lowered my head. Plum and I fell silent.

  “She? This can’t be true,” I said when the eunuch looked away. “Why would she do that?”

  “The Emperor wasn’t the target.” Plum’s breath moistened my earlobe. “The target was Taizi, but for some reason he left the Altar House early, and the killer stumbled on the Emperor.”

  The Pure Lady wished to murder Taizi so her son would replace him? I could hardly believe it. “Where did you hear this?”

  Plum shielded her mouth with her hand and coughed as though to dislodge something in her throat. “Where? Many people are gossiping about this. Remember the court recorder? He was poisoned, dead, when the Gold Bird Guards tried to interrogate him.”

  “You think she ordered that?” I dared not lift my head in the Pure Lady’s direction.

  “That’s what people say.”

  I thought hard. “Does the Emperor know this?”

  Plum shook her head. “No. He believes Taizi plotted it.”

  Of course. If the Emperor died, Taizi would have his throne. “So the prince is in trouble then.”

  “That’s why the Emperor is sending him away.”

  “Where is he going?”

  The crowd moved again, and we walked toward the barrels, but I lagged behind to widen our distance from the other Talents.

  “One of the Four Garrisons on the western border.” Plum shrugged. “The Emperor said the assassination plot spurred revol
ts from other peaceful tribes. Even the Eastern Turks are getting restless. But it is just an excuse to send Taizi away.”

  “It may not be.” With the war against the Western Turks, the Emperor needed a strong man to boost his army’s morale. Taizi, with his muscles and his history in the military camp, was a good candidate.

  “Well, the real reason is,” she said, “the Emperor dislikes Taizi now. He does not trust him, and the Pure Lady thinks this is a good opportunity to further weaken the heir so her son, Prince Yo, can gain the Emperor’s favor.”

  “I see.” According to the traditional rule of succession, Prince Yo, the fourth son, could not take precedence over Taizi, whose mother, Empress Wende, was the legitimate wife. But if Taizi lost his right to inherit the throne because of the assassination plot, and if the Pure Lady became the Empress, then everything would change. “But I don’t think Prince Yo has a chance.”

  “You don’t think so? The Pure Lady invited some ministers to the court for the Lantern Festival months ago. Even the Chancellor joined. I am telling you she is working hard to gain support and win the Emperor’s trust.”

  I glanced at the Noble Lady. Her cheeks shining like two red apples, she was smiling kindly at a Grace. “What about the Noble Lady?”

  She had two sons. Her older son, Prince Ke, was only a year younger than Taizi. If Taizi fell into disgrace, Prince Ke, senior of Prince Yo, was more eligible.

  Plum sighed. “I would rather she becomes the Empress, Mei. You see, she has been managing the Imperial Silkworm Workshops since Empress Wende’s death, and the silk has been very productive. I also heard she is kind to her maids. One time her maid broke her jade comb. The maid was worried to death, but the lady did not even raise her voice to her…”

  Two servants came to stand behind me, eyeing us furtively. I could not tell whose servants they were, perhaps the Pure Lady’s. I tugged Plum’s sleeve, and she shut her mouth.

  The eunuch called me, and I bowed to the ladies. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt the Pure Lady’s cold gaze on my back. Did she really plan the assassination? Did she want to be the Empress that badly?

  In haste, I received the apples and left with Plum. I told her to take my basket to our bedchamber, and I hurried to the wardrobe chamber. There was no laundry delivery scheduled that afternoon. I just wanted to make sure everything was in order before I went to meet Pheasant. I went down the corridor and pushed open the doors.

  The sight inside sent a jolt through me. For a while I was unable to process what had happened. Then my knees weakened, and I almost collapsed.

  All the wardrobes and the chests were wide open. Piles of robes, capes, bejeweled girdles, and silk slippers were scattered across the floor.

  14

  Walking through the disarray, I felt as if I were treading on waves of water. I needed to gather them up: the robes, capes, slippers, belts, all of them. I had to smooth out the wrinkles, one by one, fold them, and store them back in the chests or wardrobes, yet I could hardly find the strength.

  Who had done it? Why would someone ransack the wardrobe chamber and give me trouble?

  I sank down onto a chest, my leg brushing against something hard and sharp. I looked down. I was sitting on a chest with metal clasps. I could not understand. All the Emperor’s chests used leather belts. Only the late Empress’s jewelry chests had metal clasps, which I had hidden in a corner.

  I looked again. It was indeed the late Empress’s jewelry chest. Someone had moved it.

  A premonition seized me. I opened the lid. It was empty. All the hairpins and crowns were gone.

  I gasped. It was my duty to care for the items in the chamber and my fault if anything went missing, and they were the late Empress’s jewelry! I should report the theft to the supervisors of the Inner Court. But they would blame me, perhaps charge me with dereliction.

  What should I do?

  “What happened here?” Daisy leaned against the door with her usual dazed look.

  “I—” I quickly picked up a robe imprinted with a pair of stags and folded it. Then I undid it and folded it again. “I’m looking for something.”

  Daisy twirled the end of her braid with her forefinger. “It’s cold in here.”

  I wished she would leave. Pushing my hair out of my eyes, I tried to remain calm. “Is the Emperor’s morning audience over?”

