Hongzhi Year 18, Twenty-fourth Day of the Second Month. Enthronement Ceremony.
Sky not yet bright, whole Imperial Palace alive.
Eunuchs running back and forth, carrying dragon robes, crown, jade belt, footsteps urgent light. Liu Jin standing at Qianqing Palace door directing, voice shouted hoarse. Zhu Houzhao standing before bronze mirror, arms spread, letting them manipulate. Gunfu dark red, on it embroidered sun moon stars, five-clawed golden dragon. Crown's beads swaying, in candlelight flashing dim light. This robe newly made, rushed seven days seven nights. Wearing on him, shoulder there still empty a bit—he still too young, can't carry this robe's weight.
He standing there, same as when wearing Crown Prince robe, expressionless. Liu Jin squatting to arrange hem, pulled twice, stood up adjust belt. He letting people manipulate, arm lift, put down, turn, turn back.
Bronze mirror that person, not like him.
I standing in corner, looking at him. He didn't turn back look at me.
Ceremony held in Fengtian Hall. Civil and military officials lined two sides, crimson, cyan, green, layer by layer, from hall inside to outside. Sunlight shining on glazed tiles, golden, dazzling eyes can't open. Zhu Houzhao walking out from hall back, walking past Danbi, walking to that dragon chair front, stopped.
He didn't sit. Standing there, looking at that chair. Looked long time.
Hall quiet enough to hear crown beads lightly clashing sound,ding ding, like wind chime. I standing hall side corridor pillar behind, saw his hand hanging by side, fingers slightly curled—same as that day kneeling at Qianqing Palace door.
Then he sat down. Full court officials knelt ground, shouting ten thousand years. Sound from hall inside to outside, from outside to square, then from square back,weng weng, like echo.
Zhu Houzhao sitting on dragon chair, looking at knelt ground people. His face by crown beads covered half, can't see expression. But I saw his hand on armrest, knuckles white.
He from crowd looked over.
Very short. Only instant. Then he withdrew gaze, spoke. Voice not loud, but in empty hall, every character clear.
"Officials rise."
Ceremony ended, he didn't go Qianqing Palace. He went Eastern Palace. Alone. Standing under courtyard that old locust tree, looking up at bare branches.
I followed behind, standing at door, didn't enter.
"Lizi."
"Here."
"This tree, is I eight years old planted. Father Emperor said, plant, watch it grow. It grew seven years, I lived seven years."
He didn't turn back. Voice very flat, like saying something unrelated to himself.
"Now not live."
He turned around, looking at me. Crown already removed, hair loose, dragon robe still wearing. Dark red gunfu set off his face very white, eyes very bright. But under eyes green gray shadow—he last night didn't sleep.
"Go."
"Where to?"
"Qianqing Palace."
Qianqing Palace door open. His Father Emperor's medicine smell not yet dispersed, mixed with sandalwood and candle scent, stuffy. Imperial desk still placed unfinished memorials, red brush placed on inkstone, ink traces long dried. Eunuchs already changed new bedding, dragon chair wiped, gold paint bright dazzling. But that chair too big.
Zhu Houzhao walked in, on dragon chair sat down. Legs crossed—this his Eastern Palace habit, approving memorials always like cross legs. Wearing dragon robe cross legs, hem wrinkled ball, Liu Jin if saw, probably anxious die.
He from sleeve took out handful dried litchi, placed on armrest. Is dried litchi, not peanuts. Liu Jin yesterday from Imperial Kitchen got, said southern tribute, Emperor childhood love eat.
He peeled one, stuffed in mouth, chewed.
"Here too big." he said.
I standing at door, didn't enter.
"Come in."
I walked in, standing by Imperial desk. He patted dragon chair beside empty seat.
"Sit."
I didn't sit.
"Afraid what?"
"Afraid officials see."
He looked at me, mouth corner twitched up. "Saw then what?"
He spat litchi pit in palm, threw on table, rolled twice, stopped.
"Tomorrow," he said. "Zhen want issue decree."
"What decree?"
"Seal you decree."
