The Emperor was seated at the feasting table at the end of the hall. He looked well enough, but he had never quite recovered completely from the spell that had weakened him. He was slouching, his right cheek hanging low, like a piece of wrinkled calligraphy paper glued to his face.
I had to tell him about Taizi’s plot. Then he would take his men and break into the Eastern Palace and save Pheasant. I went behind the pillars, stepped away from the servants holding trays, passed the musicians playing lutes and zithers, and approached the center table.
I slowed.
Would he believe me? What should I say when he asked me about the source? I would confess it was from Pheasant. But then he would understand Pheasant and I had met behind his back.
I hid behind a pillar and steadied myself. From behind a framed lantern, I peered at the tables where the ladies sat. The Noble Lady leaned over her son, Prince Ke, and said something to him.
Perhaps I should talk to her, so she could tell the Emperor about Taizi’s plan. But then the Emperor would investigate further, and then it would come back to me and Pheasant.
I could not think of a way to save Pheasant without risking myself.
Catching sight of me, the Noble Lady raised her hand and waved, her golden necklace sparkling in the candlelight. I could not move. What would she tell me if she knew what I was going to do next? “Don’t be foolish, Mei,” she would probably say. “Are you asking for Jewel’s fate?”
But I had to do it, or Pheasant would die. I took a deep breath and walked to the feast table. Near me, Lady Obedience twirled, her long, green sleeves encircling her like an emerald ring. Noises, heavy and thick, drummed in my ears.
I reached the feast table and knelt. “The One Above All,” I said. “Forgive me that I must interrupt this halcyon moment. A terrible plot is unfolding in Taizi’s residence. Pheasant is trying to persuade the heir to abandon his foolish idea. I fear he will not be successful.”
The voices around me ceased, and Lady Obedience’s feet scuttled away from me.
“What plot?” the Emperor asked.
His voice, more slurred than ever, clamped around my head like an iron ring. I did not flinch. “It involves weapons. It is said Taizi bought many of them and hid them in a stable. He is contemplating arming his men and revolting.”
Gasps rose up behind me. I remained still.
“Revolting?”
I lowered my head.
“Who told you?”
I put my hands on the ground to support myself. “Your son, Pheasant.”
Silence.
“Pheasant? Where is he?”
“He’s in grave danger. He said he needed to stop the heir. He went to the Eastern Palace several moments ago.”
The Emperor’s feet appeared before me. Fear and dread crept up my spine, yet I could not stop. Pheasant’s life, and my own life, depended on that moment. “You must believe me, the One Above All. I speak the truth. I went to the Eastern Palace and knocked on the door. No one answered me. Please do something. Pheasant… You must save him.”
A hand pushed up my chin. “Look at me.”
No one was supposed to hold the Emperor’s gaze, but I knew why he was ordering me to look at him. He wanted to peer into my soul and excavate the secrets of my heart. Yet for the first time since I entered the hall, I had no fear. I did not care if he would punish me. I did not care if I could win his affection. It was not important to me anymore. For now, I chose the wish of my own heart, and I had no regrets. I looked up.
Dark blots spread across his face like ominous shadows, and his eyes, now hooded, were sunk deep in the sockets, and his right eye especially, dragged down by the loose skin, was small and pitiful, like a burned hemp thread lying in a pool of melted candle wax.
But they were both flickering. Still bright, still frightening.
My hands jerked, but I did not look away.
“I shall deal with you later.” He dropped his hand and shuffled to his feasting table. “Captain! Bring your men to the Eastern Palace. Break down the gates, check the stable, and bring me Taizi and Pheasant.”
The Captain answered and left. In silence, we waited. I still knelt, my back bent and my hands on the ground. But I felt relieved. Pheasant would be safe. They would find him and rescue him.
It seemed I had been kneeling for ages when footfalls echoed outside the feasting hall. They had arrived! I turned around. But there was no Pheasant, no Taizi, no Captain. Only another guard.
“The One Above All!” the man shouted.
My heart pounded. Something was wrong. He had spoken before he was given permission.
“Emergency!” he shouted.
“What is it?” the Emperor asked. “Where’s the Captain?”
“Taizi ambushed us with his men. We were surrounded.” The guard wiped his forehead. He was about to speak again when a bell tolled from outside. The strikes were loud and urgent, the warning for an approaching threat to the palace. The hall fell silent. All the ladies and ministers stood to listen, their faces ashen.
“What is it? Who is attacking the palace?” The Emperor was shaking.
Another guard raced into the hall and prostrated before him.