Читать книгу The Great Empire - Joaquim Augusto Barbosa de Melo - Страница 11

The Curse 19th century

In the palace and for how long the horizon stretched, that morning had awakened different from all the others. It was not every day that in a giant country like that, its people woke up with the news of their Emperor’s death! For all those who accompanied him in life and also watched his last moments, that night, dark as it may have been, could not reproduce the darkness that was in their hearts, not only because the sun of their lives had passed away, but above all because of the outcome that awaited them. Secular habits imposed that, with the death of the Emperor, those who shared his very close life were buried with him: wives and concubines; not because they had to serve him in the afterlife, but rather because they were an extension of his powerful and majestic person. The ancestral traditions were still very strongly rooted in the people of that nation and had the strength to remain alive, in memory of the footsteps of their ancestors. For the Emperor, that last moment of life represented nothing more than a final journey, even without a return. For wives and concubines, everything was quite different. They knew that with the arrival of this last hour, they would have to leave too. This acceptance of secular habits, admirable for all, did not admit different results. To defect at the time of the death of their Emperor was an unworthy idea with a great loss of social prestige, both for themselves and for the rest of one’s family. On the contrary, leaving this life in the company of one’s Emperor was a triumph over death that no one at that time dared to question!

The Emperor had left a will clearly and unequivocally written: “His will was above any previous tradition or law, so everyone had to fulfill it. Through that document he ordered that “his successor would be his youngest son and, if by his tender age he could not exercise it, Empress Xi would take his place, as regent, until he came of age”. In his will he also praised the achievements of several noblemen who, in the service of the nation, exercised high positions of State, attributing to them material benefits that he listed; he also emphasized the affective value of his wives and concubines who, throughout their lives, gave him particular attention; He made it clear in the document that “he was to be buried alone, thus revoking all the laws and traditions of his ancestors regarding this matter”; he attributed particular privileges and material benefits to one of his concubines named Li and left a great material legacy to Empress Xi. In the private life of the Emperor these two women exercised a great influence on his affections. To understand all this, we have to go back in time many years and assess how much they represented in his life.1

At that time there was another Empress named Zizi. Li was the first to arrive at the palace. She came from the countryside, accustomed to harsh winters, and had in her blood the strength to withstand adversity. Her youth was spent among rice paddies that extended as far as the eye can see. Perhaps because of this, from a very early age, she had had an exuberant relationship with nature, especially in the rice harvests with which she had always been fascinated. At that time she was ecstatic with the poultry fauna that joined her, from grebes to herons, passing by insects, like the friendly dragonfly, lending the whole diversity and beauty. It was there that Li realized how much weeds can destroy. She knew that it was not enough to prepare the soil and take care of the quality of the seeds or create the adequate and necessary water medium for the rice to grow, it was necessary to prevent so that the weeds did not prevail. This was achieved by preparing the ground properly before sowing the seeds. The secret was to make it difficult for these weeds to germinate and grow, which was achieved with work, time and patience, but the results were always frankly rewarding. Li was a girl made of “good spices” and very early on learned to handle the defense shield with skill and knowledge. Her greatest asset was, without a shadow of a doubt, her great ability to anticipate the low and dirty blows of her opponents, handling like no one else a skillful, strong and determined power of mind. Li preferred that the opponents to have the initiative of the attack and, when this happened, she would returned the projectiles or poisons thrown, adding to them an incredible strength (so much so that the effect of these, on arrival, was much greater than when they left the emitting sources).

With the entry of another girl named Xi, came the friction, intrigue and other poisons. She had a great capacity to awaken minor feelings among the others (where and whenever she appeared, Xi put everything in a state of siege) - when she passed by, touched or mentioned, she always had a few drops of poison to leave behind. It would be said that this behavior was a total contrast to her sweet face. Xi very early on proved to be ambitious, manipulative, cunning and cruel. In just two years, she destroyed Empress Zizi and ascended to the supreme authority of chief wife. Xi’s childhood had been very difficult. Her parents, austere and cold, possessed great calculating skills in everything they did, particularly in human relationships. Her father, an old general, had climbed the hierarchy at the expense of a sheath and sword, which he always used when necessary to clear the way and thus pass to the next step. Xi’s mother, a wasp, who did not mind sticking her sting whenever she found material or social advantage in it. In this “healthy” environment, it is natural that Xi, our rose, was used to a breathable air of carbonic anhydride. The poison therefore run in her veins as naturally as oxygen run in anyone else’s.

