I was not sure, however. There was something in the dust of the victory that unsettled me. I dreamed of Jewel, her death, and the violence of it. When I woke, I rubbed my neck as if I could still feel the droplets of Jewel’s blood there.
Without telling anyone, I went to see Jewel when they buried her. I followed the two eunuchs who pushed the ox cart bearing her coffin as they took her to the cemetery for disgraced women. None of her maids came. I formed the entire funeral procession. When we arrived at a small mound near a grove of dead trees, I asked to open the pine coffin. Inside, Jewel curled awkwardly, her arms outstretched as if trying to hold on to the crown she had lost. Her cheeks were black and swollen, her hair matted with encrusted blood. One of her catlike eyes was frozen in stillness; the other was gone.
I did not recognize that woman. It was Jewel, but it could have been any of the disgraced women who had died in the past. Or it could have been me, in the future.
• • •
I did not speak to anyone of Jewel’s death and her funeral, but I thought of Pheasant more and more. He would have understood me. He would have understood how I felt. I missed him more than ever.
I went to look for him near the polo field. Standing under a mulberry tree, I remembered how I had stood at that exact spot two years before. He had found me, taken me to the tangerine grove, and started our adventure. Once again I was there under the trees, but he would not come for me again.
He was riding a black stallion on the polo field, his back straight and his strikes graceful. His shoulders were broad, and he had grown muscles like the heir. He was not yet eighteen, and already he looked like a man. In a year or two, he would perhaps be as imposing as the Crown Prince.
He paused on his horse and turned to face the tree where I hid. He was too far away to spot me, but was he at least thinking of me?
“He’s a man in many maidens’ dreams,” Jewel had said.
In my dreams, but not in my destiny. Why must it be so? Why could he not be my dream and my destiny?
I left in tears.
• • •
“I heard you went to the polo field,” the Noble Lady said to me, while we inspected the piles of Jewel’s gowns in her chamber.
“I was taking a walk.” I kept my head low.
“Shouldn’t you be busy preparing for tomorrow?” She examined the stitches on a sleeve. The next day was the annual hunting day. Every year, the Emperor hosted the hunting game in the Forbidden Park. Many ministers and imperial family members would come. “And I have been thinking this will be a good time to ask the Emperor about giving you Jewel’s title.”
I bowed. “I am grateful for your help, my Noble Lady.”
“You are doing well, Mei. Jewel is dead. The Pure Lady does not bother you. No other girl can compete with you. Soon, you will take over the title of Most Adored and you can have anything you wish. You must not ruin your chance.”
I wondered if she knew the true reason why I went to the polo field. My cheeks grew hot. “No, I won’t, my Noble Lady.”
“Do you like this one?” She handed me a long, indigo gown with patterns of sea waves and mountains.
I eyed the yellow gown next to it. I could not ask for that, however. Yellow was the color for the Emperor and the Empress. “It’s precious.”
“You should wear this. It’ll look good on you. Here”—she took off her bangle and put it around my wrist—“it looks better with this bangle. Do you like it?”
“I do.” I tried to slip it off. “But it’s yours.”
“Keep it. You can borrow it. Tomorrow is an important day. You should make a good impression.” She patted my hand and then added, as if it was almost an afterthought, “Prince Zhi is Wende’s youngest, and the eighth prince. He doesn’t have a chance.”
“I understand, my Noble Lady.”
She nodded, and I was relieved she did not speak more.
• • •
That afternoon, the Emperor left early to prepare for his hunting. I put away the ink and scrolls in the library with Plum, who had come to help, as one of the Emperor’s personal attendants had become ill. We were ready to step out into the courtyard when I saw the barefoot astrologer conversing with a group of men wearing the robes of stars and moons, the formal Taoist robes. They had held a meeting with the Emperor earlier, but I had not realized they were still there.
The astrologer caught sight of me and beckoned. “Come.”
I stopped sharply. I had a feeling that we were like cat and mouse, and I had inadvertently stepped on the trap he had set.
