Empress of Bright Moon

by Weina Dai Randel

  I felt my face heat up, and even though I could not claim myself to be a devout believer of Buddhism, I made up my mind that as long as I was Luminous Lady, I should never allow anyone to speak so poorly of the religion to my face again. “I have yet to be recognized as such, esteemed Regent, but I strive to follow the disciplines described in the scriptures. Although”—I paused—“I do beg to ask, is immortality really achievable through ingestion of elixir, as so claimed by Taoists?”

  It was an essential part of Taoism to pursue immortality. Thus many Taoist priests, claiming to be alchemists, had been mixing minerals—mercury, cinnabar, and even gold—since the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Yet the Emperor, a zealot of such elixirs, had died at half of the Regent’s age. But of course, the Taoist priests never gave up, and they always used immortality as a bait to lure the gullible.

  The Regent snorted slightly, that arrogant goat. “Taoism itself, like the elixir, is not to be comprehended by a commoner.”

  Now I wished to argue with him about Taoism. For sure, this one-thousand-year-old religion demonstrated philosophical inspirations, but the language it used to express such beliefs was often cryptic, and as a result, the meaning was muddy and esoteric.

  But I remembered my mission. “Of course,” I said mildly, and decided to please him by quoting the famous line from the Tao Te Jing, the central scripture of Taoism, which I had learned since I was a child. “Dao ke dao, fei chang dao. Ming ke ming, fei chang ming.”

  The Dao that can be explained is not the real Dao. The Name that can be named is not the true Name.

  He tilted his head toward me. “What a surprise, Luminous Lady, that a woman would be interested in this lofty philosophy. Would you like a piece of honeydew, Nephew? I preserved it in an ice pit. Honeydew is your favorite, I remember.” He turned to a servant holding a basket of fruit.

  “I like honeydew, Uncle. I would love to have a piece…” Pheasant glanced at me. I knew what was in his mind. He was thinking how to tell his uncle the purpose of our visit. Yet this was not the time. We must wait for the old man himself to bring up the topic.

  The Regent picked up a honeydew and pressed to check the firmness. “You used to eat many of them when you came for visits with your mother, you remember?”

  “Uncle has a good memory.”

  “Your mother, may she rest in peace, was a most noble and virtuous woman.” Sighing, he put a melon on the table and gestured to the servants for a fruit knife. “So, Nephew, forgive me if I am being uncouth, but to what do I owe the honor of your visiting?”

  I could feel Pheasant straighten beside me. “A grave matter, Uncle.” He cleared his throat. “I would not trouble you if I wasn’t concerned. Are you aware of the misdeed the Empress has committed in the Inner Court, Uncle?”

  I was too nervous to drink, and the servants’ footsteps seemed quieter too. No one was talking anymore. I could hear the Regent’s sons slurping the wine.

  “Misdeed?”

  “It regards the Pure Lady and Sujie. You do remember the Lady, do you not? She took over the duty in the workshops for a while, and Sujie, the little poet, had composed a ballad, which is said to deliver an unfavorable opinion of Zhong. Empress Wang was most displeased.”

  I remained stiff. Would the Regent feign ignorance? To my surprise, he sighed.

  “Nephew, I was going to consult with you on this matter.”

  “Indeed?”

  “Empress Wang,” the Regent said, “I have heard, has taken some improper measures to punish her foes. She imprisoned the Pure Lady and her child in a kennel with wolves. I found this behavior rather unthinkable.”

  “The Pure Lady, who is of most delicate nature, has now gone insane,” Pheasant told him.

  “This is most deplorable, Nephew.” The Regent shook his head. “Most deplorable. I regret to hear this has happened in your household. I can see the Empress is a willful woman. I only wished I had known that. When she adopted Zhong, I had thought this was over.” He sighed. “You must not give women too much freedom. They know not right from wrong. They are like dogs. They must be trained and chained. If you let them loose, they go wild.”

  I was not sure how to respond. I was happy the Regent disliked the Empress, yet I took no satisfaction in his reasoning. He seemed to bear ill will against all women. Pheasant was quiet now.

