As they approached Lady Kwon’s palace, Eunuch Jinxi announced her arrival. Lady Kwon was standing in anticipation when Lady Li entered her sitting room. Lady Kwon stood straight as a pin and held herself with surety.
Lady Li bowed to Lady Kwon in deference to her station. Lady Kwon smiled in acknowledgment and motioned for Lady Li to join her on an embroidered couch.
“I was wondering how long it would take you to visit me,” Lady Kwon began.
“Oh?” Lady Li asked.
“Of course. We are all just a little curious about Lady Yun’s death, are we not? I am sure you want to know more about the particulars of her demise.”
Lady Li was more than a little put off by Lady Kwon’s casual attitude about the matter. Death was not something to chat about lightly. To even mention death in the presence of the emperor or empress could mean treason. Han and Manchu peoples held many superstitions about death and treated them all with due caution. But Lady Li did not remark on any of this because Lady Kwon was correct, she wanted, she needed, to know more about what happened to Suyi, though not for the reasons Lady Kwon seemed to believe.
“I thank you for your consideration,” Lady Li said. “I think knowing the particulars of what happened would help put my mind at ease, and it might help me better prepare her funeral rites.”
Lady Kwon nodded knowingly. Chinese death rites were quite complex and designed to help the spirit of a departed person find peace. If the rites were not properly administered, the spirit would be restless and remain on the earth as a hungry ghost.
“Of course, I do not know how she died,” Lady Kwon explained. “I only found her in the morning. I was walking in my garden, admiring the peonies, when I came across her.”
“It must have been quite a shock,” Lady Li said.
“Indeed, it was,” Lady Kwon replied. “She was lying on her back. Her mouth was open as if in a silent scream. She was so pale she was nearly white. Her eyes…her eyes were wide, but staring blankly at nothing…I’m sorry, does this upset you?”
While Lady Li was upset by the description, the way Lady Kwon described the scene with such…relish, such passion, as if she were performing an opera, disconcerted her more.
“No,” Lady Li lied. “Please, continue.”
“She was filthy. Her face covered with dirt and her hair in disarray. Her gown was ripped and covered in dark splotches. I thought at the time it was dirt. Later I realized it was blood…so much blood. Her shoes were gone. Her feet were torn and bloodied, as though she had run over sharp stones with no shoes on.
“I believe her death was quite painful and that she was scared. She was running for her life.”
Lady Li couldn’t fight the tears. She turned away and covered her mouth to stifle the sobs. It was just too terrible. The poor girl. Running from her murderer, knowing she was going to die. Why didn’t anyone help her?
“Oh, my dear Lady Li,” Lady Kwon cooed, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Forgive me. I said too much.”
“Why didn’t anyone hear her?” Lady Li finally blurted out. “You said she died in your garden. She was running, terrified! How could you not hear her screams?”
“I don’t know,” Lady Kwon said. “I wish I had. I would have helped her if I could.”
Lady Li took a few deep breaths to calm herself. There was something in Lady Kwon’s voice that made her doubt she was telling the truth, or at least the whole truth. “Was there anything else of note?” she asked. “Did you see a weapon?”
Lady Kwon shook her head. “No. I don’t even know what happened to her shoes. I suppose someone found them and disposed of them. Unfortunately, after I found her I immediately sent for the guards. They ordered us all to stay indoors for the rest of the day. I was unable to learn anything else.”
“Do you know what direction she was coming from?”
“She seemed to have come from the west. She did leave some bloody footprints coming from that direction.”
Lady Li nodded. She would try to find out where, or who, Suyi had been running from later. She decided it was best to change the topic before Lady Kwon began to wonder why she was asking so many questions.
“I am sorry to have forced you to relive that, Lady Kwon,” Lady Li said. “It must be upsetting for you.”
Lady Kwon frowned and paused before responding. “You don’t remember me, do you?” she asked. “I was here, you know, a concubine for the emperor when you served here as a lady-in-waiting previously. Don’t you remember?”