In the palace the life of the girls and the concubines was admirable, doing everything to attract the good graces of the Emperor. For Li and Xi it represented an art. They had, however, a different way of doing it. Li brought a fragrant and refreshing atmosphere, yet developed feelings of envy in the group. The Emperor, with Li’s arrival, began to prefer this one more often, to the detriment of all the others, creating an unpleasant climate of almost rejection among the others. Li seduced, seeking to win the Emperor’s heart through good moments, beauty, personal charms and naturalness. Later, with the arrival of Xi, the social life among the concubines became more agitated, because at certain moments the air was unbreathable, there was so much tension one could cut it with a knife. Xi awakened the fascination through perfumes, provocative nudity, flattery and much, much intrigue to the mixture, loaded with tricks and seduction. With these two, the other girls thus appeared to the eyes of the Emperor like a flower bed, who from time to time lent variety to his garden, without however attracting his particular attention. Almost all of them sighed, with some longing, for the times before the coming of Li and Xi, particularly the latter, to whom they gave the nickname of snake. In the good old days palace life was more monotonous, but always preferable to the present day, laden with intrigue and poisons. The later arrival of Xi to the group had a favorable initial reception, since the Emperor’s preference began to alternate, which did not fail to please the ego of the other concubines who had feelings of envy for Li. However, it was a short-lived sun, and Xi made it very clear very early on that she was the one who marked the territory there, and would not allow anyone to disturb her path.

In the palace, everyday life, outside the intrigues of the corridors, took place in the secularity of time. The Emperor’s residence was a place of magnificence; both for the luxury of its buildings and for the sweet life lived in its rooms. More than two thousand workers worked in its construction and for more than a decade. Altogether, the palace represented a space of more than seven hundred thousand square meters, distributed over more than nine thousand rooms. It was not restricted to a single building, but rather to a vast cluster of others, separated by monumental enclosures and fortifications. It was fitted with parks and imperial temples. The doors and atria of the buildings were oriented from south to north, thus reaping the blessings and favorable looks of the gods. The sumptuous and vast buildings, mostly built in marble, were given names of significance. The Supreme Harmony was the site of the imperial throne which, together with two others, created a grand setting. A complex of three avenues formed the South/North axis of access, the central one being reserved exclusively for the Emperor. The residential wing was initiated by the palace of Earthly Tranquility followed by that of Celestial Purity, Tranquility Longevity, Increased Elegance, Food of the Spirit and many others. Around the palace, better said the imperial city, there was another one where the administrative services of the State and the people were located. In the administrations of the State, the Servants were recruited among the most literate of the empire, both for political and religious service. In the latter a great moral improvement was required, where goodness, justice, respect for rituals, wisdom and trust were determining factors. The Imperial House, which administered the Emperor’s goods, palaces and other sources of income, constituted a separate structure. The people, that myriad of faceless souls and future, at the time represented only the guarantor and support of the existence of their Emperor. The two cities were separated by high walls for the necessary protection of the royal family. If during the day the imperial city was full of life, at night the Emperor was the only man within the walls, with his wives, concubines and eunuchs2.

For the Emperor his immediate family was not limited to the Empress and her children, but extended to his concubines and their descendants. In the palace complex twelve buildings were dedicated to the Emperor’s family, six to the west and six to the east, followed by a vastness of other minor ones where young children and their caretakers were housed. The Empress, the main wife, had a special status and enjoyed great prestige, while the secondary wives and concubines had minor rights. The imperial family therefore had its own hierarchy, with the use of high rights and proportional servants. The Emperor thus had a gynaeceum, formed by women from all provinces and strongly hierarchical, which had eight categories: the Empress, as the main wife; the secondary wives; the superior concubines and the simple ones; the court ladies; the ladies-in-waiting and finally two categories of maids: the officers and apprentices. The concubines, according to their hierarchy, lived surrounded by court ladies and eunuchs, many of them devoted part of their time to embroidery and silk weaving. In their annual recruitment, the girls, over three thousand, were chosen from among the provincial beauties and were aged between thirteen and sixteen. When the Emperor elected a new secondary wife from among the girls and the concubines, wedding ceremonies were held, replicas of those held with the Empress, but with less magnificence. These events, however, represented a tiny part of his occupations.