He pattered to me instead, his bare feet slapping against the ground. “You look familiar. We have met before. Not here in the palace. Somewhere else.”
His voice had the strange undertone of a priest performing a sacrifice. My forehead moistened. I lowered my head to bow. “I do not believe I have had that honor, my astrologer.”
He frowned, and the rest of the Taoist priests walked to me too. They looked cautious, their eyes unblinking. “Who are you?” one asked.
They were dangerous men. I stepped back.
“What is your father’s name?” the astrologer asked.
I elbowed Plum, and together we hastened to leave, ignoring his shouts behind me.
My heart was still beating fast when I reached the entrance of the Inner Court. I felt as though I had almost tripped and fallen from a cliff.
• • •
The next morning when I came to the Forbidden Park, the hunting had already started. The men stayed near the Emperor and his team at the edge of a clearing, while the Four Ladies sat under an ancient ginkgo tree, their servants standing behind. There were other titled ladies and ministers scattered on the other side of the clearing. It was a hunt for the Emperor, but a holiday for all of us in the palace, since we did not need to attend to our daily duties.
The Noble Lady, sitting in the front where she could watch the hunting closely, nodded at me. I went to her. The Pure Lady, who had been absent on many social occasions, sat to the distant right, her white cat perched in her lap. She narrowed her eyes when she saw me. I looked away.
She was cursing. Perhaps at me, but perhaps at someone else. It did not matter, because I could tell she hated everyone, especially the other Ladies. I had heard that when Lady Virtue was bitten by mosquitoes in her garden several days before, the Pure Lady had sent her a cup of juice from pounded leeks—a common cure for the bites, but the liquid turned out to be something else, not leek juice, and soon Lady Virtue’s skin had become infected.
I wondered if the Pure Lady blamed me for Jewel’s downfall. Most likely she did, and perhaps she would give me a cup of poison if she had the chance.
“There’s no reason why he would refuse,” the Noble Lady said to me as I came beside her. Her voice was low, as if she was worried about being heard by the Pure Lady. “He’s rather fond of you, as it is plain to see.”
“When will you speak to him, my lady?” I asked, watching the Emperor on his favorite horse, Brown Grizzle. He raised the bow, and behind him, the bystanders chanted, “Shoot, shoot! That antelope! Antelope!”
I could not understand why men were fond of hunting. It was such a cruel sport. It was not even real hunting, more like shooting, because the hunting party did not take the trouble of walking through the woods. Instead, the herders, with hounds and leopards on their leashes, drove wild boar and antelopes, which had been captured the night before, to the center of the clearing. Then the Emperor and his team, standing at the outer circle of the clearing, walled by more hounds and dogs, began to aim and shoot.
The goal was to kill the animal with one arrow, and whoever killed the most would win the top prize—sitting next to the Emperor during the celebration party afterward. If the shooter wounded an animal rather than kill it, the score turned negative.
I wished the hunt would end
as quickly as possible so the Noble Lady could talk to the Emperor and request Jewel’s title for me.
“After this, they will have some refreshments. Then I shall walk to him,” the Noble Lady said. “You will come with me.”
“I shall be glad.” The Emperor turned the bow slowly, looking for a target. Then an arrow flew into the air. A whimper came from the clearing. The Emperor groaned in disappointment. He had missed.
I stifled a yawn. What was the fun about hunting if the animals were already trapped? Shielding my eyes with my hands, I craned my neck, pretending to have a better look at the Emperor’s next shot, but I searched among the imperial members quickly. Pheasant was not there, and neither was his older brother, Taizi.
I could not remember the last time I had seen the heir. Was it the night he fought with Prince Yo? I did remember, however, after Prince Yo’s exile, Taizi was also in dishonor. Rumor said the Emperor was irate at his inclination to violence and doubted his ability to reign. Taizi was thus disciplined. He was not allowed to hold any wrestling bouts, and his allowance and the number of his retinue had also been reduced.
