chapter 1
Everyone wanted to be emperor, but becoming one did not guarantee happiness.
My father, for instance, had fought his way past countless rivals and survived more brushes with death than I could count before finally claiming the throne. Yet even as emperor, he found no peace.
For one thing, the question of who would become empress had dragged on for months.
Father had a true love. He had not seemed all that devoted to her before, but once the realm was secure, he suddenly loved her with a passion that could move heaven and earth. In the full bloom of his second youth, he kept Sanniang in his arms and Erlang by his side—Lin Sanniang was his beloved, and his second son was the fruit of their love.
Father wanted to make Lin Sanniang empress. Mother would not tolerate it, and neither would I.
Mother was his first wife. Both of my maternal uncles had died on campaign for Father’s cause. She had contributed both merit and sacrifice in abundance.
So the moment Father mentioned making Lin Sanniang empress, Mother moved directly into Zhongchen Palace, the empress’s residence.
“Ye Hong has been spoiled into bad habits,” Mother said.
Her temper had improved greatly over the years. When Father first married her, she used to beat him often. Even after this outrageous insult, she had yet to lay a hand on him.
Besides his troubles over the empress, Father had another cause for worry—one I had created.
After the war, he rewarded his meritorious followers. My younger brothers rose with his fortunes and became princes with fiefs of their own. But when it came to me, some madness seemed to possess him. He gave me neither taxable estates nor a fief, only a mansion in the capital and the title Princess Anning—Princess of Peace.
It seemed to me that he no longer wanted peace.
Even my useless fourth brother had been made Prince Yu. With all I had accomplished, did I not deserve a princely title even more?
Without me risking my neck as his commander, who knew who would be sitting on the throne now? My uncles had died early, leaving behind widows and young children, and their thirty-thousand-strong army had been left without a leader. I had taken my uncle’s place in battle.
This was no empty boast: when it came to war, I, Ye Xiguang, had never met my match.
When Father was conquering the realm, having an invincible daughter suited him perfectly. Now that it was time to distribute rewards, he expected me to step aside like a modest woman.
There was no such convenient bargain in this world.
Mother demanded the position of empress. I demanded a principality. Between court and harem, the disputes gave Father no rest.
Mother told me he had even tried to reason with her. The dynasty was new, he had said, and everything needed rebuilding. For the sake of the realm, they had to name a crown prince first. She had no son, while Sanniang had borne two princes for the Ye family, so surely Sanniang ought to be empress.
Mother answered with a single sentence, and Father flew into a humiliated rage.
When I asked what she had said, Mother smiled coldly. “I asked why he was in such a hurry to name a crown prince. Does he expect to die soon?”
I burst out laughing. After all these years, Father had never gained an advantage in an argument with her, yet he kept volunteering to be scolded.
Mother sipped her tea, then added casually, “Zhou Xing tells me you want to be made a prince.”
I nodded. “With my achievements, making me Crown Princess would hardly be excessive, would it?”
She straightened and studied me for a long moment. Then a slow smile appeared on her face. “No. It would not.”
We smiled at each other.
“You have always known your own mind, so I will not lecture you,” she said with a wave. “Whatever you want, pursue it without fear. Your mother still has enough savings to support one daughter.”
Then she dismissed me. “Go. Ye Hong wants to see you shortly, and I have no wish to look at his people. You can meet him first.”
I left with Ruyi. We had gone only a short way when we encountered Father’s eunuch, Wanbao, who approached on quick little steps with a broad smile and bowed.
Father’s accomplishments since assuming office had not been remarkable, but he had certainly made palace etiquette look convincing.
“Your Highness, His Majesty is waiting for you in the Hall of Nurtured Harmony.”
Wanbao led me there. Lush crabapple trees grew before the hall, and when the wind stirred them, their blossoms drifted like snow over a river.
Lin Sanniang, Father’s precious darling, had just come out. Her eyes were red. When she saw me, she snorted and glared.
I had no interest in her and walked toward the door, but she refused to let the matter drop.
“Princess Anning, where are your manners? Why have you not bowed to me?”
I did not even spare her a glance. “And what exactly are you?”
“You—”
“Xiguang, come inside!” Father called.
The rest of her words died in her throat. She glared at me again.
Sanniang was painfully naive. She did not understand Father’s kindness. If she dared spout any more nonsense at me, I would gladly teach her a lesson on the steps of his own audience hall. I had spent years campaigning and rarely saw her, so she clearly did not know me well.
Wanbao and Ruyi remained outside. Father stood in the center of the hall with his hands behind his back.
I had not yet been trained in palace etiquette, so I gave him a military salute out of courtesy. He was accustomed to it by now. He frowned but said nothing.
“I have wanted to summon you for some time. Neither you nor your mother attends the family banquets.”
“I am busy.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Doing what? You do not even attend court.”
“Choosing a prince consort.”
He started. “A prince consort? Whom have you chosen?”
He stared suspiciously, his brow wrinkling like orange peel.
I gave him a humorless smile. “I was joking. I have been watching Prince Zan’s movements in Shu. Shu remains unconquered, Northern Liao is watching like a hungry wolf, and Great Zhou has enemies before and behind. I worry so deeply that I cannot sleep.”
My meaning was simple: the security of his throne still depended on whether I fought for him, so he should think carefully before speaking.
He understood. With an angry sweep of his sleeve, he returned to his desk and sat. I was not going to remain standing while he sat, so I pulled over a chair and took the seat opposite him.
“Father, we are both busy,” I said kindly. “Let us skip the family pleasantries. Tell me what you want.”
He glared. “You cannot be made a prince. Since antiquity, no woman has ever been granted such a title. The realm is unsettled, and Great Zhou urgently needs talented men. If I make a woman a prince, the world will laugh at us. How will worthy men be persuaded to serve?”
Then he looked at me with heartfelt sincerity. “Xiguang, surely you understand my difficulties. I cannot reward you with a fief, but the people of Great Zhou will remember your achievements. I will make your mother empress, and you will be Great Zhou’s legitimate princess. Is that not enough?”
I almost laughed. Anyone capable of becoming emperor must possess some extraordinary trait, and Father’s shamelessness was truly beyond ordinary men.
“Mother is your first wife and should be empress by right. Both my uncles died at Pingdu Pass, Grandfather was your benefactor, and when you had nothing, he gave you his legitimate daughter in marriage. Have you forgotten all of that?”
I leaned forward and held his gaze. “If you truly thirst for worthy men, how can you mistreat the loyal wife who shared your hardships and to whom you owe so much? Would that not wound the hearts of every meritorious official even more?”
“Insolence!” Father erupted. “I am the Son of Heaven. How dare you speak this way before me?”
Unfortunately for him, the fury was hollow. He could do nothing to me.
The Guo clan’s forty thousand soldiers were under my command. Most useful generals at court had ties to me. Northern Liao and Shu were merely waiting for the right moment, and he still expected me to suppress both. He did not dare truly break with me.
“I never said you were not the Son of Heaven,” I replied.