In daily life the Emperor had an intense life - he would get up very early, at three o’clock in the morning, followed by religious rituals. At six he took his first meal, after which he occupied himself with empire business. At noon he had a second meal, where a large number of dishes were served of which he would eat only a minimal part. A period of rest followed. In the afternoon he was devoted to official hearings and reading reports. In the late afternoon he would have an informal supper followed by erudite and other activities.

In the summer, the Emperor moved with part of his court to a second imperial residence built for this purpose. Taking advantage of the riverbed, at the foot of a mountain, a lake was built there and, on its banks, several palaces were built which, together, formed the imperial summer complex, which due to its landscape, layout of the buildings and natural beauty, allowed a unique closeness between people. Outside the daily pressure of commitments and protocols that the Emperor was subject to in the imperial city, here he was able to devote a little more attention to those closest to him. The wives and concubines knew this, so in these periods the relations between them were always boiling and the attention given to the Emperor was redoubled. In the past, some marriages performed promoted moments of proximity precisely in the summer complex. It was also here that everything had begun for Li and Xi. The serenity of the lake, in contrast to the green slope, gave the girls, especially those recently incorporated in the service of the palace, a pleasant feeling of happiness. The beauty of the landscape, adorned here and there by the palace buildings, led them to think that the best in the world was there at their feet. They dreamed that one day they too would have the supreme happiness of being married to the Emperor. Those sweet initial moments, however, hid the arduous climb to that mountain of dreamed happiness. The winding roads, traps and lethal poisons, built by the other competitors, quickly shattered the dream of the inexperienced.

To strengthen the imperial services, every year girls were recruited from the best families in the empire. They provided support in the palace under the guidance of the Empress and for a period of ten years, after which they returned to their homes, unless they enjoyed a special status as wives or concubines. It was by this route that Li and Xi had entered palace life. Being admitted to the imperial court was thus the greatest desire of all the girls in the empire. During their stay the palace was a school, not only of social relationships, but of arts and crafts of high prestige.

