The twenty-fifth day of the second month, the eighteenth year of Hongzhi.
The sky wasn't even light yet when Liu Jin came banging on the door.
"Jiang Li! Jiang Li! His Majesty wants you to get ready, you're going to see the Empress Dowager in a bit!"
I scrambled out of bed, changing clothes in a flurry. The female official's dress had been delivered just a few days ago, a blue-green color, made of "Palace Silk" unique to the inner palace. It felt softer than ordinary silk to the touch, yet it didn't wrinkle easily. A small plum blossom was embroidered on the collar—the mark of a female physician in the Imperial Pharmacy. I looked in the bronze mirror; the glass was blurry, I couldn't see myself clearly, but the dress fit perfectly. He had someone measure me.
Liu Jin was waiting at the door, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "His Majesty said, don't be nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"Your hands are shaking."
I looked down at my hands—they were indeed shaking. I tucked my hands into my sleeves, feeling those three dried lychees. They were still there.
"Let's go," I said.
The Cining Palace was to the west of the Qianqing Palace, slightly smaller, but more exquisite. The lanterns under the corridor hadn't gone out yet, their orange light spreading on the ground like a river. Sandalwood incense burned in the hall, mixed with a faint scent of medicine seeping out from the door cracks. The candle flames danced, lengthening and shortening the Empress Dowager's shadow.
Zhu Houzhao was already waiting at the door. He was wearing daily clothes, no crown, his hair simply tied up. Seeing me, he walked over.
"Nervous?"
"A little."
"I am too."
I was stunned. He gets nervous too? He looked at me, the corner of his mouth twitching up.
"Let's go."
The Empress Dowager was waiting in the main hall. She was wearing plain daily clothes, no crown, her hair simply pinned up. Same as the night I saw her in the courtyard, but different. Today her eyes weren't red, her spine was still as straight, sitting in the chair like a tree that had been planted for a long time. A cup of tea lay by her hand, the cup body painted with the four characters "Fortune, Longevity, Health, and Peace," a blue and white porcelain piece from the Xuande era. She rubbed the rim of the cup, as if thinking about something.
Zhu Houzhao walked in, I followed behind. He stopped, I stopped too.
"Mother."
The Empress Dowager looked at him, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, then shifting to me. That gaze was neither heavy nor light, like a scale weighing how much I amounted to. Same as the first time I saw her in the Qianqing Palace. But different. Back then, her eyes held scrutiny, today they didn't. Today it was something I couldn't describe—like a person who has walked in the dark for a long time, finally seeing a bit of light.
"Sit," she said.
Zhu Houzhao didn't sit. He pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it over.
"Mother, take a look at this."
The Empress Dowager took it, unfolding it. It was that decree. The decree for establishing the Empress. She read it very slowly, character by character. The hall was so quiet one could hear the sound of the candle wick popping, could hear the light footsteps of the palace maids outside, like a cat stepping on fallen leaves. Zhu Houzhao stood beside me, not speaking. His hand hung by his side, fingers slightly curled—same as that day at the Qianqing Palace door.
The Empress Dowager finished reading. She placed the decree on the table, didn't speak.
"Mother," Zhu Houzhao said.
"You've decided?" the Empress Dowager asked. Her voice very even.
"Decided."
The Empress Dowager looked at him, for a long time. Then she turned her head to look at me.
"You, come here."
I took a step forward. She looked at me, her gaze slowly moving across my face, as if memorizing something.
"What is your name?"
"Jiang Li."
"Jiang Li." She repeated it. "Where are you from?"
"Changzhou."
"Who is left in your family?"
"No one."
She was silent for a moment. "You saved the Crown Prince's arm."
"I did."
"You found out about the fake medicine."
"I did."
"You watched over him."
I was stunned. The "watching over" she spoke of, was that night on the roof. She saw.
"I did," I said.
The Empress Dowager nodded. She lifted her tea cup and took a sip, the tea leaves floating and sinking in the cup. She suddenly smiled, very light, like wind blowing across a lake.
