The Empress’s Messenger
Little Min~
Imperial doctor Cai carefully examines the empress’s slender wrist. His deep-set eyes, like pools of obsidian, narrow in concentration as he delicately feels her pulse with a pale gold handkerchief that lies between their skin. With a steady hand, he retrieves a gleaming silver acupuncture needle from between her brows, its metallic sheen catching the dim light. His expert gaze inspects it meticulously, relieved to find it untainted, as darkness would signify a treacherous poison coursing through the empress’s veins.
From his lips, a long, deep sigh of relief escapes, its resonance in the chamber like a silken curtain stirred by a soft breeze. He carefully returns the needle to its place amongst the others in his well-worn leather case. As he rises to kneel before the emperor, the black tassel hanging from his black imperial doctor’s hat, perched just above his wild, kinky, bushy, grey eyebrows, sways.
“The empress and imperial fetuses are fine,” the doctor reports, causing the emperor to exhale in relief.
Profoundly, he reveals the cause of the empress’s recent complications: “The bird’s nest soup… it has been tampered with,” he explains. “Emperor, there’s lilac daphne flower bud and YuanHua extract in the soup.”
The emperor’s eyes, now sunken and shadowed, resemble deep, dark caves within his face, reflecting his anger. His face, usually serene and expressionless, has hardened into a stern mask, distorting his features. When the emperor clenches his jaw and grinds his teeth, the sound reverberates through the quiet room, producing harsh, crunching, and grating noises that pierce the air.
Doctor Cai explains that this is the same element that caused her to miscarry second prince Haomu. The bleeding happened sooner this time because she ingested the ingredient directly into her bloodstream instead of breathing it in over time, like during her first pregnancy. Although the dose of Yuanhua was more potent, she was luckier this time because the empress had been strong and in good health, despite her recent fever and loss of sight.
The grand princess has been diligently sending the empress a nutrient-rich diet of medicinal foods and prenatal tonics, including those with dodder seed, taxillus twig, and donkey hide glue treatments, which have improved the empress’s Qi, blood circulation, and protected the fetuses. The doctor states that these medications are what stopped her bleeding.
I position myself slightly away from the bed, making room for the servants who are hastily changing the empress’s bedding. As they rush out of the chamber carrying the bloodied sheets past me, I deliberately trip one of them, causing her to stumble and lose the bundle in her arms. The dirty sheets, soaked in crimson, soar through the room, unfurling in the air before landing at the emperor’s feet soundlessly.
“Aya! You clumsy thing!” Eunuch Bo barks frantically, “Clear that unsightly mess from the emperor’s eyes immediately! Hurry! Hurry!” He scurries around, his hunched body serving as a shield, desperately trying to hide the bloodied bedding from the emperor’s gaze.
The metallic smell of blood in the air is quickly followed by the emperor’s deafening roar, breaking the silence. He raises his voice. “I was clear on my orders! Nothing from the other palaces was to be served to the empress!” The emperor’s imposing character has everyone in the palace shaking, and now he demands of me, “Little Min, where were you when your mistress was suffering? You exist purely to fulfill your only role in this life, which is serving your empress, and you have failed!”
As he rises from the chair, he glares down at us, conveying his profound displeasure, which darkens his stormy face further, deepening the creases on his forehead. Every word he utters resonates with anger and frustration, sending shivers down the spines of those present, including me. “Everyone here has failed to protect and serve your empress! I should have you all killed for your failure!”
I cry and kneel by the empress’s bed, joining others in the palace. I don’t ask for forgiveness. Instead, I admit that I deserve death for failing the empress. I express my devastation at the evil act against her and the attempt to harm the imperial fetuses. We all chant, “We deserve death. Please kill us, emperor!” But we beg of him, “Emperor, please investigate! Investigate!”
The empress lets out a weary sigh. She grunts and groans softly, the effort to sit up in her bed evident and real as of late. Wrapping her arms around her midsection, she holds her stomach protectively. “It’s my fault,” she whispers.
“I’ve been moody since I lost my sight, and I wanted to be alone. I ordered everyone to leave while Little Min was delivering lotus cakes to Crown Prince Haoyu. I have become muddleheaded. I didn’t bother to speak to the servant giving me the soup. Emperor, it was my mistake. I simply didn’t think. It’s I who deserves to die for putting the imperial fetuses in danger. I am useless and I don’t deserve to carry the fruits of the emperor’s grace.”
