The word fifth was pronounced as “Wu.” I covered my mouth, nearly gasping. So the Wu Man in the prophecy meant the Fifth Man, and the Uncle believed Prince Yo, the exiled prince, was the real man in the prophecy.
“Do you understand what I’m talking about, my old friend?”
“That…that is…unexpected… But…but the Emperor told me he had eliminated the threat. He drowned two hundred men whose surname bore that sound of ‘Wu.’”
His words struck me. The trip to the Forbidden Park, the two dead guards, the Black Boy—black was also pronounced “Wu”—and Fifth Girl. The Emperor had killed them, believing they were his foes.
“He drowned the wrong ones! Now the augury says his rival is coming, upon three signs! If it’s not Prince Yo, who could it be?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Wei Zheng’s pendants jingled.
The Uncle stepped closer to him. “This is Heaven’s design. He exiled him, and now he can’t touch him. He’s protected. All we need is a signal from the lady. A signal! Then everything will change. What are you waiting for, my old friend?”
“Let me think it over. Let me, my friend.”
Wei Zheng reached for the lion’s head on the railing and shuffled to the stairs. Together, they descended.
I pressed against the door, my heart pounding. The belt was wrinkled in my grip, and my underrobe was soaked with perspiration. If they knew I had been eavesdropping, the Uncle and the Chancellor would not let me walk out alive. But planning a revolt! The Uncle and the Pure Lady must have been insane. But perhaps I was wrong. They had chosen a good time after all, now that the Emperor was unconscious…
I had to tell the Noble Lady as soon as possible. It seemed the Uncle would put everything in motion soon…
Taking a deep breath, I stepped from the antechamber.
“What are you doing here?”
Startled, I twirled around. The Captain stood behind me, frowning.
My heart pounding, I scurried down the stairs.
“Come here!” he shouted. “I need to talk to you.”
I ran as fast as I could. When he was out of sight, I slowed down, in case other people grew suspicious of me. It was not until I arrived at the Inner Court that I began to worry he would report my eavesdropping to the ministers.
35
“The Uncle?” the Noble Lady asked after I told her what I had heard.
I nodded. “With the Chancellor.” We were in a dire situation indeed. The physician Sun Simiao could not tell us when the Emperor would awake, or if he would awake at all. If Prince Yo attacked the palace, no one would be able to lead the Gold Bird Guards and defend us…
“I never would have imagined this. I thought the old man would have accepted his fall from favor by now. How could he plot such an abominable crime? With the Pure Lady?” She stroked her neck. She was wearing another gold necklace, and I could see a scar had formed around her neck where the Pure Lady had yanked her necklace off.
“He must be desperate. Did the Emperor suspend his duty in the court again?”
The Noble Lady sighed. “Worse than that. He wanted him to retire.”
“Retire?” That was no different from exile.
“The Emperor had drafted the edict, but he fell sick, so he did not announce it. The Duke has decided to follow through with the Emperor’s decision. The Uncle’s retirement will be official next month. He must have sensed something, or perhaps a scribe told him.”
Since the Emperor’s sickness, the Duke had taken charge of collecting all petitions and state matters. When there were some urgent matters, he had made decisions on behalf of the Emperor.
“Of course, the Duke hates the Uncle.” And the Uncle would not be squeezed out easily; after all, he had made considerable contributions to founding the dynasty.
The Noble Lady nodded. “I didn’t tell you about this, Mei. A few weeks ago, I caught the Pure Lady conversing with the Emperor’s uncle during a gathering in the Outer Palace. She handed him a piece of paper. The old man read it rapidly and then spat on the paper and smeared the words with his forefinger. He nodded, agreeing with her about something.”
“Did you hear anything they said?” I asked.
“I did not. I didn’t give it much thought, but the way he smeared the words was peculiar, and I could not forget that afterward.” She paced in her room, looking thoughtful.
They must have been plotting then. “What should we do, my lady?”
“I know the Pure Lady never forgets a grudge. But planning a rebellion?” The Noble Lady seemed immersed in her own thoughts. “How clever she is to choose the Emperor’s uncle. The old man is bringing about his own doom because of his feud with the Duke. Now he hates the Emperor too.”
“He’s still powerful in the court.” Even the Chancellor seemed to side with him.
“That is why this is unthinkable.” Still in deep contemplation, she stroked the box that contained her spiders. It was not spring yet, and the weavers were not working for the season. “Did he say when they would revolt?”
I shook my head. “He said they’d send a signal.”
“What kind of signal?”
I shook my head again. Whatever the signal was, we had to find it before it was sent out.
“We need proof.”