“Actions have consequences,” the inspector said. “If we try to protect her, Wangshu will pay the price. Someone will have to answer for Fanhua’s death.”
Lady Li sighed. Had she acted any better? The only difference between Baoah’s affair with Fanhua and Lady Li’s affair with Inspector Gong was that Fanhua kept a record. If anyone learned of Lady Li’s indiscretions, she would have to face the consequences as well.
Inspector Gong wrapped his arm around Lady Li’s shoulders, but she moved away from him.
“I should go home,” she said. “Tell Wangshu what happened. She will be anxious to know I am safe.”
“Of course,” he said, though clearly a bit disappointed.
“Tomorrow,” she continued, “let us know what will happen to Baoah.”
He nodded. “Tomorrow, then.”
20
Inspector Gong slept soundly for the first time in weeks, and he didn’t feel the need to get up early and rush out of the house. He awoke to the normal sounds of people in his house starting their day and the smell of the servants making breakfast. He looked over and ran his hand over the side of the bed where his wife should be sleeping…whoever she was.
He knew it would be Swan.
No matter how much he wished it could be Lady Li he woke up to, he knew it could never happen.
He could hear his mother barking orders to one of his sisters-in-law and chuckled. As if Lady Li would ever allow a woman—even a mother-in-law—to speak to her like that. For the very fact that Lady Li didn’t have to answer to any other woman was enough for her to never leave her situation. Here, not only would she have to answer to his mother, but his brothers’ wives and even his sisters, until they married out. Lady Li would be at the bottom of the hierarchy in this family. She could never live her life like that.
Swan, on the other hand, would adjust. She was used to having no rank, no real place in the family. She would thrive in a large family with lots of children and a never-ending list of things to do. And eventually, she would have her own children to care for…he hoped.
Yes, a wife and children. It was time.
He sat up and was looking for his slippers when he suddenly heard his sister Daiyu crying. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but his mother was berating her instead of comforting her.
Then he remembered that Daiyu was one of the young women who would sneak out to see Fanhua’s performances. A knot formed in his belly as he pulled out Fanhua’s journal and furiously scanned the pages looking for her name. He hadn’t seen it when he looked through the journal before, but he hadn’t considered that he might find it.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t see her name.
After a moment, he couldn’t hear Daiyu anymore, but there was a small tapping on his door.
“Enter,” he said, expecting a maid, but was surprised to see his mother poke her head in. “Oh, sorry, Ma,” he said, standing up and offering her a chair.
“Your room is a disaster,” she said. “I think I raised a pig.”
He smirked and then took a seat back on the bed. “What’s wrong with Daiyu?”
His mother grimaced. “That opera singer, the man who dressed like a woman, he is dead. Murdered.”
He nodded. “She knew about that a few days ago.”
“Her friend, the Liu girl, was arrested for the crime!” his mother said, concern etched across her brow.
“I had no idea she knew Baoah,” he said. “But I should have assumed it was possible when I found out that Daiyu enjoyed the opera. I will apologize to her.”
“She doesn’t need an apology,” his mother said. “She needs a husband. This family has grown too big for me to manage. Biyu told me that Daiyu has been sneaking out to see the opera performances.”
Inspector Gong didn’t say anything, but that told his mother all she needed to know.
“You knew,” she said, shaking her head in disappointment.
“I didn’t want to worry you—” he started to say, but she raised her hand, cutting him off.
“It doesn’t matter now,” she said. “But we are lucky her reputation is safe. This could have gone very badly for her, for all of us.”
He nodded. He should have considered his own sister in all of this…
“It is time she was married,” his mother continued. “But I need to know your plan first. If you marry Lady Swan, it could…alter Daiyu’s marriage prospects.”
“In a good or bad way?” Inspector Gong asked.
“I don’t know,” his mother said, wringing her hands. “I don’t know anyone with a Manchu girl in their family. Some people might only see her as an idle curiosity; others might view mingling with the invaders as a great betrayal to our inheritance.”
“But most people know our family to be Qing loyalists,” Inspector Gong said. “Baba has worked in the Ministry of Letters for decades. Yeye even—”
“I know,” his mother said, interrupting. “But this is different. You can’t deny it. Working with the Manchu for money or position is not the same as taking their women to bed. To giving the Manchu more sons.”
He stood and paced. While he knew that some people outside the family might be offended by his marriage to Swan, he never considered it could cost Daiyu a good match.
“Would it be better if I don’t wed?” he asked. “Because my position on this has not changed. If I cannot marry Swan, I don’t wish to marry.”