“Of course,” Lady Li lied. There were so many ladies and concubines and former concubines within the walls of the Forbidden City, it was impossible to keep track of everyone.
“No, you don’t,” Lady Kwon replied. “You served the empress, and had no thought for anyone else.”
“I was assigned to serve her. I had to give her my full…”
Lady Kwon held up her hand to interrupt her. “I’m not blaming you for anything, Lady Li, just making a point. Do you know what it means to live your whole life but not actually exist? Even when he was alive, the emperor barely took note of me. Did you know he was practically impotent? He could only be aroused by Han whores with their disgusting bound feet. How Concubine Yi conceived, I’ll never know.”
Lady Li stayed silent, both about the rumors of the emperor’s impotence, which she knew to be true, and the fact that Lady Kwon was referring to the empress as Concubine Yi—one of her former, lower titles—instead of her proper title. Lady Li wondered just how lax the palace had become in enforcing the rules of decorum for a palace lady to speak in such a way, even in private.
“For the maids and the ladies-in-waiting,” Lady Kwon went on, “there is still a possibility for life. They will eventually be married and go to their new homes. Most will have children. But for us royal consorts, us wives and concubines, our life is little more than waiting for death. We cannot marry, will never have children, and we can never leave. We are like ghosts. We no longer exist in the world.
“Concubine Yi escaped. By the good fortune of her womb she bore a son and became the Empress Dowager when the emperor died. She has purpose. She has a reason to wake up every day. We don’t.”
Lady Li sympathized with Lady Kwon. True, Lady Li was also a widow, but she had her daughters to raise and her household to run. She was also wealthy. But for the widowed consorts, they had nothing to live for. Their lives were similar to that of Concubine Song’s. No wonder Lady Kwon was so obsessed, so comfortable, with the idea of death. It was the only future she had to look forward to. The only thing that would end the monotony of day to day living.
“Why are you telling me all this?” Lady Li finally asked.
“I didn’t kill your sister-in-law, Lady Li,” Lady Kwon said, “but I can see how killing someone might be the only way to feel alive again.”
“Are you afraid?” Lady Li asked. “Are you afraid of living in the palace with a murderer?”
Lady Kwon smiled, then let out a small snort of a giggle, then nearly bent over in a fit of laughter. “Fear death? Me? Why should I fear death? I welcome it.”
To say that Lady Li was shaken when she left Lady Kwon’s palace would be an understatement. But she did not pass up the opportunity to walk through Lady Kwon’s garden and see where Suyi had died. As they turned down a small path, Chu tugged lightly on her mistress’s arm.
“Shouldn’t we leave?” she pleaded. “That woman frightens me.”
“I understand how you feel, Chu,” Lady Li replied as she stepped over the row of stones surrounding the garden. “But I don’t want to have to come back here. I just want to look around.”
“Do you believe her?” Chu asked. “When she said she didn’t kill Lady Yun?”
“I want to,” Lady Li said. She looked at the ground, not sure what she was looking for, just for anything…unusual. “She said some frightening things, but I don’t think she would have said them if she had killed her. She would have acted more innocent, don’t you think?”<
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“I don’t know anything about that. That sort of reasoning is beyond me. I think the killer would act guilty if she were guilty.”
“If only life were that simple, Chu.”
Lady Li gently moved some of the large flowers and leaves around so she could see under them. She lightly kicked at the dirt in some places. She finally came across an area where some smaller plants had been trampled down. The closer she looked at the area, a shape, like that of a human, seemed to take form. She began to visualize her dead sister-in-law the way Lady Kwon had described her, and it was as if she was looking at the body on the ground herself. She held her hand to her mouth and took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Is this where Lady Yun died you think, mistress?” Chu asked.
“I do, Chu,” she said. “You can see here is where her head was, and one of her arms fell here, and there are where her feet would have been.”
Chu shook her head and looked away, obviously upset by the scene. “It’s hard to believe no one heard anything. Look how close we are to one of Lady Kwon’s windows.”