When Li came to that paradise, she saw in it an extension of her natural world. She did not have her rice paddies there, or the beauty of its fauna and flora, but in return she could enjoy the luxury and wealth of the palaces, their wonders, the variety of food, the sumptuous garments within her reach and, above all, the fineness of the silk fabrics to which she had access for the first time. That entirely new world was like a natural extension of her longed-for life, where beauty blended with the gentle scent of the intoxicating breeze of a palatial life. Soon her open and graceful smile caught the attention of the Emperor who saw in it the softness of a flower different from the others. The first encounters, at a certain distance, allowed for fleeting, curious and fatal looks. For the Emperor it was not possible to resist the beauty of that flower, which at a distance reminded him of the delicacy and grace of a lily of the field. The brief but significant glances between them did not escape the sixth sense of Empress Zizi, for whom it was evident to have there a serious case to solve. Despite the annual influx of beautiful girls, the Empress had had no cause for major concern. Even with their beauty, the girls, in general, were nothing more than insipid, devoid of sensitivity and intelligence enough to pose any threat to her reign. But Li was different; she had much more than beauty. At first glance it was easy to find other appealing attributes: she was delicate, intelligent and sensual. The Empress knew that she had ascended to that place of choice, not only because of her natural gifts of beauty, which she sought to highlight, but above all for her ability to negotiate and manipulate wills. Feeling threatened, Zizi soon used a strategy with the other concubines, to gradually and consistently start making life difficult for Li. Thus, the beauty that had awakened the eyes of the Emperor began to be isolated and marginalized by the other competitors. For Li those signs did not come as a surprise, for he was already waiting for them. She had enough tact to know that these actions represented small side effects, without pinching the essentials of her path to the Emperor’s seduction. The days passed and, to the Empress’ discomfort, her strategy was not bearing the desired fruit. It was necessary to take more radical and efficient measures, otherwise she was at risk of being overlooked by the other. As a new period of admission of girls to serve in the palace approached, the opportunity for Zizi to take a new step in the defense of her interests arrived. Thus, “to fight a rival, nothing better than another that neutralizes the first,” she thought. That could be achieved in recruitment. In this circumstance, she gave instructions so that, in the selection phase, the jury would have to obtain her final opinion. For the first time it would be up to her, Empress, to make the final decision on the admission of the candidates. As it would take some time between selection and admission, she took care to manage strategies so that Li could not do too much damage. Thus, the process of admission of the new candidates became faster than usual. Shortly after that the first group was selected for admission. But to the Empress’s disappointment, those candidates didn’t add anything new to the dull girls they had inside. So she asked the Emperor to provide a new edict allowing for the expansion of admissions (this fact was not foreign to the Emperor himself, but because the request came from the Empress, he decided favorably and without reservation). Some time later it was announced the extension of the said period of candidatures to the imperial palace. When the jury finally presented the Empress with the pre-selection of the candidates, it was with displeasure that she found that none of the girls selected had the profile she had imagined necessary to be much of a match for Li. Faced with the perplexity of the situation, the Empress wanted to see the forms of all applications even those that had already been rejected (when a girl did not meet several prerequisites such as: being beautiful, healthy, having good character, belonging to good families, among others, was automatically excluded by the jury). Xi was in that group, not because she had any illness, or not enough beauty skills, but rather because her moral qualities and family background were not very recommendable (Xi’s family had a weak social reputation). When the Empress gave orders to include Xi, it was a total surprise to the members of the jury (however, at that time, an imperial order was never commented on or questioned). Perhaps because of this, the Emperor himself did not become aware of the situation. The Empress’ obstinacy in finding a “rattlesnake” who would stand up to her rival was, however, a reckless act, not only for breaking rules, but rather for the dangerous precedence of exceeding demands on moral principles. The protected one, when taking knowledge, was moved by the gesture of the Empress for this to have changed the decision of the jury and to be included in the group of the elected ones (the future would confirm, however, that the nature does not cease to be stronger when one is before decisive moments).

With Xi’s admission it became clear to the other girls admitted that Xi had the Empress’ sympathy. This feeling of favoritism soon spread to the rest of the girls and soon there was no one in the palace among the minor staff who did not know or suspect of it. With this, Xi’s ego grew exponentially, facilitating her rapid integration and growth in privileged status among the others. Li herself, who was in the Emperor’s good graces, started to look at Xi with apprehension. The Empress did not stop at the initial favoritism of Xi, but also sought a rapprochement between her and Li. So the other concubines who were jealous of Li welcomed Xi. This atmosphere of interest game gave clear advantage to the integration of Xi, who took advantage like no other of the favorable wave. Thus, the circle of friendships of the newly admitted gradually grew, extending her tentacles, even among the eunuchs where she began to have influences. The Empress, who followed everything at a distance, trying to ensure that the results would appear, had to give time to time. In the palace, the Emperor himself began to realize the presence of that new girl. For Xi it was a first step to have his eyes on her. She did not, however, have Li’s mastery of seduction, but through her she wanted to achieve that added value, and quickly put her plan to practice. Xi began to notice and imitate everything Li did: how she dressed and adorned herself with accessories; the gestures she used when speaking; and even her grace in walking or sitting. As time went by, she achieved an acceptable imitation, except in the way of smiling and looking. Li had a look and an affable and graceful smile that was very difficult to reproduce. No matter how hard Xi tried, in exercises in front of a mirror, she could not get out of that austere air that was peculiar to her. However, she was an ambitious girl and considered that all means fully justified the ends. Despite increased efforts and attempts, Xi could not overcome the weaker aspects of her face, so the results were always disappointing - she had to find someone to help her overcome those limitations. She put a number of options to herself, including seeking help from the Empress, but this could bring her unfavorable readings. After much thought, she found the solution during a show. She noticed that the same comedians performed very different scenes, with expressive and very well achieved facial characterizations. From that moment on, “the solution could be in the use of a theater master who would teach her to control her facial expressions”. Better done, than said.

The next day Xi went to see Demus, a theatre master suggested by a well-known concubine of her, Titi. When he received her, Demus sent her to another comedian named Zhu, who, according to him, was skilled in teaching facial expressions. Shortly after, she was received by him.