“An unmarried son is an insult to me and your father,” his mother said. “But it is not an insult to the Han people. Remaining as you are will not change things for Daiyu.”
“Is that what you want?” he asked. “You would rather I remain single for Daiyu’s sake?”
His mother held her breath as she stared at her son. What did he think would happen? That he would change his mind and agree to marry a Han girl to keep her from passing out?
Finally, she blew out her cheeks. “No,” she grumbled. “It doesn’t matter. A daughter is like water on the floor.”
He was all too familiar with the common belief that investing in daughters—money, education, even affection—was often viewed as a waste since after they were married out, they rarely returned to the home of the birth. But he could see tears pool on the edge of his mother’s eyes and knew that she didn’t really believe this. In fact, Daiyu and Biyu both should already be married. His mother had been delaying in order to keep them with her for as long as possible. They were her last daughters, her last pearls.
“I could wait to marry Swan until after Daiyu’s marriage, if that would help,” he offered.
His mother stood up, shaking her head. “No. I just needed to know how set you were on the marriage. If there was any chance of preventing it.”
“I am sorry to have failed your final test,” he said with a half-cocked smile.
“My children will be the death of me,” she said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “As yours will be of you. You will understand. You’ll see!”
“I’ll tell Lady Li to expect your visit to finalize arrangements,” he said as she left the room.
But after the humor of torturing his mother wore off, he realized he would need to speak to Lady Li about his marriage to Swan one more time. When they had been alone together in the dressing room, she wanted him. He could feel it in the touch of her hand, the taste of her kiss, in the breaths from her lips. She pushed him away, yes, but only so she wouldn’t insult Swan because she thought he was still going to marry her. Lady Li had called Swan his betrothed. She thought the marriage was a foregone conclusion. But there was still a chance to call it off. His mother had hoped he would choose bachelorhood over marriage. She would still let him walk away.
He had to give Lady Li one more chance to call off his marriage to Swan.
As Inspector Gong crossed Lady Li’s garden, he saw Lady Li, Wangshu, and Swan all sitting together, chatting and laughing over a pot of tea. At first, he thought he might be intruding, but they all smiled when
they saw him.
“Ladies,” he said, offering them an exaggerated bow.
“Inspector Gong,” they all said in unison as they rose and gave him a bow in return. Well, Wangshu and Swan bowed; Lady Li only nodded her head.
“Have a seat,” Lady Li said, motioning toward a pillow next to Wangshu.
“You all seem to be having an enjoyable morning,” he said as Swan served him tea. He tried to meet her eyes, but she kept them downcast, as was proper.
“I feel like I can breathe for the first time in days,” Wangshu said. “I can’t wait to go home.”
“You mean back to the palace?” Inspector Gong asked. “You won’t be returning to the theater?”
“Never!” Wangshu said. “I have had enough of the opera scene outside the safety of the walls of the Forbidden City.”
“But what about paving the way for future female opera singers?” he asked. “Isn’t that what this whole exercise was about? What the empress wanted?”
“I’m not sure the world is ready for female opera singers,” Wangshu said.
Just then, Lady Li’s daughters ran across the garden, yelling and swinging wooden swords. Second Daughter, though, was much more calculated in her movements, swinging her sword over her head, leaping through the air. First Daughter rushed over and pushed her sister to the ground playfully and then stood over her in triumph. The adults all laughed.
“Though, maybe I can still focus on training the next generation of female opera performers,” Wangshu said. “Who knows what the future will hold.”
“You will have to come back and keep giving Second Daughter lessons,” Lady Li said. “She would be devastated if you stopped.”
“I will,” Wangshu said.
“What will happen to the young woman you arrested?” Swan asked, and a morose feeling settled over all of them.
“I remanded her to the Ministry of Justice last night,” the inspector said. “The chief minister said a conviction and sentence would be swift in coming.”
No one said anything after that. They all knew that the only outcome for Baoah would be death.
Wangshu stood up. “I am going to go finish packing,” she said. “I am sure my mother is anxious to see me again.”
They all said their goodbyes and silence fell over them for a moment.
“I spoke to Dr. Xue on his way out yesterday,” Inspector Gong said to Swan. “He said you had made much improvement.”
She smiled and dared to look up at him for a quick second before returning her eyes to her teacup. “Yes,” she said. “I am feeling much better. I am not fully healed yet. I am very tired and sometimes…I still have cravings. But I am sure I will be well in time.”
“I am glad to hear it,” he said.
She nearly dropped her cup on the table as she fell to her knees before him.
“I promise I will be a good wife to you,” she blurted out in tears. “I will honor and submit to you and to your honorable mother. I will make sure you never regret marrying me. I will…I will give you sons!”