Lady Li looked up and was indeed surprised to see they were only footsteps away from Lady Kwon’s palace. Lady Kwon, or one of her maids or eunuchs, must have heard something. If they didn’t, why? If they did, why did they ignore her?
“I don’t think I trust that Lady Kwon,” Chu said in a harsh whisper.
Lady Li hushed the maid. “We don’t want anyone to hear you say such things.” Lady Li kneeled down to get a better look at the ground where her sister-in-law died. She ran her hands over the dirt. Then, under a peony plant that was in full bloom, something caught her eye. She moved the plant aside and saw it more clearly—a gemstone. She picked it up and found it was actually a small string of blue gems, pearls, and carved silver ornaments. She stood up and showed it to Chu.
“It looks like an ornament from a hairpin, doesn’t it?” Lady Li asked.
“Indeed, mistress,” she confirmed. “Look, you can see the bit of link at the end where it would have originally been fastened to the stick.”
“Lady Kwon said that Lady Yun’s gown was ripped and bloodied. What if she had been stabbed to death with a hairpin?” Lady Li asked.
“You think this broke off in the attack?” Chu asked, her eyes wide.
“Seems like a possibility to me,” Lady Li said.
“I don’t know,” Chu said. “Maybe it fell off of Lady Yun’s hair in the struggle. All the high-born ladies wear hairpins like that.”
“That could be, Chu,” Lady Li said. “But right now this is the only possible clue we have. Do you think it would be possible to find out who owned this hairpin?”
Chu took the gems and turned them over in her hand. “It’s possible. All the ladies own these, but no two are the same. The Ministry of Domestic Affairs does their best to keep an inventory of the ladies’ jewels, but it is not uncommon for the ladies to exchange their jewels as gifts or favors. It would be hard to track down.”
“It might be hard, but we will have to try,” Lady Li said as she took the jewels back and hid them in one of her sleeve pockets. She took one last look at the place where Suyi died. She then glanced back at Lady Kwon’s palace and started when she saw a face looking back at her through the latticed window.
Lady Kwon slightly nodded her head at Lady Li. Lady Li gave a small bow in return. Then she took Chu by the arm and headed out of the garden. “We should go,” she said.
“I agree,” said Chu. “Between that creepy Lady Kwon and knowing Lady Yun died right here, I can practically feel the ghosts watching us.”
They stepped out of the garden and walked back toward their own palace. Lady Li looked to the west and thought about finding out where Suyi had been running from.
“Oh no, my lady, not now,” Chu implored. “After visiting Lady Kwon, then looking around the garden, if you go that way everyone will know what you’re doing.”
“You’re right, Chu,” Lady Li said. “We need to be more discreet. But tell me, what is west of here?”
“There are more gardens in the middle to separate the east and west palaces, but the west palaces are home to more widow consorts.”
“How many widow consorts are there?” Lady Li asked.
“More than I’ve cared to count,” Chu replied. “You served when the emperor was alive, mistress. How many consorts did he have back then?”
“More than I ever cared to count, Chu,” Lady Li replied. She thought about what Lady Kwon said about the consorts being invisible and realized she was right. Even when the emperor was alive, unless a lady was in the emperor’s favor, no one paid them much mind. Now that the emperor was dead, they were completely inconsequential. What did they do with their time? Were they all as bitter and longing for death as Lady Kwon was? Was every widow consort in the palace a potential suspect?
13
That night, long after everyone in the palace save a few guards should have been sleeping, Lady Li sat by a latticed window and waited. She had received a message just after dark from Inspector Gong saying that he would be coming to see her late that night. She wasn’t sure how he would be getting in, but she was to wait by the west gate. Eunuch Jinxi had delivered the message, but he claimed he had not read it. She thought it best not to tell him. The less he knew about what was going on the better. She had dismissed Eunuch Jinxi and Chu for the night and told them not to return until morning.