“Are you looking for someone?” The Noble Lady shielded her eyes too.
“Oh, no,” I said quickly. “Taizi did not come.” Pheasant’s other brother, Prince Wei, was present. He was obviously too fat to pull a bow. Sitting in a sedan carried by four sweltering women porters, the obese prince looked like an elephant riding a lily pad, a peculiar sight among the adroit riders.
“It appears the Emperor did not invite many important people.” The Noble Lady licked her lip, the shadow of the ginkgo branches spreading a dark cover over her gold necklace. “The Emperor’s uncle is not here either.”
I scanned the sweaty faces of the ministers. She was right. “Why was the Uncle not invited to the hunt, my Noble Lady?”
“It’s getting worse between the Uncle and the Duke. Two days ago, the Duke suggested a promotion of a minister. The Uncle disagreed, saying the man was incompetent and the Duke has taken his bribe. The Emperor told his uncle to shut up and promoted the man the Duke chose.”
“I see—”
A shriek came from my right. “You spilled wine on me.” The Pure Lady, her hand on a maid’s ear, was gritting her teeth. “You clumsy maid!”
“Don’t look at her,” the Noble Lady said to me. “She is looking for trouble. Could you serve me some wine?”
I went to fetch the wine jug from a tray behind me. “I imagine the Emperor’s uncle is very upset to be excluded from this important event.”
The Noble Lady nodded. “I heard the Uncle lost his temper during the audience. He said the Emperor was unwise and ungrateful and many other things. The Emperor was angry. He ordered his yearly allowance taken away and suspended his duty in the court for a month.”
That would be a blow for an old man who was used to his power. I filled her cup. “I suspect he did not take it very well.”
“I only hope he will come to his senses somehow. There is no peace in the court if he continues to quibble with the Duke. Who is that etiquette teacher?”
“Who?” I followed her gaze. Rain had appeared next to the Pure Lady. She bent low and whispered into her ear. The Pure Lady jerked up her head and fixed her gaze on me. If her gaze could kill, I would have been dead ten times over. “Remember a female minister spread the rumor that I sold the Emperor’s night robe for money?”
“That’s her?”
I nodded.
“What is she doing with the Pure Lady?”
“I don’t know.” Rain was not to be underestimated. She had teamed up with Jewel, but because I had already stopped seeing Pheasant, they could not harm me. What were she and the Pure Lady conspiring about? “I wonder what she’s telling the Pure Lady.”
“Don’t worry about her.” The Noble Lady turned to stare at the Emperor, who was taking a break from shooting, and Prince Ke and the other princes mounted their horses, ready for their turns.
“Shall we go to the Emperor?” I asked with hope.
“Not yet.” The Noble Lady shook her head. “Have some wine, Mei.”
I nodded and took a sip from a cup. The wine tasted bitter but smelled fragrant, reminding me that, at home, Mother, Father, Big Sister, and I used to sit under a ginkgo tree and drink ale during the Moon Festival.
“My Noble Lady, do you think of your mother?” The Emperor had agreed to continue to search for my mother, but sometimes, I could not help thinking that they would never find her, and she was already gone…
She faced me. “My mother?”
“I’m sorry.” I regretted it immediately. I might have offended her. The Noble Lady’s mother, the Empress of the Sui Dynasty, had died in the rebellion that overthrew the dynasty. It was a violent and gruesome death, many had whispered.
“No, no. No need to apologize. I think of my mother all the time, and I can tell you”—she turned to face the clearing, where her son pulled his bow to shoot—“children are birds, and a mother is the tree. No matter how far the birds fly, they always long for the tree to rest on.”
I stared at her. “But a tree will fall…”
“Even if it falls or dies, its roots delve deep into a child’s heart and nourish it with her eternal thoughts.”
Her eloquent speech warmed me. I was hopeful. Perhaps they would find Mother. Perhaps I would see her again someday. “Your son is doing well.”
