chapter 6
The next day Father granted me the title Princess Protector of the Realm and an estate of three thousand households.
The Eldest Prince finally understood. At Hongwen Academy he smiled thinly. “What a fine protector you are. The Liu clan pays to suppress the rebellion, yet your fortune receives credit for saving the realm.”
I opened The Art of War. “I can bless Great Liang. Does that not please Eldest Brother? You bear the surname Xiao as well.”
He snatched the book and tore it in half. “I wonder when Third Sister gained enough power to reach into the Astronomical Bureau. My short-lived second brother never managed it. If your fortune is not real, you had better study the Admonitions for Women instead.”
He flung the book through the window and left. A eunuch then informed me that the Grand Tutor was occupied with Hexi and would not teach for several days.
Rainwater lay beneath the gallery. My book had landed in the mud, soaked and filthy. Only one line of my notes remained legible: Borrow a corpse to return the soul; in war, the heart is the highest ground.
I stared, then smiled soundlessly.
At Yaohua Palace, Noble Lady Liang and the maids were making Qixi pastries. She greeted me warmly. “Why so early today? I finished your new Qixi clothes. Will you try them?”
The Imperial Wardrobe provided every formal dress, but like an ordinary mother she insisted on sewing a plain white underrobe for me herself.
“Of course. No one in the palace can match your skill.”
As Wanqiu dressed my hair, she began to cry into the mirror. Noble Lady Liang also drifted into memory. “Your Highness resembles Her Ladyship more every day.”
I closed my eyes against the sting, then smiled. “Yes. I will soon be grown.”
“Next year our Third Princess comes of age. On the Maidens’ Festival we must pray that you marry a good man.”
I said nothing, looking instead at the red spider lily by the window, scarlet as blood and beautiful in its sorrow.
That night I sent Liu Rongyu a letter asking him to investigate Lu Daowei. The bird flew into darkness—and did not return by morning.
Wanqiu kept searching. At last she crouched beside the empty cage, anxious and despairing, painfully like Wangchun five years ago.
Venus still burned visibly after sunrise. I made my decision.
Claiming I wished to pray for Father and Great Liang, I obtained leave to fast and worship at Yuhua Temple for three days. Soon a prophecy spread through the capital:
When Venus is often seen by day, a woman ruler shall prosper.
Three days after my return, Consort Liu’s senior maid brought a Qixi gift from the Eldest Prince and invited me to dinner at Minghua Palace. Inside the box lay three tail feathers from a green bird.
Minghua Palace glittered with phoenix lanterns. The Liu clan had contributed greatly in Hexi, and ministers were already petitioning to make Consort Liu the new empress.
She took my hand. “Anping has grown into a beauty. I wonder which young lord will be fortunate enough to marry you.”
“Everything rests with Father.”
When the moon rose above the wall, she praised Northern Yan’s crown prince and produced his portrait. I lowered my gaze. “I am still young.”
“Not so young. You come of age next year. Settle the match now, complete the rites slowly, and marry then.”
“That differs from what Father said.”
Before she could answer, the Eldest Prince entered. “Third Sister need not worry. The Grand Tutor will persuade Father.”
“I do not wish to marry him, so I have nothing to worry about.”
His face stiffened. “Third Sister refuses a toast, so I must add another dish.”
A eunuch entered carrying the green bird with its neck twisted.
I looked away. “Heaven cherishes life. Killing earns no merit.”
He laughed. “Without this beast, you might have fooled me. Yet a man like Registrar Lu would never serve a woman. Northern Yan wants your fortunate name. Obey, and all of us prosper. Refuse, and I will show Father this bird and let him see how far his protector princess’s hand extends.”
I forced stiffness into my voice. “I submit to Eldest Brother’s decision.”