Empress in Disguise, Book 1

by Zoey Gong

  But I quickly decide that the Summer Palace was worth the trouble. It is more beautiful than it was described. The whole palace grounds is like a wonderous old-growth garden, with tall shade trees and thick flowering shrubs along every path. There is a wall, but it is must shorter than the wall around the Forbidden City, and I can immediately see that it would not be a difficult thing to climb over. The guards must be extra diligent to keep us safe here.

  I am delighted to be taken to a palace all my own! Indeed, the Summer Palace is so large that there is no need for us to share. I can’t help but wonder if I could ask the emperor if I could live here permanently.

  No sooner have I arrived, though, than I must quickly wash and change my clothes and prepare myself for dinner. I make sure the butterfly hairpin is given pride of place on my headdress, and I wear little else to detract from its beauty. In one of my sleeves I tuck the perfume pouch I have brought as a gift for the prince. I was actually making it for the emperor, something different than a handkerchief at least, but no one need know I have repurposed it for the prince.

  It is dark when it is finally time for dinner. We are led along a path lighted with silk lanterns. At night, it is like walking through a mystical fairyland. I can see the gentle glow of fireflies among the trees and tall grasses and the air is clean and fresh.

  The feast is held in a large, elevated palace with a wide open-air verandah that overlooks a lake that we cannot see very well, except for the reflection of the moon on the black waters.

  The empress and the dowager are already seated when we arrive, and there are also dozens of men present, noblemen. There are then four long rows of tables and chairs to either side of the verandah, seating enough for the two-hundred concubines. As I take a seat somewhere near the middle, I can’t help but laugh at the idea that anyone thinks she would be able to catch the eye of the emperor when we are all crammed together. It will be impossible for the emperor to single anyone out.

  Suddenly everyone stands and bows, and I follow suit, assuming the emperor must have arrived, but I cannot see anything from my place.

  “May the emperor live ten thousand years!” everyone says.

  “Thank you!” he says. “You may rise. Thank you to all of you for coming to celebrate the birthday of my dear brother, Prince Honghui!”

  Everyone claps and I see the hand of the prince as he waves to everyone. I lean to one side to try and get a better look. When the prince’s face comes into sight, I gasp.

  It’s the eunuch who saved my life.

  16

  I duck back behind the girls in front of me. No, it can’t be him. He must look similar to the eunuch who saved my life. I peek around again to try and get a better look.

  It’s him!

  The same eyes, the same chin, the same dimple.

  But…how? How can the eunuch I met be the emperor’s brother? Unless… I must have been mistaken in assuming he was a eunuch. But I thought real men were not allowed in the Forbidden City after dark. Or maybe that is just the inner court. I have seen the emperor in the inner court with men who are not eunuchs, his advisors or important noblemen, many of the same men here tonight, but that was always during the day. Perhaps the rules are different for men who are related to the emperor.

  “What’s wrong?” Yanmei whispers to me. “You look pale. Are you ill?”

  I clear my throat, shake my head, and try to smile. “Not at all. It is just such a special night.”

  “Isn’t it?” she asks. She reaches into her sleeve and pulls out an embroidered pipe holder. “I was up all night making this. Do you think the emperor will love it?”

  I nod. At least it isn’t a handkerchief. “Of course he will.”

  “Please, sit,” the emperor says after he and his honored guests—including the prince—have taken their seats. I sit quickly and slouch a bit, trying to hide my face behind the girls in front of me. Thankfully, it is not difficult to hide, we are so crushed together. I notice that Yanmei to my right and Wangli to my left are sitting as straight as chopsticks, their chins high as they try to keep the emperor within their sights. I wish I could melt into a puddle on the floor and wash away.

  The prince. The prince! Of all the people in the Forbidden City who could have found me that night, why did it have to be the prince? What does this mean? Is that why he did not make any demands of me that night? What could I possibly have that a prince would want? Or is he simply biding his time? I stupidly gave him my name, so he can easily track me down. I have not met another Lihua among the concubines.

  “We are all here for a special occasion,” the emperor says. “My brother, Honghui, is twenty-four years old!” Everyone claps and cheers. “Still a very young man.” The emperor chuckles. “In fact, I had despaired of ever having a brother. I was twelve years old when the gods finally blessed my father with another son. I was lonely for a very long time before that, but I was also old enough to know what it means to be a brother. To feel the bond that we share with no other person.”

  My eyes water a bit at the emperor’s speech because it reminds me of my own dear sisters. My dear Junli. She must miss me so much.

  “I have protected him, taught him to ride and shoot, and watched with pride as he grew into the man he is today.”

  Everyone claps and cheers again.

  “Today, brother, I give you a mighty gift. Your own palace in Peking, the finest palace ever built outside the Forbidden City—Heshen Mansion. It is my greatest wish that you will soon fill it with wives and children of your very own.”

  I cannot see the prince’s face in response to this, but I think he must be delighted.

  “You have given me the greatest gift and honor, my brother. My emperor,” the prince says, and I am now in no doubt that he is the same man who saved my life. It is the same voice, the same accent. What have I done? He is the emperor’s brother! He will surely expose me. Why he hasn’t already, I could not venture to guess.

