The Moon in the Palace (The Empress of Bright Moon Duology)(11)

“So what is the answer?”

I told her.

“My sweet friend,” she said. “I hope this will earn you a summons.”

If she was distressed by the possibility that I would be summoned instead of her, I did not see it on her face.

The Emperor’s birthday came, and the celebration started. There were musician troupes, parades of floats, and festivals on the dragon boats, but none of us in the Yeting Court had the honor of attending. The Emperor did not summon the Xu Girl, Jewel, or me. Jewel was disappointed. “I should have known,” she said. “The Emperor is surrounded by beauties. My picture will not attract him.”

I shared her distress. It seemed my efforts were no better than drawings in the water.

? ? ?

Weeks passed. One day, a eunuch led me to the entrance of the Yeting Court, where two ministers—one old, one young—wearing black hats stood. They verified I was the sender of the riddle and then explained the reason for the interview. When they recorded the gifts, they said, some of the court scribes were intrigued by my riddle. They looked through the classics and consulted many books and songs, but they were unable to decipher it. The ministers wanted to know the answer.

“It’s time. The answer is time,” I said. It was a good sign. The ministers had noticed me. Perhaps the Emperor would notice me too.

“So where did you find the riddle?” the old minister asked.

When I explained I wrote it, he looked shocked. “Where did you get the idea to compose a riddle like that?”

I had to be careful. Anything I said could be my undoing. I replied, “I have the immense honor of serving the Emperor in this palace. Every morning, I rise from bed, checking my appearance in the bronze mirror. I look different from how I was at home. I thought of how wondrous time was and its mighty power to transform what we are and what we see. That is where I got my inspiration.”

The two ministers exchanged looks. The old one frowned while the young one’s face remained as blank as a swept courtyard. Then they left.

I wrung my hands. Were they going to report me to the Emperor? Had I offended him?

? ? ?

That night, the Selects were chattering about the Emperor again.

“I certainly hope a summons will come to us very soon,” one of them said. “He’s bound to like our gifts, isn’t he? Those gifts are expensive and unique.”

The others agreed. Certainly the Emperor would love the vests with the satin stitches, one said. Or rhinoceros horns, another added. Then they leaned over to the Xu Girl and murmured something.

“Yes, what a shame,” the Xu Girl said. Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. “When you’re poor and inept, what else can you give as a gift other than a stupid riddle?”

She was mocking me. She must have heard me explaining the riddle. I let her be. Criticism would not hurt me.

“I have so many peasants at home who act just the same, and they cannot afford to wear a pair of decent shoes,” she continued. “Speaking of them, I don’t like peasants looking at my shoes. They always think about stealing them. But I daresay it’s her mother’s fault. She forgot to teach her. But perhaps she is ignorant as well. You know the saying goes, ‘Like mother, like daughter’?”

I rose from my pallet and walked to her so she had to look at my face. It was fine if she mocked me, but not my mother. “You may have a thousand pairs of shoes, but it does not make you a thousand times better than the others. If I were you, I would keep my eyes on my shoes and keep my mouth closed.”

She growled. “Who needs your advice? You’re no better than a peasant’s daughter.”

Peasants were the lowest social class, and it was the worst insult she could give me. “I would like to tell you my mother is a cousin of an empress and my father was a governor—”

“Peasant!” she spat at me.

I raised my hand to slap her. She had gone too far.

Something smacked my head. I staggered backward and stepped on something soft. A pillow? No. Someone’s leg. “I fell, and before I could get up, fists, spits, taunts, and scorn rained down on me. Someone yanked my hair, another girl pounded on my back, and yet another kicked my arms and legs.

“What’s going on there?” someone shouted from outside.

They stopped.

“Coward, that’s what you are,” the Xu Girl hissed.

I did not have strength to speak. My head was hurting. I lay down on my pallet and curled up. I was angry, yet there was nothing I could do. For the rest of the night, I stared at the swirling lattices of the window. They seemed to whirl and spin out of control.

? ? ?

The morning light shot into my eyes. I rose stiffly, my body sore. In front of me stood the head eunuch, the Xu Girl, and the other Selects. They were smirking.

My heart tightened. I ignored my headache and bowed. “Zao an.” Good morning.

The Xu Girl pointed at me. “Here she is. She slapped me!”

I straightened and turned to the eunuch. “You shouldn’t listen to her. She is lying.”

The eunuch scowled, waving his hand. “The guards heard your voice. The girls here confirmed what happened.”

“But they are all lying.”

“There’s no point in denying it. You, the daughter of the Wu family, attacked your fellow Select and disturbed the court peace. You must be punished. Guards, take her to the Ice Palace.”