“He’s doing his best.” Prince Ke had the most shots so far. Perhaps soon he would win the prize to sit next to the Emperor.
“I hope he wins,” I said.
“I should hope so.” The shadow of the tree swayed to the side, and her gold necklace glittered in the sun. She looked proud, and rightly so. Jewel’s death had made the Emperor realize how valuable the Noble Lady was, and if ever he deposed Taizi, Prince Ke would no doubt become the heir. “Have you prepared what to say when the One Above All comes?”
Before I replied, a white shape landed on my shoulder. A furry paw with claws swiped at my face. I gasped, flinging my arms. Those claws. They had attacked me before… Not the same ones…but similar.
And there was a deafening growl, followed by a heartrending shriek, and the sky seemed to spin, while a storm of leaves blasted around me… “Mei!” Father’s voice!
“Mei?”
I jerked. It was only the Noble Lady. But I could not understand. Those images. Where did they come from? But wait! The beast was still perched on my shoulder, growling. I cried out in fear.
“Go away,” the Noble Lady said, waving her hand, and the weight left my shoulder. “Are you all right?” She held my shoulder, and I panted in relief. “Are you all right, Mei? Did it frighten you? It’s only a cat.”
I tried hard not to tremble. “I know, my lady…I know.”
The Noble Lady turned to the Pure Lady, who was stroking that cat. “Did you see what your cat just did, Pure Lady? You should be more careful,” she said. It was the first time I had heard her speak to the Pure Lady in a disapproving tone.
The Pure Lady shot to her feet and dashed toward us. “Now you would chide me over my cat? My cat? You’re very proud of yourself, aren’t you, Noble Lady? Everything works out for you. My son is exiled, and yours stays here shooting animals. What else will you do to me?”
“How could you say that, Pure Lady—”
“And look at you, wearing all this gold and jewelry, looking so splendid and superior. You think you’re better than me? You’re nothing without your son, and you don’t deserve to wear this.” She yanked the gold necklace off the Noble Lady.
The Noble Lady gasped, her hands flying to her neck. “You can’t blame me for your son’s exile, Pure Lady.”
“Is that what you think? But you must pay.” She thrust her head back, and her long arm lashed out to point at me and then the others. “You, and all of you.” She stormed away.
“You’re bleeding, my Noble Lady.” I held her arms. The necklace had cut deeply into her skin, and two gashes had appeared on either side of her neck, so it looked as though she had been wounded by two swords crossing under her chin. I felt terrible for involving her in this.
She did not seem to hear me. “Did you hear her? Did you hear what she said?”
“I did.”
“She said she would make us pay, but what did we do? It was not my fault her son was exiled.”
“She was angry.” Blood was trickling down her neck. “Would you like to go see the physicians, my lady?”
“Physicians?” Her plump cheeks had turned pale. She looked as though she would faint. “Oh, yes. Take me to the physicians.”
We would need to talk to the Emperor some other time. Hurriedly, I left the shade of the ginkgo with the Noble Lady and her maids. Behind me, Rain made a sound like she was suppressing a chuckle. My heart tightened. I could not explain it, but I felt the worst was yet to come.
AD 643
the Seventeenth Year of Emperor Taizong’s Reign of Peaceful Prospect
WINTER
31
“Rise.” A hand shook my shoulder.
It was the Emperor. I rose from my mat and rubbed my eyes. Around me, the other Talents were still sleeping. The night before, we had gone to the Emperor’s bedchamber, but as usual, he had not favored us; instead, he had passed the night drinking in the circle of candles. According to the protocol, we were supposed to leave once he finished with us, but lately, he always ordered us to stay. I could not understand why, but at least he still followed the bedding schedule.
“Follow me.” He woke Daisy too, who had recently been demoted to a Talent for her clumsiness, and then the three of us, with Daisy and me holding lanterns, left the compound.
The Moon in the Palace (The Empress of Bright Moon Duology) Page 25