“Me neither.” I sighed. “I just hope this will be over soon.”
Or was that only the beginning? I thought of the reports of violence that had broken out on the street lately. In one particular case, a group of rebels had stolen two transportation boats that carried grains from the Grand Canal. The Emperor’s uncle went to arrest the rebels, but when the Gold Bird Guards arrived, the rebels had all fled. The Duke, who took advantage of the Uncle’s failure, accused him of letting the rebels escape deliberately. The Uncle was furious and claimed the Duke had planted a spy among his men and sabotaged his mission.
In any case, the damage was done, and the outlaws from nearby towns, even those in the south, were encouraged by the rebels’ success and attacked the imperial delegations that transferred horses, grain, silk, and gold.
Plum popped three sunflower seeds in her mouth. Her mouth wiggled for a while, and then she spat out all the shells and swallowed the kernels. I watched her, fascinated by her skill.
“How long have you been in the court now, Plum?” I put a seed between my teeth and cracked it open.
“Almost five years.”
So Jewel had arrived in the palace before Plum. There was no way she would know Jewel’s true identity.
“Why did you ask, Mei?”
“Perhaps it’s time to prepare for your five-year anniversary,” I said, carefully picking out the small, cream-colored kernel with two fingers.
“What are you not telling me?” She stood nose to nose with me. “I heard the Secretary’s proposal in the Audience Hall. It doesn’t look good for the Noble Lady, does it?”
“I don’t wish to drag you into this.”
“What do you need to know?”
I did not speak.
She nudged me with her shoulder. “Out with it.”
I chewed the kernel. “Do you know that Most Adored’s name, Jewel, is not her real name?”
Her eyes widened. “Then what is her real name?”
“Snow Blossom.”
“Why did she change her name? I thought she was a lady from the Yeting Court, an old Select.”
“No. She is not a Select either. She was exiled to the court years ago.”
Plum raised her pained eyebrows. “Are you certain? Why was she exiled?”
“You tell me.”
“Well, well, well.” She smiled, showing her bucktooth. “It’s my skill to unearth the hidden secrets. I’ll let you know as soon as possible.”
27
The next day, when the Emperor came to the Audience Hall, I waited in the antechamber. Secretary Fang championed Jewel again. Just as I feared, the Duke and Wei Zheng could not find another excuse to stop the discussion, and the Uncle remained quiet. The Emperor appeared to consider Jewel seriously. The following day, she appeared in front of the advisers during a meeting and gave them bolts of silk and lavish gifts. When they took a break between meetings, she brought out trays of delicacies for them: roasted quail, poached pig ears, and stewed bear paws as their snacks. The ministers looked pleased. They devoured the food and soon sang a song of praise to Jewel.
“Indeed, Most Adored is the most virtuous woman I have ever seen,” they said.
The Emperor laughed. He walked together with Jewel and the ministers while I trailed behind. None of the men noticed me.
Despair grew inside me like a spring seed. I needed to work harder and quicker.
But Plum found nothing, and I still did not know the reason why Jewel had been exiled.
? ? ?
The Noble Lady raised her head as I entered her bedchamber. “Sit, sit,” she said, fingering her necklace as she went to a painted stool near the window.
“You wished to see me, my Noble Lady?”
“I don’t know how to begin, Mei. But I believe you must know this.” Her hand left the necklace, and she faced me. “There is a rumor that you sold the Emperor’s night robe for money.”
“What? I did not.” I clenched my fist. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
“Of course I don’t. You would never do such a thing. I talked to some eunuchs and paid them to quiet the rumor. I assure you this won’t get to the Emperor’s ears.”
“It’s Jewel’s trick again,” I said. “She should have played something new.”
“You’re wrong about this, Mei.” She shook her head. “The sources said it was not from her, but she definitely heard it and fanned the rumor.”
“Who started it then?”
“They said it was a female minister.”
I inhaled deeply. Rain. I had almost forgotten about her.
“Do you know who she is?”
I nodded.
“Is there anything I should know, Mei?”
I could not lie to her. “Teacher Rain had an affair with Prince Zhi. She thinks the prince is interested in me.”
“Prince Zhi.”
I glanced at her, uncertain if she was angry with me.
“The Emperor adores him, I told you before, and when Wende lived, Zhi stayed in her bedchamber, and she raised him like a pearl. People still treat him differently. The girls lose their heads when they see him. I don’t understand why the Emperor keeps him in the Eastern Palace. Perhaps he doesn’t know about Zhi’s dalliances. But Prince Zhi is trouble. You’ll stay away from him, won’t you?”