  The movements in the hall slowed. The servants hunched their shoulders, glancing at Pheasant and me, and the Regent’s sons sat there stiffly, their faces tightening.

  “So what do you have in mind, Nephew?”

  Pheasant coughed and glanced at the servants around us.

  “Of course.” The Regent dismissed the servants and ordered them to close the hall’s door behind them. Now there were only him, his two sons, Pheasant, and me. I felt better with fewer ears about.

  “I appreciate your caution, Uncle,” Pheasant said, “and I am most pleased you agree with me regarding the Empress. This is why I wish to tell you, Uncle, I intend to bring her to the hall and ask her to state the matter. Tomorrow.”

  “A trial?” The Regent’s voice was sharp, too sharp.

  “I have decided.” Pheasant sounded resolute. “She must be punished for her behavior, or the palace will have no peace.”

  The Regent did not speak. I peered at him, trying to see if I could find any sign that would reveal his thoughts. “That will be unprecedented, impeaching an empress,” he said finally and stood up to pace in the hall.

  “I am aware of that, Uncle.”

  I wished the Regent would sit in front of me so I could discern the undercurrent of his thoughts hidden behind his hooded eyes, but he walked away from me, his face averted from mine, his hawkish nose looking sharp like a thin blade.

  Finally, he sat down. “The kingdom will be shocked. You will face an upheaval.” He picked up the fruit knife the servant left on the table and began to slice the honeydew. The tone of his voice changed, becoming measured and even. “She comes from a noble family, after all. She was chosen by your father to be your chief wife and the mother of the kingdom. And now she has a male heir, and she is backed by all her family and many ministers in the court.”

  “Yet, Uncle, I cannot let it pass and close my eyes. As the Emperor, I have responsibilities to all the women serving me in the Inner Court.”

  The Regent sighed, slicing the melon with one quick stroke, and clear juice flowed from its rind to the tray. “You mentioned the Pure Lady has gone insane?”

  “Indeed, she has. That’s why I came here to ask your opinion.”

  The Regent knew, though, that we came not to ask for his opinion, but for his support. “I see.” He pulled up his long sleeves and arranged the melon slices on the tray. “Nephew, have you discussed this matter with anyone else?”

  “Only with my brother.”

  “Ah, Prince Ke. You get along with him, do you? I heard you played Pitching-a-Pot with him today. Was it a good game?”

  “It was, Uncle.”

  “Prince Ke…” The Regent looked thoughtful now. “He is indeed a fine fellow, like your father. I am pleased he has returned.”

  That was a lie. He had exiled the prince and feared he would be a threat. Since the prince’s return, the Regent had never spoken a word to him.

  “Oh, you know he is trustworthy, Uncle. Father used to adore him too. Do you remember?”

  “You do not worry about him?”

  “Worry? Why?”

  “Young fellow, always headstrong. That’s all.” The Regent presented the tray before us and gestured to us to eat. “I hope you like the melon, Your Majesty.”

  Pheasant took a bite. “Sweet melon. So, we trust to see you tomorrow at the hall, Uncle?”

  Our plan depended on this moment. If the Regent agreed to join us at the hall, it would be his promise to support us during the trial. If not, it meant his
disapproval, and that would pose many challenges tomorrow. I watched him, my heart tightening.

  His head lowering, the old man poured himself some wine. “Have you made any offerings to your mother these days, Nephew? Bless her. May she rest in peace.”

  “Of course, Uncle.”

  He nodded. “And how is our Princess Gaoyang? Still her usual old self?”

  “You know her, Uncle. Gaoyang will never change.”

  “I hear, Luminous Lady, she is a good friend of yours?”

  “Indeed, she is,” I said, watching him. Why was he changing the subject?

  The Regent cleared his throat, drumming on the table with two fingers. “And may I ask, Nephew, what will be the Empress’s punishment for her crime?”

  Pheasant leaned forward, ready to speak, but I put my hand on his arm. “You know, Regent, our emperor is most lenient, and he has not decided on this matter yet. Perhaps, esteemed Regent will care to give us some advice.”

