chapter 7
Back at Yaohua Palace, I asked Wanqiu, “Did you see clearly?”
She nodded, ground ink, and painted Consort Liu’s portrait from memory.
I joined Noble Lady Liang and the maids threading seven-holed needles beneath the silver moon. Noble Lady Liang tried to pull me in, but I fled. My hands might stir the winds of court; asking them to thread a needle was cruelty.
Laughing, she pressed a multicolored knot into my hand. “It is called Love’s Token. Keep it.”
Near midnight Liu Rongyu arrived. Weariness shadowed his brow. Glancing at the knot, he called, “Little Liuer.”
“A prophecy now says a woman ruler will rise in Great Liang. I have suppressed it for the moment, but the emperor will hear. Registrar Lu appears harmless toward you. I will arrange for him to visit tomorrow. Sound him out.”
I shook my head. “I released the prophecy.”
Fire flared in his cool eyes. “Have you gone mad? We only just cleared the emperor’s suspicions.”
I watched him closely. “May I not contend for that throne?”
The fire died, leaving a dark lake. “You are a girl. Why choose so perilous a road? One wrong step will kill you.”
At last I understood why I had never told him my greatest secret.
“But this is my fate.” I looked up at Venus. “It is there. I cannot hide forever.”
“You could leave Great Liang.”
“Is that why you also want me sent to Northern Yan?”
He softened his voice. “Little Liuer, I investigated carefully. Their crown prince is worthy.”
I remained silent.
“Your mother wanted you alive. If you take this path, I may not be able to protect you.”
“Can you protect me in Northern Yan?”
“You are a princess blessed with fortune. Their royal house would respect you.”
“Fortune?” I laughed. “Have you confirmed Lu Daowei’s origins? Why treat the nonsense of some unknown country diviner as sacred truth?”
“While I live, Great Liang will stand behind you. Northern Yan will not dare mistreat you.”
I gave him the smile I had practiced a thousand times in Mother’s mirror. “Mother was once favored above the Six Palaces. How did that end?”
The words struck like thunder. His dark lake broke into a storm, one lonely boat fighting on.
I drove the wave higher. “Or does the Liu clan simply need Northern Yan as an ally?”
The boat shattered. Liu Rongyu stood alone, bloodless. “I have struggled half my life at court, but never for the Liu clan…”
He did not finish. He looked instead at the stars, at Cowherd and Weaver Girl separated across the river of Heaven.
At last he said hoarsely, “As you wish, Third Princess.”
After he left, Wanqiu showed me the finished portrait. Beside it she had painted two lively green birds. Wangchun had once cared for the pair; after Wangchun died with Mother, the last bird became Wanqiu’s only remembrance.
I squeezed her hand. “One day every debt will be paid.”
Wanqiu transformed me with makeup until I looked almost exactly like Mother five years ago. I removed my palace dress, wore only the white underrobe, let my black hair fall, and slipped toward the Moon-Viewing Pavilion.
Every Qixi since Mother’s death, Father had drunk there alone until dawn.
That night he saw a white-clad ghost approach along the lake, black hair covering her face.
“Ah Zhu—is that you?” His voice trembled.
The ghost moaned without words, as though something filled her mouth.
Father began to sob. “You finally came to see me. Ah Zhu, I did not want to kill you, but I could not sacrifice my ancestors’ realm!”
He staggered toward her. She turned, her hair lifting to reveal half of Mother’s face. Then white smoke burst around her.
“Ah Zhu!”
He rushed forward, too late. When the smoke cleared, only a sheet of yellow ritual paper remained. Seven crimson characters were written upon it:
The one who ruins Great Liang shall be Empress Liu.