Unable to rest until the appointed time, Lady Li decided to use the cover of darkness to do some more investigating. She wasn’t sure why Inspector Gong was coming. She had told him everything she had learned in an earlier note. She didn’t see a reason for him to risk entering the Forbidden City at night. Perhaps he didn’t trust her judgment or thought the investigation was going too slowly. Or maybe he had learned something he couldn’t tell her in a note. Whatever the reason, she hoped that some late-night snooping would reveal something of note she could tell him when he arrived. Maybe then he wouldn’t think so little of her.
She didn’t know why she cared what he thought. Such a boor. So rude and uncouth. A Han. He, his thoughts, and his opinions should mean nothing to her. Yet when she thought about him asking her for help, she couldn’t help but feel something well up in her chest. He had treated her badly at first, that was true, but then he humbled himself and realized she had value. She was useful. He reminded her of her husband in that way. She had been valuable to him too, as more than just a wife and bearer of his children. He had been the one to insist she learn English. As a diplomat, he thought having a wife who spoke English could be useful to him. She was useful at first, able to visit with the British and American ladies in the Foreign Legation, but she spent so much of their marriage pregnant and nursing, and then he died so young, she did not get to help him as much as she wanted.
Then there was Prince Kung. He too found her useful and relied on her to help coordinate the empress’s coup when he could not speak to the empress directly. The three of them had been quite a team.
She was lucky. She had found men who respected her and valued her for her brains and her wit. Few women, in any culture, were as fortunate as she. Yes, she needed to prove herself to Inspector Gong. She needed to feel useful again.
She slipped on a pair of Eunuch Jinxi’s cotton slippers and waited until she saw one of the palace guards pass since he would not pass her quarters again for quite a while. She stepped outside and closed the door. She listened and looked into the dark for any sign that she was being watched. There was nothing. She did not take a lamp with her; that would be too conspicuous. She used only the light from the moon and from the few lanterns hanging outside the various palaces to guide her steps. She wasn’t sure where she was going at first, where she should investigate at night. She decided to return to Lady Kwon’s palace and go to the west to see what was there.
In her soft-soled shoes, she silently moved from shadow to shadow across the palace grounds and followed the path until it ended. Strange, she tho
ught. Didn’t Chu say there were more palaces for the widows this way? She peered through the darkness and let her eyes adjust to the dark. She realized the path no longer went west because there was a canal in front of her. Most likely the canal linked several ponds throughout the grounds. Across the canal there indeed were several palaces, but they could not be accessed this way. If she was running from this direction, it was not from the palaces. The path curved to the south, so Lady Li followed it.
But the southern path led only one place, back to the empress’s palace. Lady Li froze as the palace loomed into view. Why would Lady Yun have been running away from the empress’s palace? Did someone there…? Did the empress…? No, it was simply too preposterous for words. Just then, Lady Li saw something move closer to the palace. Lady Li ducked behind a bush and watched. The figure kept to the shadows as much as possible, as Lady Li had done, but he could no longer hide as he approached the main door. It was Te-hai. It was not abnormal for the empress’s chief eunuch to be visiting her palace. Even at night, if she was working or distressed, she could send for him. But the palace was dark, save a few outside lanterns for security. If she had sent for him and needed him in an official capacity, why would he be sneaking around?
Once Te-hai slipped into the palace, Lady Li waited a moment to make sure he wasn’t looking for followers, and then she also crept up to the palace. She didn’t take the main path to the palace, but stayed within the shadows as she walked through a side garden. She went directly to the window of the empress’s bedchamber and listened. She could hear hushed whispers, but couldn’t make out any words. Then, the sounds changed. No longer words, but low gasps and moans. At first, Lady Li thought their conversation must simply be muffled because she couldn’t possibly be hearing what she thought she was hearing. Eventually, though, as a married woman, she could not deny the unmistakable sounds of a woman being pleasured. But Te-hai was a eunuch. He couldn’t possibly…
Murder in the Forbidden City (Qing Dynasty Mysteries Book 1) Page 9