Jade Fire Gold(31)

“As you wish,” he says at last. “I must repay my debt of gratitude to her for raising you all these years.”

I’m so relieved by his answer that I almost start crying again. My father shifts to look at something behind me. An attendant is approaching cautiously. My father nods, giving permission for him to come nearer. The man whispers in my father’s ear and takes his leave.

My father stands. “I’m afraid something has come up and I am needed in the Inner Court. You must be tired. You should rest.”

He offers me his arm and I take it. We go back to the parlor where we first met and an attendant ushers me back to my room.

Once I’m alone, I sprawl onto the canopy bed, and roll around, half giggling at how decadent the room is. Who would have thought I was the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the Shi Empire?

Gold follows you.

I thought the face reader was a con artist, but here I am in the Imperial Palace. What if there were some strange truth to her words? But that would mean whatever she said about my name might be true, too.

Depending on how it is written, it can mean either peace . . . or darkness.

I give myself a shake. It’s utter rubbish. A mere coincidence.

A gentle knock on the door interrupts my train of thought.

I sit up. “Come in.”

Linxi enters with a lacquered tray in her hands. She places it on the table and inclines her head stiffly. Her friendly manner from before is absent.

“Lady Zhao, I’ve brought some sweet cakes and tea. Please enjoy and let me know if you need anything else.”

She turns to go but I jump up and hold her back.

“Stay with me.”

She looks down at the ground. I frown. She called me Lady Zhao; she must know who I really am now. She must think I’m commanding her and that she has no choice.

I grab her hands in mine, half pleading. “I just met my father for the first time in many years. I thought I was brought to the capital to be executed. I’m all alone here. If it’s all right with you, I’d like some company right now—you don’t have to say anything or entertain me. You can sit and do nothing. But if you want to leave, I understand.”

She stares at me, stunned. I try for a smile. She stares a little longer, trying to figure me out. Finally, she sighs.

“I thought I told you to be careful of who you trust in the palace. You shouldn’t have told me all of that.”

“I feel like I can trust you.” I’m not sure why, but something about Linxi makes me feel at ease. I can only hope my instincts are not wrong.

Her mouth twists before breaking into a smile. “I can stay. The empress knows I’m here, so she won’t be asking for me. Have some tea and cake. Maybe it’ll help you feel better.”

I grin and pick up the cup. There are tiny golden flowers and strange red things floating in the tea.

“Chilled osmanthus tea with goji berries. I thought you might like something refreshing,” Linxi says.

I take a tentative sip before gulping everything down in one shot. Then I take a large bite of the cake, ignoring the crumbs that fall onto my blouse.

“Delicious,” I mumble with a mouth full of food. I haven’t eaten the whole day. I look up to see Linxi looking at me oddly. “Is something wrong?”

“It is better for a lady of the court to take her time when drinking and eating,” she says delicately.

I stop in the middle of wiping my mouth with my sleeve.

“Oh,” I say, flushing. “I’ll try to remember that.”

She must think I’m an uneducated peasant with terrible manners, which isn’t far from the truth. The weight of my newfound identity rests heavy on my shoulders. I’m beginning to realize that my father’s status—my status—means everything is going to change.

That I have to change.

“I need your help.”

“I will do my best,” Linxi replies right away.

“I want you to tell me everything I need to know about life in the palace,” I command. “I want you to teach me how to be a lady of the court.”

Her mouth opens slightly in surprise. Then she gathers herself and bows.

“Yes, Lady Zhao.”





12


Ahn


I didn’t think life in the Imperial Palace would be this daunting. There are so many rules to learn, both the ones laid down by Imperial law and the unspoken ones Linxi shares with me. And this is only for the Inner Court where I reside.

My father has requested that I stay in the palace until his residence in the capital is properly prepared. I’m to have my own set of rooms there, and Ama will live with me. Excitedly, I pen a letter and ask Linxi to send it to Li Guo.

Days in the palace begin early. I rise at dawn from the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in to spend a tedious hour in front of the mirror waiting for Linxi to paint my face and coil my hair in some complicated manner. Then I dress in pristine white silks so expensive they could feed my entire village for a month.

With Linxi’s help, I try to change my manner of speech to sound more high-born. When walking, I take smaller steps, hands poised primly in front of me instead of striding with my arms swinging loose from side to side. At mealtimes, I make sure I hold my chopsticks the genteel way even though I want to shove food in my mouth. My bites are minuscule and dainty, and my bowl is never empty at the end.