- How can I help you? - Said Zhu, expressing a certain curiosity about the visit.

At first Xi was as if paralyzed without being able to respond, but soon afterwards she reacted by saying the first thing that came to her mind:

- I wanted to learn theatre!

Zhu looked at Xi with the amazement of those who had not quite understood what he had just heard. In the palace all the minor staff knew that the exercise of the theatrical activity was forbidden, by the Emperor, to all the girls admitted.

- What do you mean?! – Zhu questioned, surprised.

- Well, it’s not exactly that! What I really wanted was to learn to talk with a smile on my lips!

Zhu, in the face of that statement, could not help but laugh. Then, looking at Xi, he added:

- Let’s start at the beginning! Tell me exactly what your problem is...

In the minutes that followed, Xi (despite feeling ridiculous with Zhu’s laughter) made a huge effort not to give up her purpose. She tried to meet her higher ambitions and, through indirect words, conveyed to Zhu what was on her mind that is “that she would like to have a smile like Li’s”. After that initial embarrassment they agreed to meet secretly to begin the necessary facial exercises.

Zhu was a eunuch with long years of theatrical experience. He had taught several generations of students who played almost perfectly difficult roles. This connection to the theatre people was not easy for Xi, as she had some psychological resistance in communicating with them - she considered them second class people. From an early age, Zhu maintained an old practice acquired at his parents’ home. With an uncle he had learned to extract reptile poisons and then sell them at the local periodical market. That habit was not abandoned when he entered the palace. Maybe that was the motive Zhu was looked down on by some and admired by others. His uncle had lived in India for several years and there he had learned to extract poisons with a snake tamer. From that time several stories were told through the corridors of the palace, among eunuchs and others, about poisonings that had occurred in India where the main suspect had been his uncle. These suspicions were never proven, but remained as “karma” chasing after his past. Maybe that’s why Zhu was also the subject of some rumors. Whenever strange cases of poisoning occurred in the palace, the voices of runners were unanimous in attributing to him suspicions of responsibility. Xi learned much later about Zhu’s past and the rumors about him and his uncle relapsing, but was not at all disturbed by it. Xi had to make an initial personal effort not to create hostile environments. However, the winds were blowing in Xi’s face. In Zhu she found not only a precious help in achieving her immediate ends, but above all, an important ally for the future.

When Xi began the training, learning was slow and difficult, but over time it began to bear fruit. Those closest to Xi began to realize that she was changing, both in her way of behaving and in her way of interacting with others. For Empress Zizi herself it began to be clear that, after all, the decisions she had made in the past had not been in vain - her strategy was therefore showing signs of success “it was time to move on to a second phase”, she thought. So she appointed Xi Li’s maid of honor, hoping that the two would neutralize each other. And sooner than expected, disagreements arose, to the great satisfaction of the other concubines - all this had not been unrelated to the knowledge of the Empress that Xi frequented the theater facilities, having obtained from the Emperor permission for the ladies-in-waiting to do the same. Xi could now take the classes with Zhu without hiding, which gave her a reinforcement of self-confidence. The one who was not at all pleased with the Emperor’s decision was Li. For her the perimeter of fire was beginning to tighten her horizon, either because of the gratuitous hostilities of the other concubines, that could be said orchestrated by the Empress, or by her lady-in-waiting. For Li the lady-in-waiting appointed by the Empress was more than dispensable, since by all means she tried to turn every day into hell, thanks to her intrigues and poisons. Xi took advantage of this positive wave, keeping in mind that it was thanks to Zhu that it all began. So, on her birthday, and influenced by the “aura of the day”, she was ready to talk to him about it.

- I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done for me! - said Xi, expressing a broad smile.

- I welcome the progress. Proving how easily you can smile! From what I can see, one of these days I’ll have to end my classes.

- Yes, but not without telling me how I’m going to repay you for all this effort!

Xi’s facial change allowed her to go from being a beautiful girl (full of physical attributes) tothe level of a charming girl to whom no one was indifferent, thanks to her beautiful smile. Even Zhu began to nurture strong desires for closeness.

- I have a surprise for you! - Said Zhu, cryptic.

- Hmm! The day’s going better than the order!