He rushes to her. The emperor runs to her side, crossing the distance with hurried steps and closing the space between them. When the empress drops her face into her hands, her tears dampening her skin, the emperor tenderly wraps his arms around her. His touch was light, and his fingers rubbed her back soothingly. He leans close, his voice a gentle coo in her ear.
“It’s not your fault, Yueli,” he murmurs. “You have a pure and virtuous heart and mind. You shouldn’t be blamed for not considering unspeakable acts that others might resort to. Nor should you fault yourself for not being able to think with evil intent.”
“I was careless. I just didn’t think this could happen again.” She clings to him with her tear-streaked face pressed against his shoulder. “I’m sorry, emperor.” She weeps and sniffs her nose. A white cloth blindfold covered her eyes. When wet, the previously opaque material weakens, becoming a transparent veil that shows her long, dark lashes underneath. “Please, emperor, if anyone deserves to get punished, it must be me and not anyone else.”
He gently caresses her head while resting the lower part of his face against the top of her head. “Yueli, I know your household is loyal and capable, but we must find who is responsible and punish them accordingly. Do you remember anything? Do you have any details about who delivered the soup? A sound or smell that was distinct?”
The empress softly murmurs “No,” as her head remains on the emperor’s shoulder. Her voice is barely audible. “I don’t know. I feel disoriented since losing my sight. Nothing seemed strange. I remember nothing… except for one minor thing that caught my attention briefly.” She hesitates, then adds, “It might be my imagination, but their way of walking was slightly unusual. Their footsteps sounded uneven.”
While keeping his head lowered, junior eunuch Wei reports to the emperor that Noble Consort Shao’s senior servant, Gugu Ping’er, has suffered an injury recently and is now limping.
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Eunuch Bo~
I always knew her vanity might be her downfall. Noble consort Shao is even bolder and more stupid than I thought, making the emperor wait. The emperor doesn’t summon women suddenly in the middle of the day, and since the empress’s palace has been restricted, one would think she would jump up from whatever she was doing, even if she was on the plum pot and ran all the way here, sensing something was wrong, but she hasn’t.
He summoned her earlier, an hour ago, expecting her right away. But she hasn’t appeared, and it makes the emperor more and more agitated. I’m surprised his prayer beads haven’t turned into powdery dust from the pressure of his grasp. He has been tensely rolling his prayer coral beads as if to keep himself calm, becoming angrier by the minute.
Finally, the prayer beads in the emperor’s hand pause as the sound of footsteps breaks the silence. And I know it is her approaching. Click clack, click clack against the ground. I recognize the distinct clacking noise of her gaudy jade flowerpot shoes, with rubies and emeralds, anywhere. I heard she loves to show them off and takes great pride in telling everyone the value of her shoes is equivalent to three dozen servants’ contracts.
I smell her before I see her. The room is engulfed with the heavy scent of her pungent perfume. She saunters in, causing the walls to come alive, suddenly decorated with a mesmerizing display of fluttering dots of reflective lights in all sizes. The reflections ricocheting off her golden nail guards, jeweled hairpins, combs, and dangling earrings create a dazzling spectacle of dancing flickering lights everywhere.
With graceful poise, Noble Consort Shao confidently steps up and curtsies before the emperor. She is dignified. Her movements exude grandeur, which is fitting since she has spent her entire life practicing to become the empress and sit on the phoenix throne, which she believes is rightfully hers.
“Noble Consort Shao greets the emperor and empress.” Her almond-shaped eyes sparkle, and she chirps brightly, completely oblivious to her somber surroundings. Unfazed, she begins to speak, her feminine voice carrying the usual playful, teasing tone that always has a touch of conceit. There was a time the emperor found her mannerisms and the way she spoke cute, but that was in the past.
“Aya,” She exclaims, waving her handkerchief. “The empress is believed to be highly infectious. However, the emperor has summoned me. Is the emperor suggesting that Shao Wan is too healthy? Or am I supposed to assist Consort Chun with harem matters until the empress gives birth, since I’m past my postpartum period?” Noble Consort Shao asks this without looking at the empress’s bed because the only person who truly matters in the room is the emperor.