  He gave me a long look, and I smiled to please him. I was not being truthful perhaps, but a little deception, like oil on a rusty wheel, was needed to keep the carriage moving. Did the master Sun Tzu not believe it as well?

  “I see.” The Regent nodded. He did not speak again, and the hall fell quiet. Pheasant pushed away the tray of melon, sat upright, staring at the trail of juice on the table. Feeling his nervousness, I held his hand and waited.

  The Regent cleared his throat. “Nephew and Luminous Lady, I am compelled to offer you my service. I shall be glad to come to the hall tomorrow. However, I must advise prudence in dealing with this matter. Would it be agreeable to you, Nephew, if I select a small number of ministers, say four or five of my trusted men, to oversee the trial?”

  “Why, may I ask?” Pheasant asked.

  “Only to ensure it proceeds smoothly.”

  Pheasant hesitated.

  “I have only the kingdom’s welfare in my heart, Nephew, and I hope that with my men’s presence, they can give their opinion in deciding the judgment of the Empress. After all, this is a matter of utter importance.”

  “Uncle—”

  “That sounds splendid.” I squeezed Pheasant’s hand to quiet him. It seemed the Regent had his own punishment in mind for the Empress, and that should cause no problem for us, as long as the Empress was tried and dishonored. “I am grateful for your support, Regent.”

  He sighed, as though this was indeed a great burden for him. “And I must remind you again, Luminous Lady and Nephew, I have only the kingdom’s welfare in mind. I do hope you understand. It is my firm belief that even as we try the Empress, we must avoid chaos in the kingdom at all costs.”

  “Of course, Regent. I should expect nothing less from you,” I said and breathed out.

  The air in the reception hall suddenly grew lively. The Regent’s sons poured us wine, and the Regent called back his servants to bring more fruit to our table. Chuckling, the old man made a toast to Pheasant and talked about horses. The war against Tibet had depleted our horse reserve, he said, and now the five Imperial Stables were hoping to receive rare steeds from the Eastern Turks.

  “That should increase the number of the steeds in our Imperial Stables, and next spring, we shall see some good breeds,” he said.

  I felt a weight lifting off my shoulders. We had won the Regent’s support, and I was happy, but he was indeed a formidable man.

  When it was time for us to leave, we bid good night to the Regent and his family, who knelt at the gate to see us off, and walked toward our carriage.

  The night’s darkness had masked the trees and all the buildings near the Regent’s house. Only our horses and carriage were visible in the pool of light from the lanterns.

  “General Li,” Pheasant said, “you missed good wine and good company.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.” He opened the carriage door for us.

  I paused to face the General. In the dim light, his purple birthmark looked like a vicious tattoo. “I thank you for waiting so long, General. Would you like to have some wine?”

  He shook his head. “Luminous Lady, I only drink alone.”

  “Is it so?” I gave him a long look. The General, like the Regent, could be hard to read sometimes.

  When I sat down, I let out a sigh, rubbing my shoulders. I had been so tense, I could feel the strain from my neck and my lower back, and my swelling stomach was sitting on my thighs like a heavy basin. “Are you pleased, Pheasant?”

  Finally. Tomorrow the Empress would be tried. How would she react when she knew she would be dishonored, the daughter of the renowned Wang family, the legal wife of the Emperor, the Empress of the kingdom?

  Pheasant nodded, grinning widely. “Yes. I cannot wait for tomorrow.” He looked happy, and I remembered how enraged and shocked he had been in the kennel and how determined he was to punish the Empress.

  “Now, let’s go to the palace.” He waved, and Apricot came to the carriage to close the door.

  I stopped her. Through the open door, I glimpsed a round, red light, the size of a polo ball, glowing, as it slid in the dark in the distance. It looked shining, urgent, and sinister.

  A lantern.

  Who was carrying it? A night watcher? A horse-rally carrier? “Pheasant. Look.”

  “What is it?” he asked, leaning over.

  I pointed at the light, but it was gone, and in the place where it had been were only shades of darkness.

  “It’s fine. Don’t worry.” Pheasant patted my back. “Let’s go home and rest.”

  The carriage rolled forward, and I leaned back.