  Another man stands up and presents the prince with a tapestry sewn by his wife that depicts the emperor and prince as young boys together riding horses across the plains. Then another man give the prince a beautiful new bow and quiver of arrows.

  I start to feel nauseous. I pray the emperor does not ask for gifts from among his ladies. I cannot expose myself. I look around for Suyin to tell her the plan is canceled. I will tell her that my simple, handmade present is not grand enough compared to all those being given by the great lords.

  I look around and see her standing silently near the wall. I give her a small wave to get her attention and then beckon her toward me. She nods as if in understanding, but then she walks away!

  “No!” I whisper, but she cannot hear me and I quickly lose sight of her.

  “What’s wrong?” Wangli asks.

  “Nothing,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead, but she doesn’t look convinced. She reaches out and pats my leg.

  “I’m sure we will all have our chance to present our gifts to the emperor soon enough.”

  “You brought something too?” I ask, and she nods, her smile tight. She must have been pressured by her servants to bring a gift too.

  “Wangli…” I start to say, and she waits for my next words expectantly. I want to tell her not to present her gift to the emperor. That it might not have the intended effect. That she might even offend the emperor. But then I fear that she might take my words the wrong way. That I am trying to undermine her chance at being noticed.

  I shake my head. “Nothing.”

  When I look back toward the emperor, I spy Suyin emerging from the crowd of servants and kneeling by the empress, who is seated at the emperor’s right while the prince is seated at his left. The empress nods, and Suyin stands and whispers in her ear. I see the empress scan the crowd. I assume she is looking for me and duck out of sight. I stay hidden, but a few moments later, I see Suyin once again standing in her designated place nearby. She gives me a small smile and little nod. I try to smile back, but I feel like crying a
nd quickly look away.

  This can’t happen. I have to get out of here. I can’t let the prince see me. I look around, but I am in the middle of a middle row, I can’t simply slip away unnoticed. I suppose I could slide out of my chair and crawl across the floor. The other ladies would see me, but I could feign illness perhaps.

  “Ula Nara Lihua has a gift for the prince,” I hear the empress say, and if I’d had a knife at that moment, I might have killed myself. I hear a murmur ripple through the crowd of ladies as all heads turn toward me. I can do nothing but stand. I keep my head downcast, hoping the prince will not realize who I am if he cannot see my face clearly.

  “Does she?” the emperor says. “Then, please, Lihua, come forward.”

  Whispers break out among the concubines, and I see more than a few angry faces as I walk down the row of chairs to the end where Suyin is waiting to take my hand and escort me to the head table.

  I can feel every single eye in the room on me, but one gaze feels stronger than all the others, and I know it is the prince. He does not need to see my face to know it is me, he knows my name. It cannot be every day—or even every lifetime—that a prince saves the life of a reckless concubine who dared to sneak out of the Forbidden City. I know that he recognizes me without even looking up.

  When I am standing in front of the table, Suyin releases my hand and steps back, lowering to my knees. “Your majesty,” I say, my voice trembling, “if it is permissible, I wish to present his highness with a crude and simple gift made by my own hand.”

  “Proceed. I am quite curious to see what it is myself,” the emperor says with a chuckle. I hear a chair scrape the floor as the prince stands. He then walks around the table to stand in front of me. I am frozen, unable to move, unable to look up. Oh, why can’t I simply die!

  “Well, what have you made for me?” the prince asks after an indeterminable amount of time.

  I reach into my sleeve and pull out the silk pouch I embroidered with a scorpion, a snake, a centipede, a gecko, and a toad. It is believed that by wearing the pouch with the five most venomous animals, the wearer will be protected from evil. The pouch is filled with fragrant herbs that are supposed to bring the wearer good luck. When I hold the pouch up, I have no need to explain what it is.

  “A xiangnang,” the prince says. “What a unique and thoughtful gift.”

  “Certainly better than another handkerchief,” the emperor says with a laugh. I hear a few of the girls let out little moans or groans and shift in their chairs.

  The prince then holds his hand down for me. I hesitate, but I have no choice but to place my hand in his as he then gently pulls me to my feet. My fingers are freezing, but his hands are warm and soft. When I reach my full height, I come up to his chin. I’m much taller now in my pot-bottom shoes than I had been the night we first met. I can feel his gaze burning hotly upon my face, willing me to look up. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t resist.

  When I raise my eyes, I can see that he is smiling in a playful, mischievous way, and I realize that he has no plan to expose me right now. He lifts the xiangnang to his nose and breathes in deeply.

  “Jasmine flowers,” he says. “My favorite. The blooms are only at their most full, their most beautiful, under the light of the moon.”

  I am taken aback at his forward comment. I know that no one else in the room understands his reference, but if I had any doubts about whether he knew who I was, they are certainly gone now.

  “I am glad his highness is pleased,” I say, lowering my chin again.

  The emperor chuckles and claps, and everyone joins him, though from the areas where the other concubines are seated, the clapping is not very enthusiastic.