The emperor doesn’t respond. However, he looks at her sternly, his brows furrowed, and gives her a disapproving look. Noble Consort Shao is wearing a red silk brocade with golden flowers, which is inappropriate because it resembles the empress’s flower, the forbidden peony.
She doesn’t seem to notice the tension in the room. Confidently, she stands with a dainty handkerchief in the air, painted with a red phoenix Hudian on her forehead. She smiles sweetly at the emperor, trying to appear demure and enticing. This audacious behavior is not new for Noble Consort Shao Wan. She always pushes boundaries by wearing the empress’s flower and painting a phoenix Hudian on her face. Many perceive this as a subtle insult to the empress, implying that she considers herself the true empress. The empress, ever compassionate, overlooked this matter. She considers disputes over clothing rankings trivial and a waste of time and energy. However, the emperor doesn’t seem to share the same opinion as his legitimate wife.
“Are you throwing a banquet?” he asks. “Is there something to celebrate?”
The emperor’s tone is bitter and has a shocking effect on her. She realizes that this summoning is not ordinary. He questions if she is the emperor instead of him, since she is standing taller than him in the room. She looks ghostly as the blood drains from her face. Her confidence vanishes, leaving her visibly shaken. She drops to her knees and stutters, “I wasn’t celebrating anything. I changed into this outfit because my other clothes are wet. I’ve been dirtying my clothes more lately because I’m still lactating.”
The Emperor angrily confronts Noble Consort Shao, questioning her worthiness as a mother. He leans towards her, towering over her, demanding an answer. She trembles in response. He asks if her maid brought bird nest soup to the empress today, and she hesitantly confirms. Suddenly, he slaps her, causing her to fall to the ground in shock. This is the first time the Emperor has resorted to violence against someone, especially a woman.
Tears stream down her face as she clutches her reddened cheek and exclaims, “Emperor, what have I done?” Her makeup is ruined by the tears streaming down her face as she looks up at the emperor with a pleading expression. “In what way have I provoked this cruel treatment from you?!”
“You despicable woman! Did you really think I would let you get away with causing the empress to miscarry again, using Yuanhua extract? The same method as five years ago?!” He grumbles at her in a low, intimidating tone, even more unsettling than his shouting. “Don’t think for a moment that I overlooked your sinful actions out of some great love for you. I protected you from disgrace for the sake of our daughter, first princess, so she wouldn’t be known as the daughter of a child murderer! And yet, here you are, celebrating another attempt to cause the empress to miscarry, whooping and laughing like a hyena reveling in stealing and killing innocent children from their mothers’ wombs.”
She trembles at his accusations, denying them with shouts of protest. “Emperor, please reconsider! I did nothing wrong!”
“It wasn’t me. How could you think I would do something as vile as trying to kill the empress’s babies? Emperor, you must believe me. It wasn’t me. I have done nothing wrong. I wouldn’t hurt the imperial fetuses. Never! I consider the Empress’s legitimate children as my own, just as I consider my own first and seventh princesses. How can you think that I, a mother, would or could harm an imperial offspring?! I wouldn’t dare. I swear I wouldn’t dare…”
The emperor challenges her, “You wouldn’t dare!? Is that so? Do you truly consider the legitimate children as your own? Is that why you covet the phoenix throne? Is that why you dare to wear dresses with the empress’s flower, luminous pearl hairpins, and combs resembling the empress from her coronation? Do you think you’re a phoenix?”
She recoils, defensively holding her trembling hand in front of her as he edges closer, snarling, “Do you think you are a phoenix!? Do you think you’re the empress!?” Noble Consort Shao cries out, shaking her head. “No! No, Emperor, Shao Wan wouldn’t do that. It’s just a coincidence. I didn’t mean it.”
“In case you had any delusions, let me make myself clear. No matter what, Shao Wan, you will never be my empress. There will never be a Shao on either the dragon or phoenix thrones because you are the last member of your clan that will ever enter the imperial harem.” He snorts and shakes his head, disgusted with her. “You sicken me.”