"Houzhao, do you remember, when you were little, you stole osmanthus cakes from the Imperial Kitchen, ate until you were so stuffed you couldn't walk, and still blamed Eunuch Song for snitching?"
Zhu Houzhao was stunned. "Mother—"
"Back then you were only six, lying on the ground refusing to get up, demanding Eunuch Song carry you back." The Empress Dowager's gaze softened. "Now that you've grown up, you actually know how to care for people."
She looked at me, the corner of her mouth twitching—exactly like when Zhu Houzhao smiled.
"He has a bad temper."
"I know."
"He is willful."
"I know."
"He is stubborn."
"I know."
She smiled. "Then you still want to marry him?"
I thought about it. "I do."
She nodded, turned her head to look at Zhu Houzhao.
"Issue the decree."
Zhu Houzhao was stunned. "Mother—"
"But there is one thing." The Empress Dowager looked at him. "The Ministry of Rites, you go explain it yourself. The Grand Secretariat, you go explain it yourself. The court officials, you go explain it yourself. I won't interfere."
She lifted her tea cup, took another sip.
"I am tired. You may leave."
Zhu Houzhao stood there, looking at her. For a long time.
"Mother."
"Mm."
"Thank you."
The Empress Dowager didn't look up. She looked at the tea leaves floating and sinking in the cup.
"Thank me for what. As long as you are happy."
Zhu Houzhao turned around, walking out. I followed behind. When we reached the door, the Empress Dowager called me.
"Jiang Li."
I stopped.
"Do you know, the position of Empress, is it a blessing or a curse?"
She looked at me, there was scrutiny in her gaze, and also something I couldn't describe—like a person asking you a question, but she already knows the answer.
I lowered my head. "This servant knows. But His Majesty needs someone by his side, this servant is willing to do her humble best."
The Empress Dowager sighed lightly. "You are indeed an honest one."
She waved her hand. "Go."
I walked out of the Cining Palace. Sunlight warmed my face. The red plums under the corridor were in full bloom, each one like a burning flame. Zhu Houzhao stood on the steps, seeing me come out, he walked over.
"What did the Empress Dowager say to you?"
"Said I was honest."
"And?"
"Said the position of Empress is a blessing or a curse."
He frowned. "What did you say?"
"Said you need someone by your side."
He looked at me, eyes very bright.
"And?"
"Nothing else."
He pulled a jade pendant from his sleeve, stuffing it into my hand. The jade was warm, carved with the two characters "Changle" (Everlasting Joy), glowing faintly in the sunlight.
"This was left to me by my father," he said. "Now I bestow it upon you."
I was stunned. "This—"
"When the gossip dies down, I will formally enthrone you. This jade pendant, consider it a betrothal gift."
He looked at me, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"Better than dried lychees, right?"
I looked down at the jade pendant in my hand. The two characters "Changle" were carved very deep, the strokes powerful, as if a lot of strength was used. Same as the handwriting on that decree—they were both written by him.
"You wrote it?" I asked.
He turned his head away. "Mm. Carved for a long time."
The tips of his ears turned red.
I clenched the jade pendant in my palm. The jade was warm, same as his palm.
"Thank you," I said.
He turned back to look at me, smiled.
"Let's go. Go back and prepare the betrothal gifts."
He turned and walked away. The hem of his dragon robe swept over the thin snow on the ground, leaving a shallow trace. He looked back at me, smiling: "When the gossip dies down, I will formally enthrone you."
I stood in place, watching his back disappear at the end of the plum forest. A ground of fallen red petals, like a spread-out red carpet.
I looked down at the jade pendant in my hand. "Changle". Everlasting Joy. He carved it for a long time.
I put the jade pendant into my sleeve, my fingertips touching that "Kill" character. It was still there, like an unsolved mystery. But those three dried lychees were also there. This jade pendant was also there.
I clenched them all in my palm, slowly walking back.
The red plums under the corridor swayed in the wind, petals falling all over the ground.
(End of Chapter 33)