“The One Above All! It’s Prince Yo’s army! We’re under attack!”
A sea of gasps rose around me, drowning me, and I shuddered with fear. Impossible! Taizi was revolting inside the palace, and now Prince Yo was striking from outside.
“Take me to the watchtower!” The Emperor stood, his hand on the table for support.
“There are too many of them. It’s too dangerous,” the guard said.
“Wuji!” Calling the Duke, the Emperor shuffled to the entrance. “Come with me. Let’s squash them!”
The Duke hurried to join him. Behind them, the ministers jostled, looking frantic. Then they followed too. The Noble Lady’s son, Prince Ke, ran after them. Soon they all left, leaving the hall filled with frightened ladies and fidgeting servants. I went to the Noble Lady and stood next to her.
“Prince Yo attacked. When did the Pure Lady send the signal? How did she do that with me watching her?” The Noble Lady looked shocked, but she sat demurely, her hands folded in her lap, as though she were giving instruction to her servants.
I shook my head. We were late, too late.
“And Taizi?” She rubbed her chest nervously. “Why would he rebel against his father?”
“I was surprised too,” I said. Was it a coincidence that the two princes attacked on the same night? No, it could not be a coincidence. The princes must have conspired together. That was why the Pure Lady went to the Eastern Palace to watch the mare giving birth to a foal, and the plum blossoms. She must have passed her signal then.
But why would Taizi agree to conspire with Prince Yo? Taizi hated the prince. He must have been so grief stricken that he had lost his mind. Prince Yo, of course, would not have refused any help to break into the palace.
The Noble Lady gazed at the door. “I wish my son hadn’t left us.”
“If you wish, I will go after him.” It was my excuse. I did not want to wait there. I wanted to follow the Emperor and search for Pheasant.
“It’s better if we wait. I hope they will be back soon.”
“But—”
“We wait.”
“All right.” I began to pace between the tables, slowly at first, then faster and faster. Around me, the women looked anxious. Some sobbed; some huddled together, shivering. It seemed as if they were breathing fear rather than air.
“Could you stop pacing? You’re making me dizzy,” the Noble Lady said.
I rubbed my hot face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
She picked up a cup and sipped. “Would you like some wine?”
I shook my head. I did not have the stomach for anything.
“Fine wine—”
A clash of metal exploded outside. I froze.
Her cup crashed to the ground, and then, the hall turned silent like death.
“What is that? What is that?” someone asked frantically.
As though to answer her, heavy footsteps thundered outside and men cried out. I could not tell who those men were, but I could hear they were close to us.
“They are coming here! The rebels are coming!” someone else shouted near me.
Panic raced through the hall faster than a pack of hungry rats. The women screamed, jostling one another, knocking over the candles. The hall went dark.
Fear gripped my throat. “Are you all right, my Noble Lady?”
She did not answer. I stretched out my arms, searching for her. Something crashed onto my head. I fell to the ground.
I blinked rapidly, but it was too dark and I could not see anything. My knees grew weak, and I groped in the dark. Everywhere I touched were people: their shoulders, their hair, and even their eyes. I murmured apologies, and desperate, I turned around like a blind man. My head knocked against a pillar. I slid to its bottom and leaned against it. It was comforting to know that something supported me.
Thunderous hooves drummed the ground outside. Metal clanged against metal. Heartrending cries rose, fell, and then were abruptly cut short.
The hall trembled. Dirt and dust showered from the ceiling. Something rolled against my hip. An apple, still in its silk wrappings.
Silence descended. Just when I thought the battle was over, another wave of shrieks ripped the ceiling, and more frantic rumblings and chaotic noises resonated.
“Mei?” The Noble Lady’s voice came from somewhere. “Where are you, Mei?”
“Near the pillar, my Noble Lady.”
The people around me shuffled, and the Noble Lady’s fleshy hand touched my cheek. “Oh, you’re here. I’m so glad I found you.”
I held her hand and made room for her to sit. “Are you all right, my Noble Lady?”
“I am.” She took a deep breath, but her hand was shaking. “This is ironic. I have gone through this before.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Emperor invaded this place, the same palace, when it was still my home. I was ten years old then. I hid under a table in a dining hall, and when I came out”—her voice was faint and sad—“all my family members were dead.”
Goose bumps prickled my arms. “I am sorry. I didn’t know that.”