  Tomorrow would be a long day, a crucial day for Pheasant and me, and I had to hone the edge of my words, sharpen my vision, and strike with force and precision. But for some reason I could not explain, the ball of red light lingered in my mind.

  21

  I rose before dawn the next morning. As usual, I sat and meditated, letting my mind drift and setting my spirit at ease. The room was warm from the fire in the brazier and fragrant with the rich scent emitted from scented candles. When the dawn’s first pale light illuminated our chamber, I finished meditating and put on a scarlet skirt, a padded robe, and a silk shawl embroidered with thrushes and finches, for good luck. We would need it today.

  Pheasant’s attendants entered the chamber, holding golden regalia lined with fur, a pair of embroidered silk trousers, a bejeweled belt, a sparkling mortarboard, a pair of shoes, and a silk pouch holding his jade seal.

  “Let me.” I waved away the attendants and helped Pheasant dress.

  “Will you wait for my summons?” Pheasant asked. He had not slept well, but he looked exhilarated, his eyes gleaming and his footsteps forceful.

  “I will.” I nodded, tying the strings of his mortarboard under his chin. Pheasant would attend the audience in the morning, listening to the regular petitions so as not to arouse suspicion. Both Prince Ke and Fang Yi’ai would join the early audience as well, together with the Regent and his ministers. Then, during the rest hour, Pheasant would summon the Pure Lady, the Empress, and me to the hall, where the Empress would face the trial as we stood by.

  “Where’s my sister?” Pheasant asked.

  “She will arrive soon.” Princess Gaoyang would help me escort the Pure Lady to the hall at Pheasant’s summons, so she could testify on her own behalf.

  “That’s good.” The skin on Pheasant’s face looked luminescent, giving off a sheen of youthfulness. He looked very attractive, and the maids were not paying attention to us. I stood on tiptoe to kiss him. He caught me and put his arms around my waist. “Later.”

  I smiled happily. “Are you nervous?”

  He squeezed my cheek. “Of course not. I know what I am doing, Luminous Lady. And by the way, I have added extra men outside the garden, in case the tiger sends her dogs here to bother you.”

  I did not argue. The Empr
ess would not let me breathe easily once she was punished, and I had to make certain she would never come near my son again. “I shall wait for your summons.”

  He gave me a firm nod and strode to the garden’s entrance, the wide sleeves of the golden regalia swaying near his knees. His attendants and the General, already waiting, stepped aside as he climbed into the carriage.

  I watched them until they disappeared behind the grove of tangerine trees, and my heart beat faster. When those attendants returned, they would carry the order of the summons, but also the drumming sound of battle.

  I was nervous. I could only imagine how ugly the scene might become at the Empress’s trial. I wished Princess Gaoyang were here. She would help calm my nerves.

  “I’m going to take a walk, Apricot.” I needed to exercise and also to keep calm. “When the princess comes, tell her I am in the back of the garden.”

  “Yes, Luminous Lady,” Apricot said. She was feeding Hong near the bed. Here, it was a battle too. Apricot cooed, coaxing my boy to open his mouth, but Hong twisted his head away. Apricot pushed the spoon near his mouth, but he batted it away. He was often like this, refusing to eat.

  I walked down the path near the bamboo grove. It was still early in the morning. The garden looked sleepy in the dawn’s milky shade. My stomach was growing large every day, and it was getting difficult for me to hike up the hill. I turned around and crossed over a bridge.

  When I found my way back to my chamber, the morning’s golden light shone in my eyes. The garden was noisy with birds twittering, and I was sweaty. But Princess Gaoyang had not yet arrived.

  “Has she sent a message?” I asked Apricot while searching for Hong. He was stabbing something in the flower bed with a stick. Now that he was finally walking, he had become fascinated with anything that crawled. He would dig in the flower beds, finding beetles and ladybugs, and put them in his mouth. I was worried he would get a stomach ulcer, but Gaoyang had laughed it off. “That’s nature. Nature won’t hurt boys,” she said.

  “No.” Apricot shook her head. Chunlu brought a handkerchief for me to wipe my face while Xiayu came with boxes of tincture and rouge, ready to apply them on my cheeks.