“Don’t believe it; it’s just gossip. If it had been true, Prince Yo would have lived.”
“You’re right. He was not the one.” I considered the clue again. The Wu Man, the Uncle had said. Could it be possible I was the person who would end the Emperor’s reign and rule the kingdom? Could it be possible that Tripitaka’s prediction about my fate, made so long ago, was correct after all? But then why had the prophecy mentioned a man? I did not understand it, but the thought of me being the one in the prophecy was frightening. I shivered.
“You look like you’re freezing. Come on, drink. You will warm up.” Pheasant handed me the flask. “What do you say we finish this?”
I decided to forget the prophecy. “Is that a challenge?”
He laughed. “Do you wish to have some food? I bet you are hungry. I did not see you touch anything.”
“I was too happy.” He was right. I was starving. I drank some wine and gave back the flask. “I want to ask you something, Pheasant. Will you tell me the truth?”
“What do you wish to know?”
“What will you do when you become the Emperor?” His father was stable, for now, but the rebellion and his ride to Koguryo had crippled him. It was possible he would never recover…or he could have another mysterious attack, and then he might never wake up. The forbidden thought leaped into my mind, and I hastened to smother it.
Pheasant gulped some wine and wiped his mouth. “I will make your wish come true. Any wish.” Then he put up one finger.
“Only one?” I laughed. The sensation of the alcohol, or perhaps the prospect of a beautiful future that I had never imagined before, brewed in my head.
“Yes, make it good.”
“I would like to have a copy of The Art of War.” I wanted to read the master’s words again and explore all those direct and indirect methods. Who knew? I might understand them better this time.
“Done. I shall steal it for you.”
“I’m counting on you,” I said. “But seriously, is this what you’re going to do when you’re the Emperor? Steal?”
“No, of course not. I will order you to drink the whole flask, get drunk, and lie down with me.”
I did not get a chance to speak before he pulled me into his arms. I gazed at him. A surge of euphoria filled me, and my head felt light with sweetness. I raised my head to kiss him. He tasted like wine, but he was stronger and more savory than any spirit.
After a while, we lay together, our arms behind our heads. It was so dark, and I could see only the two red lanterns near the feasting hall. Flute notes lingered and drifted toward us, growing faint, and finally it was lost in the wind.
“Look.” I pointed up. “There is the moon. So bright.”
In the sky, the stars blossomed like silver flowers floating in a black river, and the clouds flowed slowly, like spilled ink. The full moon, bright and serene, cast a luminous net around us. What a fine night it turned out to be.
“Remember once when we were in the garden?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I told you about the story of Chang E, who wanted immortality rather than her husband. You said she was foolish.”
“I said that?”
“You forgot?”
“Well, I still think she is. But never mind that now.” He stroked my shoulder. “When I become the emperor of the kingdom, you will be the empress. The empress of bright moon.”
I turned to him. What about his wife, Lady Wang? But I knew Pheasant did not care for her, and he looked so serious, and I knew I should trust him. “You mean it?”
He squeezed my hand and nodded.
I smiled. His voice wove around me like a spell of promise. The empress of bright moon. I liked the sound of that. Father would have liked it too. I was twenty-two years of age. It was not too old to be an empress, was it?
Above my head, the stars flickered like shiny seeds. Near them was the moon, inside which the fabled palace radiated. It did not look so lonely or distant; in fact, it looked closer, and it seemed to walk toward me, approaching me, beckoning to me. All I had to do was reach out and touch it.
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The Empress of Bright Moon
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Author’s Note
The story of Wu Mei is based on a historical figure, the one and only female ruler in China, Wu Zetian, also known as Empress Wu. All the male characters in the novel, except the eunuchs, are actual historical figures; some of the female characters, including the Noble Lady and Mei’s mother, are real women who lived and were recorded in history as well. Others, such as Jewel, Plum, Daisy, and the other Ladies, are fictional.
The birth date of Wu Mei was not recorded. It is likely that she was two years older than Pheasant, but in the novel, I chose to portray them as the same age. It is also unknown whether Mei had a romance with Pheasant while she was serving Emperor Taizong.