  “Morning audience?” Daisy glanced at the sky, looking confused. “I’m waiting for my supper.”

  I had forgotten the time. “Right. I was so busy.”

  “What are you looking for?” Daisy walked toward the jewelry chest.

  “No!” I nearly tripped over the piles of garments on the floor. “I’ll put everything back. You should leave.”

  “Do you think I’m clumsy too? I only wish to help.”

  “Clumsy? No. I was just—”

  She pulled up her sleeve to show a bruise on her arm. “Look at what Most Adored did to me. She twisted me so hard. I was only trying to help her with her quilt.”

  My body tensed. “What are you talking about?”

  “She brought her quilt here. The one with the peony pattern. Very pretty. But she dropped her crown.”

  “Crown?”

  “Yes. She dropped it, so I handed it back. She looked mad.”

  I took a deep breath to calm down. So it was Jewel. She had stolen the crowns and all the hairpins. “You said she dropped a crown. Do you truly believe it was a crown?”

  Daisy chewed on her braid. “I told you, Mei. I saw it. It was the late Empress’s coronation crown. Everyone knows it. But Most Adored told me the crown was just a pillow. Well, was it a pillow or a crown? I thought I saw a crown, but why did she want me to say it was a pillow? I don’t know…”

  Jewel was clever. She must have wrapped the jewelry inside the quilt. “When did you see her?”

  “After I received the apples.” Daisy was of fifth degree, so she had received the apples before me. “Before you arrived. Um…Mei, you are not going to tell Most Adored about this, are you? She said she’d break my head if I told anyone.”

  “She won’t break your head, Daisy. I won’t let her, I promise.” I stuffed a pile of garments into the wardrobe. “Can you do me a favor? Would you stay here until I come back?”

  “All right.” Daisy chewed on her braid again. “Where are you going?”

  I gave her a gentle squeeze on her arm. I could not express how grateful I was for her help. “It’s a secret.”

  I went straight to the east side of the Inner Court where the Quarters of the Pure Lotus were located, the residences of the Four Ladies and Most Adored. How long had I fancied to visit there, and even dwell there someday, but now I went ready to fall on my knees.

  • • •

  The five houses, with their blue eaves and red pillars, sat in a discreet circle connected by five corridors walled with elaborate lattice fences. In the center was a vast courtyard, where garden stones were stacked to shape a small mountain as high as a one-story building. Three goblets, bottoms up, were moored in a shallow pool near the mountain. The scene was reminiscent of the ancient custom of the Third Day of the Third Month, when nobles celebrated by drinking ale from goblets and composing poems. Jewel enjoyed entertaining these days. I wished she had choked on the wine.

  Standing near the shallow pool, I studied each house. Which one belonged to her? I was about to knock on the door near me when a maid with freckles stepped out of a house facing the south. Jewel’s maid. I walked to that building.

  How to greet her, a woman who deceived, cheated, and stole? I did not know. But I had to do it. I had to get all the jewelry back. Inhaling deeply, I stopped in front of the building and raised my hand.

  The doors swung open.

  Jewel opened her arms. “Finally, you came, Mei. I have been expecting you. Do you like my new chamber?”
<
br />   “Greetings, Most Adored.” The sight of her angered me. Trying to keep my composure, I folded my hands across my stomach and gave Jewel a bow as custom required.

  She looked me up and down. “You’ve changed, Mei. How graceful and elegant you look now. The training has brought out the best in you.”

  She was smiling, but I knew what hid underneath her skin. “I thank you, Most Adored. If I have your permission, I would like to ask a favor.”

  “Why in such a hurry? I want to show you this.” She twirled to the painted screens near her bed. “Have you heard this used to be the late Empress’s room? Very spacious, isn’t it? Come and look at the murals; everything is newly painted. This one, the picture of ‘The Beauty Wang Zhaojun Leaving Her Home,’ is most exquisite. Do you like it?”

  “I did not come here to admire a mural, Most Adored.” I tried to speak calmly.

  “Oh, right. Let me show you my new gowns. Would you like to take a look?”

  The charade was getting tiresome. “Most Adored, you should know I would not come here if it wasn’t most urgent.”

  “Well.” She cupped her chin with her right hand. “Let me see. Why are you here?”

  Faint footsteps came from the corridor outside. My back stiffened. Too many ears in the compound. I had to choose my words carefully. “You leave me no choice, Most Adored. Would you prefer me to report it?”

  “You won’t do that.” Jewel’s catlike eyes searched mine. “Your eyes tell me you won’t. But let’s be candid, for friendship’s sake. Why do you think I dropped the crown in front of the stupid maid?”

  I frowned. She had done it on purpose? “What do you want?”

  “A friendly conversation. That’s all. Let’s start with the Pure Lady,” she said. “I assume you have met her?”

  “Yes,” I said carefully.

  “The truth is, she doesn’t like you.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re young, beautiful, and a Talent. You take care of the Emperor’s wardrobe, and soon, you’ll be promoted and dress him every morning in his chamber. The Pure Lady, as well as the other Ladies, cannot see the Emperor unless he summons her. Do you understand now? You have all the chances that she does not.” Jewel went to sit in front of her dresser, where she had spread out the bejeweled hairpins, jade combs, and colored boxes of tinctures.