Plum licked her lips. “Because the full moon nights are considered most favorable to conceive a child. So the high-ranking ladies have this privilege. After the sixteenth night of the moon, the cycle completes, and we do it in the reverse order.”
So the Emperor would have women serving him every night. “But there are nine Talents.” I still did not understand. “Who among us gets to go on those designated days?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you.” She made a face. “We will all go together.”
I would need to lie with the Emperor together with eight other Talents? “Really? No one told me that.”
“It’s true.” She made a face again. “Each time when we go to see the Emperor, we go in a group of nine. There are twenty-seven seventh-degree ladies, so they are divided into three groups, the same with the eighth-degree ladies and the ninth-degree ladies. So they have nine nights total. We have nine Talents, and we have one night with the Emperor. So do the Beauties and Graces. The Emperor spends the night alone only with the Empress, who used to see him on the full moon nights. But since our Empress has died, the Emperor summons whomever he pleases on those nights.”
I swallowed hard. “So the Emperor always follows the schedule?”
She shrugged. “He does as he pleases. Do you know Jewel, our new Most Adored? He’s been calling her every cycle, ignoring the bedding schedule. Twice around the full moon! Even the Ladies lost their nights. They say he has grown rather attached to her.”
That was bad news. “But he’s wounded. Shouldn’t he get some rest?”
“You are right about that.” Plum stuck out her tongue. “It looks like we all need to wait until he recovers.”
“Ah.” I played with the eating sticks. Should I ask her? “Do you see anyone other than the female ministers here? I mean—” A eunuch holding a tray walked by me. I paused. When he passed, I continued, carefully. “Did you ever see the Emperor, Taizi, or his horses?”
I regretted asking. Of course, neither the Emperor nor Taizi would come visit the etiquette school.
“I saw them once.”
“You did? How?”
“On the polo field. It’s down the hill, not far from here.”
“Did you see Taizi and his groom?”
“Groom? The heir has a dozen of them. Which one?”
“Never mind.” I smiled. “We should go back to the classroom.”
? ? ?
Later that month when I had free time, I wandered to the polo field behind the school. It was a vast area near a hill surrounded by groves of mulberry trees. The silkworm farming season had already ended, and no one was picking leaves, but the ladders were still scattered around. I passed the ladders and hid behind the tree branches.
In the field, a dozen riders pranced, holding mallets with curved ends. Taizi was there, his chest bare. Looking like a mountain on his ride, he pursued a scarlet ball near the net at the end of the field.
I studied the grooms around the field. Some ran back and forth with buckets of water; some groomed the horses with brushes. I did not see Pheasant. Disappointed, I turned away.
A whistle came from behind me.
I jumped, and there he was, standing beside me. The sunlight sifted through the thick mulberry leaves and lit up his chiseled face.
“Sorry.” He smiled brilliantly. “I saw you coming, so I thought to give you a surprise.”
He remembered me. “I was just passing by.”
He grinned, and I could not tell if he knew I was lying. “And good timing too. I happen to be free.”
“Well, I hope the Captain did not thrash you the other day,” I said. “I also would like to tell you how grateful I am for your help.”
“Don’t mention it. I know many hideouts in the palace. If you wish to know, I will show you.”
“Perhaps some other day,” I said. “What are you doing here? Were you playing polo?” Would Taizi allow his groom to play a nobleman’s game?
He shook his head. “Not today. The Emperor forbids it. He’ll spank me if he catches me with a mallet. He worries about accidents. Taizi was knocked off his horse and nearly killed a month ago. Do you like polo?”
“Never played it before.” He should know that it would be impossible for me to ever play polo. “It’s not for a girl.”
He shrugged. “Who makes rules like that? I shall teach you next time, if you like. But you need to be careful so the mallet doesn’t smack your face.”
I felt as if I had found a conspirator who agreed to steal a jug of honey and share it with me. I stared at him, unable to hold back my smile. “Smack my face? Sounds dangerous.”
“Do you still want to try?”
“More than ever.”
He grinned. “You are different,” he said.
“Different? Is this your phrase for all the girls?” I was never happier, however.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you no, would you?” He thrust his head to one side. “Come with me. I have a surprise for you.”
“What surprise?”
“You’ll see.”