  “Lihua,” the emperor says. “From the Ula Nara clan, did you say?” he asks the empress, who nods. “I remember you. You were the last one chosen during the most recent consort selection, were you not?”

  “Yes, your majesty,” I say.

  “It seems the gods knew you would be one of the most shining pearls in my harem,” the emperor goes on. While I know he means to be kind to me, I am dreading the response from the other concubines at being singled out. I am grateful that I have my own palace. I will have to instruct Jinhai to lock the doors, or else I fear one of the other girls might smother me in my sleep.

  “What is her rank?” the emperor asks the empress. One of her eunuchs steps forward and whispers in her ear.

  “Sixth rank, your majesty,” she says. “She is new and young and has not had a chance to prove herself yet.”

  “I think she has proven herself to be a thoughtful and industrious girl,” the emperor says quickly. “Lihua, you are promoted to rank-four concubine.”

  I drop back to my knees, not out of respect, but because they cannot hold me. The other concubines do not even try to hide their displeasure as they gasp and mutter. I am not exactly well-versed in the ways of the court, but Jinhai has told me a few things. To be promoted is a great honor. To be promoted by skipping a rank is a rare honor, one the rest of the court is not likely to forget.

  But what can I do but appear grateful? “Thank you, your majesty. I did not seek such praise. It only seemed proper that I should present a gift to the guest of honor at such an event.”

  “A practical girl as well,” the emperor says. “You are a credit to your parents.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You may return to your seat, my dear,” the emperor says, but I cannot stand under my own power. Suyin rushes to my side and pulls me to my feet. We back away from the emperor, bowing the entire time. She releases my hand when we reach the row where I am seated, and I walk very slowly and deliberately toward my chair lest my legs give way again.

  I do not see who it is, but someone places their foot under one of my shoes, knocking me off my balance and I tumble forward, banging my chin on the floor. Everyone gasps, but more than a few people laugh as well.

  “My lady!” Suyin pushes her way down the aisle to be at my side. “Are you all right?”

  I nod, but my resolve is broken and I cannot help but cry. I feel a stronger hand, that of a man, pulling me to my feet, and I expect to see Jinhai when I stand. But it is the prince.

  “Are you injured?” he asks, and there is real concern on his face.

  “No,” I say, shaking my head, but I honestly don’t know. One of my ankles is throbbing and my jaw aches terribly. The prince and Suyin lead me back down the aisle and outside where I see a sedan chair and two chair bearers waiting. Jinhai is there as well. He must have fetched it while the prince and Suyin were helping me. Jinhai holds the flap open as Suyin helps me inside.

  “Are you sure you are all right?” the prince asks. “Shall I come with you? Or fetch a doctor?”

  “Please, just go away,” I whisper. I can’t face him anymore tonight. He looks hurt at first, but then he nods in understanding. We certainly cannot speak freely in front of the servants.

  “Send for me if she needs anything at all,” he tells Suyin.

  “Of course, your highness,” she says. Jinhai closes the flap, finally blocking the prince from my view. The chair bearers pick the sedan chair up, jostling me side to side in the process, but I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

  That went as badly as it could have possibly gone. I knew the other concubines would be angry, jealous, but I never expected them to lash out at me in front of the emperor. And what of the prince? He seemed desperate to speak to me, but we cannot! The emperor would never allow it as it would call my virtue into question.

  And what of the emperor? He promoted me by two ranks tonight! He will surely remember that. Will he summon me to his bed?

  How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly? And what will happen to me now?

  17

  That evening, a large trunk full of new clothes, hair jewels, pots of makeup, and embroidery and painting supplies arrives. I am also given a generous bag of cash.

  “These are gifts from the emperor as befitting your new stat
ion,” Fiyanggu explains. “You will also be given a new palace of your own when we return to the Forbidden City.”

  “The emperor is far too kind,” I say, my voice tremulous. The more the emperor flatters me, the more frightened I become.

  “He would also like your company tonight,” Fiyanggu says, looking at me suggestively, and my face flushes hot. I look to Suyin for help.

  “The mistress is not feeling well,” Suyin says. “Her ankle is sorely damaged and she must rest.”

  “Of course,” Fiyanggu says with a bow. “I will inform his majesty.” He then takes his leave.

  I put my hand to my mouth and let out a shuddering sigh. This is bad. This is so bad! What am I going to do? How could I be so stupid? I never should have let Suyin and Jinhai talk me into giving the prince a gift. I can’t blame them, though. They don’t know the truth. Who I really am. Why I want to hide among the dozens of concubines. They want me to rise, want me to succeed. And I never thought a single small gift would have such results. I had hoped that it would be enough to show Suyin and Jinhai that I am trying but would not actually do anything to increase my reputation with the emperor.

  Suyin is pulling the new clothes—qipaos, undergarments, fur wraps, pot-bottom shoes—out of the trunk one by one and examining them before putting them away.

  “You are truly blessed, my lady,” she says. “I knew the emperor would smile on you, but I never imagined he would increase your rank.”

  “Neither did I,” I say. “The other ladies must be fuming with jealousy.”

  Suyin chuckles. “Of course they are. But don’t worry about them. With the emperor’s approval, they cannot touch you.”