“Swan!” Lady Li snapped.
“O…kay,” he said, gripping her thin forearms in his hands and pulling her to her feet. “Please, calm yourself. I am sure you will be an excellent wife.”
“Forgive me,” she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I just never thought I would get another chance…”
“I understand,” he said as he released her arms, hoping she had the strength to hold herself up.
“Swan,” Lady Li said firmly. “You should return to your room and wash your face.”
“Of course,” Swan said. She bowed to them both as she walked away backward, as though she was leaving the presence of the emperor.
“I’m sorry about that,” Lady Li said. “She has made progress under Dr. Xue’s care, but she has been very emotional lately. I’m not sure—”
“There is no need to apologize,” Inspector Gong said. “She is both excited and possibly scared. She has met my mother, after all.”
Lady Li chuckled. “Speaking of your mother, I am surprised she has not requested another meeting. We haven’t finalized arrangements.”
“I think she was waiting on me,” he said. “I have been so busy with this case, we hadn’t spoken in days.”
“Waiting on you?” Lady Li asked. “But you had already consented. Why would she need to speak with you again except to inform you about the wedding date?”
“She…wanted to give me another chance to turn the match down,” he said.
“Oh…” Lady Li said softly. “And what did you say?”
The fact that she thought he might have changed his mind about marrying told him that at least a very small part of her hoped he did. Why? Did she think they had any chance of a future together? Perhaps not as husband and wife, but as lovers?
“I told her I would let her know this afternoon,” he lied. “I…I wanted to check in with you one last time. I will not marry Swan if you tell me not to.”
“Why must I make the decision?” Lady Li said. “Why is it on my shoulders what you do with your life?”
“You know why,” he said. “I love you, and I would do whatever you tell me to. I would live as a beggar outside your door if you ordered it of me.”
“You are a fool,” Lady Li scoffed.
“Have you ever known a man to be otherwise?” he asked with a grin.
She shook her head and did her best not to smile back. They stood side by side and looked out over the garden and the children playing.
“I shall miss this,” she finally said.
“Miss what?” he asked.
“The easy comfort we have,” she said. “Your visits to my home. The way you look at me when you think I can’t see you from the corner of my eye.”
He blushed, not even realizing he had been staring at her.
“Just because I am marrying Swan doesn’t mean that I won’t ever see you again,” he said.
“I know,” she said. “But everything will change.”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He knew she was right, but he was certain that his life would change in ways he hadn’t even considered yet.
“My mother will call on you soon to finish the marriage arrangements,” he said.
“I will be here waiting,” she said.
He gave her a bow and then crossed the garden and walked out the gate.
Thank You!
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The Emperor’s Seal
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The Emperor’s Seal – the divine symbol of the Emperor on earth – is missing. The Empress will do whatever it takes to get it back.
Jiayi has a gift – she can travel through time just by touching historical artifacts. More than anything, she wants to escape the clutches of the Empress and run away to a foreign land. Finding the Emperor’s Seal could be her only chance at freedom, but is she willing to risk the wrath of the Empress?
Historian and wannabe archaeologist Zhihao has no love for the Empress or the Qing Dynasty, but when the Empress orders him to find the Emperor’s Seal in exchange for funding China’s first history museum, he cannot refuse. It is only after he accepts the assignment that he realizes the key to finding the seal lies in the hands of a palace slave.
Civil unrest and encroaching foreign powers threaten Jiayi and Zhihao's mission and lives as they hunt for The Emperor's Seal.
Threads of Silk
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When I was a child, I thought my destiny was to live and die on the banks of the Xiangjiang River as my family had done for generations. I never imagined that my life would lead me to the Forbidden City and the court of China’s last Empress.
Born in the middle of nowhere, Yaqian, a little embroidery girl from Hunan Province, finds her way to the imperial court, a place of int
rigue, desire, and treachery. From the bed of an Emperor, the heart of a Prince, and the right side of an Empress, Yaqian weaves her way through the most turbulent decades of China’s history and witnesses the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
Fans of Amy Tan, Lisa See, Anchee Min, and Pearl S. Buck are sure to love this debut novel by Amanda Roberts. This richly descriptive and painstakingly researched novel brings the opulence of the Qing Court to life as Yaqian and Empress Cixi's lives intertwine over six decades.
About the Author
Amanda Roberts is a writer and editor who has been living in China since 2010. Amanda has an MA in English from the University of Central Missouri. She has been published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies around the world and she regularly contributes to numerous blogs.
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The Qing Dynasty Mysteries - Books 1-3 Page 49
