Empress in Disguise, Book 1
Page 23
“You should go,” I finally say, pulling my forehead from him and looking into his eyes. “You can’t be caught here.”
He nods, but then he places his lips on mine…one last time. Tingles rush from my lips, down my spine, and into my stomach. It is a gentle kiss, one where our lips barely meet for fear of disturbing my face paint, but there is so much contained in that small touch. So much love and loss, joy and fear, passion and pain.
The prince finally pulls back, wiping his mouth of any paint, and he bows his way away from me—as befitting my new station as his empress. I turn away from him, for I cannot watch him leave me.
The doors in front of me open, and the light is blinding. I hold my arm up to my eyes as they adjust. Nuwa and Suyin enter the room, each taking one of my hands. They tug me forward, but my feet feel stuck to the floor.
“I cannot do this,” I tell Suyin.
Suyin moves to stand in front of me, taking both of my hands and looking deep into my eyes. “Do you remember what I told you when we first met?” I shake my head. That feels like a lifetime ago! “I said that you were sure to be chosen, and I was right. You were chosen for a purpose, my lady. Everything has led to this.”
Could there be some truth to what she says? Am I supposed to be here? Would Heaven allow a Chinese girl to sit on the throne if they did not will it?
Suyin squeezes my hands one last time and then stands beside me once again. This time, as she and Nuwa tug me forward, I place one foot in front of the other and enter the great audience hall.
The room is full of important men, even more than last time. When I enter, they all drop to their knees and then bend over, knocking their foreheads to the ground in honor of me. I gulp as I remind myself to put one foot in front of the other, and then to breathe. As I follow the red carpet, I see the emperor up ahead, at the top of the stairs of the raised dais, waiting for me.
When I reach the bottom of the stairs, my knees are shaking so badly, I cannot raise my foot. I dare to raise my eyes and look at the emperor. The last time I saw him, we cried together. But the last time we spoke, it was in anger and he sent me away. What if he is still angry with me? What if he is only doing this because he has to? Will he set me aside at the first opportunity?
But when I look up, the emperor meets my gaze. He is not smiling, but neither is he angry. The pain is still clearly etched on his face, as I’m sure it is on mine as well. He nods, and I know he means it as a comfort. The past is forgiven, perhaps even forgotten.
I lift my foot to the first step, and then the next, and the next, Suyin and Nuwa still by my side. As I reach the top of the dais, the emperor takes my hand in his, and my maids step away. The emperor leads me to a throne that has been brought forward and set next to his, a throne of gold carved with a phoenix. The emperor helps me turn around and face the gathered people, who are all still kneeling, but now they have sat up, a thousand eyes watching me. Somehow, out of the sea of people, there, to the left toward the very back of the room, I see Prince Honghui. He gives me a small smile and nod, and I give a smile back—only for a moment.
I sit down and perch on the edge of the throne, and the emperor takes his seat next to me, in the dragon throne, and takes my hand. My eyes lift to the massive golden dragon above him with the pearl in its mouth and for a moment, I think I see it quiver, as if the dragon can no longer hold the weight of the pearl and is about to drop it, crushing the emperor. I hold my breath, but nothing happens.
As I face forward once again, the empress dowager appears and places a gold phoenix crown on my head in front of my headdress. I had expected it to be heavy, but it is so light, I hardly notice it is there. She then bows as she backs away. Through all of this, I do not look at her face. I cannot bear her scrutiny right now. A eunuch steps forward and reads from a scroll.
“Presenting Her Imperial Majesty, Ula Nara Lihua, consort of His Great Imperial Majesty, Emperor Guozhi, Empress of the Great Qing Empire, Empress of the State of Manchuria, Khatun of Mongolia. May the empress live ten thousand years!”
Everyone in the room kowtows to me, repeating, “May the empress live ten thousand years!”
As I scan the crowd, a large smile crosses my face and a laugh chokes my throat. It is inappropriate, I know, but I cannot stop it. Every person of wealth and dignity in China is kneeling before me—me! The daughter of a laborer without even a pair of shoes is now the empress of China. I am the empress of China.
I only hope my parents hear of me, and that I make them proud.
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About Zoey Gong
ZOEY GONG was born and raised in rural Hunan Province, China. She has been studying English and working as a translator since she was sixteen years old. Now in her early twenties, Zoey loves traveling and eating noodles for every meal. She lives in Shenzhen with her cat, Jello, and dreams of one day disappointing her parents by being a Leftover Woman (剩女). Learn more at ZoeyGong.com.
About Amanda Roberts
Amanda Roberts is a USA Today bestselling author who has been living in China since 2010. She has an MA in English from the University of Central Missouri and has been published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies around the world. Amanda can be found all over the Internet, but her home is AmandaRobertsWrites.com.
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Empress in Hiding
Empress in Disguise Book 2
https://books2read.com/u/b5ZNKl
She thought that the favor of the emperor would keep her safe. She was wrong.
At the center of power and privilege, Daiyu is now in more danger than she ever imagined. No longer able to hide among the countless palace ladies, as empress, Daiyu cannot escape the jealousy and scheming of the other women who would do anything to take her place.
But that is not the only danger Daiyu faces.
Foreign enemies besiege Peking, sacking the city and forcing the imperial family to flee for their lives. War changes everything.
With enemies lurking in every corner, Daiyu, the girl from the streets, must step into a role she was never born to play.
All of China depends on it.