I paused. "Seal you what?"
He thought, peeled another dried litchi. "Empress."
Qianqing Palace quiet. Quiet enough to hear candle flower popping sound.
"You say what?" I asked.
"Empress." He looked at me, eyes very bright. "Zhen's Empress."
"You crazy."
He laughed. "Not crazy. Zhen thought whole night."
"Officials won't agree."
"Zhen know."
"Empress Dowager won't agree."
"Zhen also know."
"Then you—"
"Zhen is Emperor." He stuffed dried litchi in mouth, chewed, mumbled. "Zhen decide."
He spat pit, from sleeve took out another handful. Liu Jin if knew his sleeve hid so many dried litchi, probably again anxious.
"You not want be Empress?" he asked.
"Not want not want problem—"
"Then what problem?"
"Is—" I opened mouth, didn't know say what. He stood up, walked to my front. Dragon robe hem dragged on ground, wrinkled, he didn't care.
"You afraid what?"
"Afraid you by them scold."
He looked at me, suddenly laughed. Not that mouth corner twitch light laugh, but real laugh, tiger teeth showing.
"Zhen by them scolded less?"
He didn't wait my answer, from sleeve took out a dried litchi, stuffed in my hand. "Hold."
"Why?"
"Betrothal gift."
I looked at hand that dried litchi, couldn't help laughing. "This too shabby."
"Then add one." He took another, stuffed in my hand.
"Two dried litchi want marry Empress?"
"Three." He took another.
"You sleeve到底 (dao di) have how many?"
"Don't know. You marry then know."
I lowered head looking at palm three dried litchi. He standing my front, dragon robe sleeve rolled up a section, revealing shallow scar—that time medicine shop scratched. I bandaged him.
"Empress Dowager won't agree." I said.
"Zhen go say."
"Officials will submit memorials scold you."
"Zhen not look."
"They will behind say you."
"Zhen not care."
He looked at me, withdrew laugh.
"Lizi, Zhen know you afraid what. You afraid Zhen for you with everyone flip face, you afraid they say you beauty disaster, you afraid Zhen can't protect you."
He paused.
"But you forgot, Zhen is Emperor. Zhen not want protect you, Zhen want you stand Zhen beside. Not behind."
He took my palm three dried litchi back, stuffed in his sleeve.
"Betrothal gift first owe. Zhen think give what."
"You took back still call betrothal gift?"
"Zhen said owe then owe." He turned walk back dragon chair sat down, picked up brush, started write.
"You write what?"
"Decree. Seal Empress decree."
"Now?"
"Now." He head not lift, brush tip on papersha sha sound.
I standing place, looking at him. Candlelight on his face, he lowered head, wrote fast. Occasionally stopped think, continued write. Dragon robe sleeve hung down, on paper swept, he didn't care.
Finished, he put down brush, folded paper, tucked in sleeve.
"Tomorrow first not send."
"Why?"
"First tell Mother Empress. Tell then send."
"Empress Dowager if not agree?"
He looked at me, mouth corner twitched up.
"Then Zhen every day go say. Say till she agree."
He didn't wait my answer, from sleeve took out those three dried litchi, stuffed back my hand.
"This time not take back. You first keep."
I lowered head looking at palm those three dried litchi. His fingers touched my palm, warm.
"Go back sleep." he said. "Tomorrow with Zhen go see Mother Empress."
"I also go?"
"Of course. You not here, Zhen say what?"
He put dragon robe hem down, patted wrinkles, didn't pat flat. Liu Jin if saw, probably again anxious.
"Go."
I turned walk out. Walking to door, stopped.
"Emperor."
"Mm?"
"Those three dried litchi, I kept."
He laughed. In candlelight, eyes bright.
"Keep well. Future Zhen repay you better."
I walked out Qianqing Palace. Moonlight shone on ground, green-white, like frozen ice. Corridor lanterns still lit, orange-red, same as yesterday.
I reached hand in sleeve, felt those three dried litchi. One next to one, hard, carrying his palm temperature.
I clenched it in palm, slowly walked back.
(End of Chapter 32)