He stands up and turns away from her, holding his hands behind his back. He ignores Noble Consort Shao’s vehement protests and wailing. He looks at the empress with a worried expression and orders, “Bring in the midwife.”
I quickly bow and dash out the door. After a moment, I brought the scared midwife before the emperor. She kneels before him and whispers in a trembling voice, “Ten thousand years. Long live the emperor and empress.” The emperor questions her, “You attended the delivery of the seventh princess. Tell me what noble consort Shao suggested and offered you. If I think you’re lying, I’ll have your tongue removed.”
The midwife is on the ground, shaking. She doesn’t look at Noble Consort Shao. She breathes out and admits, “After delivering the seventh princess, Noble Consort Shao asked me to give the empress prenatal massages every day. She wanted to make the babies move more, and hope they would get tangled in their umbilical cords. She promised to help my sick son and buy us a new house if I helped her get rid of the empress’s twins.”
“Liar! How dare you frame me!” Noble consort Shao cries in rage, her jeweled finger jabbing at the midwife. “I never said that! I’m being framed! This midwife is a liar, practices witchcraft, and is in debt from gambling. That’s why she can’t help cure her son’s asthma.”
The emperor scoffs. “How do you know about her son’s asthma? The emperor sneers and orders, “Take the midwife to the hall of punishment. She should’ve reported Noble Consort Shao’s offer sooner.”
Her wail echoes in the room. “Please don’t kill me, I did nothing!” the midwife cries. “I was afraid of Noble Consort Shao and Left Prime Minister Shao. Please reconsider…”
The guards forcefully remove the midwife, leaving Shao Wan sobbing on the ground hysterically.
The empress has barely spoken, but now she asks from her bedchamber, “Shao Wan, what have I done to you? I have been fair and cherish your children. Why do you want to kill mine? Why do you feel the need to harm my children?”
Shao Wan screams uncontrollably, saying, “I don’t despise the empress. I don’t harbor any bad will toward you or your babies! I’m innocent. I’m being framed. I wouldn’t dare! Please, emperor, investigate!”
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Yueli~
Noble Consort Shao is reaping what she has sown.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sound of her screeching when they dragged her away, because I didn’t hear remorse or repentance. I heard rage and bitter resentment. I think she’s more furious about getting caught in a trap she has yet to figure out, but I can’t forget about the midwife and what she could have done as the image of the babies’ tangled umbilical cords now lingers hauntingly in my thoughts.
“Yueli, get some rest.” The emperor says, urging me to lie down. His reassuring strokes along the side of my stiff neck.
Despite my reservations, I let him arrange my blankets and pillows. I listened to his breathing even out as he calmed down after they took Noble Consort Shao away. I empathize with him. She’s selfish and terrible, but she’s still his second wife and the mother of two of his daughters. He’s known her since she was young. She was the first to enter his harem when he was crown prince, and they’ve been married for almost ten years. Whatever decision he makes won’t be easy for him. I don’t envy him.
“Are you alright, emperor? I’m sorry,” I ask, genuinely distressed for him. In the past, I would have shared his burden and helped ease his loneliness, but the knot between us has changed everything.
I can imagine his vulnerability when his face touches my pregnant belly, seeking comfort. He must be feeling tired and hopeless. I want to stroke his head to console him, but I hesitate. I haven’t forgiven him, but I’m thinking about letting him stay the night with me. It’s not because I still have romantic feelings or anything like that. It’s just support from one scared parent to another.
Today has been tough for everyone.
“If the emperor would like to rest tonight…” but before I can finish speaking, I hear someone sobbing outside the entryway of my palace, and then I overhear Eunuch Bo. He apologizes to the emperor and me, sounding uncomfortable as he delivers an unwanted message. Reluctantly, he states, “Concubine Wan has an urgent matter to discuss with you.”
The emperor grumbles, asking if she hasn’t been grounded by the empress dowager. However, I can hear clothing rustling as she enters the mansion without his approval. I know the emperor well enough to know he won’t be kind to her. I plead with him not to get upset, explaining that she’s young and naive. “If she says it’s urgent, then it must be true. I’ve raised her for five years, and she doesn’t lie or create drama for attention. I request that the emperor listen to concubine Wan.”
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Little Min~
Concubine Wan enters and kneels before the emperor, wearing a modest purple silk gown. Her hair is pulled back into a bun, adorned with matching jade combs and hairpins, likely gifts from the empress. With a nervous gesture, she wrings her hands and focuses intently on the emperor. Her flushed cheeks and tear-stained face reveal her emotional turmoil, and her swollen eyes betray her distress.
As she speaks, her small voice quivers. She struggles to find stability, and her breathing is heavy. “Forgive me, emperor.” She apologizes for disobeying the empress dowager’s command. She confesses she broke the rules because she longed to see the emperor. She hasn’t seen him since the night she served him. Then she announces, “Noble Consort Shao came to me the other day.”
She pauses, tears welling up in her eyes. Her wide eyes show fear and pain. “Noble Consort Shao sent her eunuch to hang me out of jealousy. She was angry because the emperor favored me,” she whispers. “I didn’t mean to boast. I was grateful to be your favorite. But she accused me of lying when I shared the things you told me that night, how you loved me the most, and had been waiting for me. Noble Consort Shao insisted that you didn’t mean it. She claimed you sent me an abortifacient to kill our baby just to please the empress?”
Outrageous. How can anyone be so senseless? I despise this girl.
Not only did she betray the empress. But she is also partly responsible for the current tension between the empress and emperor, and now she is aggravating the situation by adding insult to injury, further upsetting the empress, as no wife wants to hear her husband’s intimate conversations with someone else. Eunuch Bo rolls his eyes from across the room, but when he sees my expression sour, he motions for me to calm down, knowing my temper is rising. But it’s too late for that. I can’t stay silent. I shout at her, “Does Concubine Wan not see the empress is present because she has yet to greet the empress properly?”
I round my arms towards the emperor and demand, “How can concubine Wan be allowed to say those things in front of the empress, the emperor’s first and legal wife? Everyone knows the empress is the most important person to the emperor in the entire Huaxia dynasty. How can she be allowed to accuse the mother of the nation of wanting her child dead?”
Concubine Wan’s jaw drops and her mouth hangs open as she glances at me and then at the emperor, resembling a frightened deer with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean..” She says, and my blood boils when I see the empress shift her body into the far corner of the bed to get away from her husband.
“Little Min,” Empress calls to her and whispers in my ear. I listen carefully before kneeling before the emperor. I explain that the empress is too drained, but wants me to pass on her thoughts to Concubine Wan. I ask for permission to deliver my mistress’s words. The emperor, wearied and confronted, nods and lets me proceed.
I, the empress’s messenger, relay my mistress’s advice to Concubine Wan.
First, I hand her a jar of soothing balm used to relieve swelling and bruising. I remove my jade ring and bangle Lunar New Year’s gifts from the empress, and slap her right cheek hard. She cries out in pain and confusion before complaining to the emperor, but he can’t intervene because this is the empress’s command and punishment.
“Bite down and please sit still, Concubine Wan. The empress is compassionate and kind. I was ordered to make this quick.” I tell her and continue slapping her nine more times, in total ten times, leaving her face red, but I didn’t make her bleed since that was the empress’s order.
Then I deliver the rest of the empress’s message, repeating it exactly as it was word for word.
“Concubine Wan has been slapped ten times for ignoring the emperor’s wish to be left alone and leaving her quarters after the empress dowager grounded her. For slandering the emperor chosen by the heavens and thinking him capable of killing his heir; She must write 200 copies of the heart sutra and spend the rest of the month in the heavenly temple praying for her dead child and the other imperial children in heaven.”
“To penalize Concubine Wan for questioning the emperor’s personal thoughts and doubting his affections confided in her during her service, she is required to transcribe 100 copies of four books: Lessons For Women, Women’s Analects, Domestic Lessons, and Sketch for a Model for Woman.
“Concubine Wan’s discipline is to remind her of her position and duties in the imperial harem. It emphasizes the importance of reverent submission to her husband, the emperor, and adherence to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. She can only resume serving the emperor again after completing these tasks. You may now thank the empress for her grace and teachings.” I informed her.
I turn to the emperor, rounding my arms. I curtsey and say, barely able to control my smirk, “Thank you, emperor. I have delivered the empress’s message. Now she requests everyone to leave so she and the imperial fetuses can rest.”