- It’s just a souvenir! I have to distinguish my best student, don’t you think?! Oh, I forgot, we don’t have class today! Last minute appointments aren’t allowed. It’s only fair that you have a day off on your birthday too, don’t you think?!

Zhu went to a closet next to him, took a small box and handed it to Xi.

- Is it a treasure? - said Xi, amused.

From the outside it looked like a “jewel case” but as she prepared to open, Zhu intervened, saying:

- You can’t open it until after dinner.

That recommendation from Zhu made Xi even more curious and, looking at both sides of the box, she added:

- How do you open this?!

- You’ll have to find out!

- Well, I can’t wait to see what is inside! Thank you again!

Soon after Xi said goodbye, putting the box in a bag she was carrying. Along the way she was conjuring up possible reasons for that strange request. When the end of the day arrived, intense and tiring (among many other tasks she had been called to the Emperor) she was not in the mood to fulfill Zhu’s requests. So she just put the box in the first drawer she found, determined not to open it, much less after dinner and alone. The next day she commented with a concubine, her friend, on the matter:

- Yesterday I was offered a “mystery box”; only I don’t know how to open it.

- Go get it and we’ll see!

Minutes later the two friends looked at the box, on either side, with the surprise of those who don’t see how to get out of that riddle - it was a box covered with figures embossed on all sides, executed in a handiwork but with no evidence of a lid.

-How do you open this? - I have no idea. - said Xi, impatient.

- A friend once told me about something like this! It was a few years ago! Let’s see if...

By manipulating from one side to another, the box fell on the floor.

- Oh, sorry! I hope I didn’t break it.

When Xi picked up the box, she noticed a side ledge and, to her surprise...

-Eureka! I remember now! Pull on that ledge!

And when they no longer knew how to find a way out of the problem, everything finally became clear to both of them - by pulling on the ledge, the box dislocated a part that was a lid, and the contents fell to the ground.

-Hey, what is all this?!

The friend, looking at the “figurines” that had just fallen, could not help but laugh.

- You’re embarrassing me! - commented Xi, apprehensive.

- I can already see what is happening, my friend. You got an admirer on the way!

In fact, the “figurines” picked up from the ground were nothing but representations from the Kama Sutra. With that episode, Xi was feeling vexed, so shortly after the two friends said goodbye without further comment. On the way to her quarters, Xi was still a little confused, and she was planning what she could do to take advantage of that souvenir she started to call the “box of secrets”. When two weeks later her classes with Zhu ended, she made it clear that the gift he had given her on her birthday had been an irreverence, but that it in no way altered their friendship. Xi, after much thought and evaluation of the “figurines”, decided to leave her “box of secrets” on the main room furniture, after one of her meetings with the Emperor. And if the Emperor asked her about it, she could always argue that they had been left there by accident. But to Xi’s surprise, the Emperor not only failed to tell her about it, but also began to show her that the “figurines” she had left there in the box were, for many years, of his personal knowledge. After that episode, Xi’s meetings with the Emperor became more interesting.

Months later...

For Li, the Emperor, who at other times had represented everything for her, was now a horizon of emptiness - he almost only had attention for Xi. As if all this were no longer difficult enough, Xi’s recent appointment as a concubine, who was given high-level benefits, made Li’s daily life unmanageable. Therefore, taking advantage of her father’s prolonged illness, decided to leave the palace for a while.

When a lady-in-waiting was appointed a concubine by the Emperor, festivities and wedding rituals were held, but in this case, it did not happen, to the surprise of many. Xi’s promotion was not only the beginning of a nightmare for Li, but also represented a setback for the Empress, who saw in the situation a hard blow, hard to bear. If Li’s absence represented an unexpected improvement, Xi’s promotion, with a new status, proved that her entire strategy had failed. It was now necessary to take urgent fundamental measures to reverse the whole situation in her favor. This time, she could not be fooled again. After much thought, she decided to consult Tau, an old magician and her confidant from her youth. Years ago, Tau had predicted that one day she would be Empress and a very influential person at court. The years passed and the Empress had never contacted him again. She hadn’t been attentive to him in the past, but today she recognized that she owed him a debt of gratitude. Through relatives she sought news of Tau. Days later the surprise could not be more painful, not only did she learn of his death, but she also learned that Tau had revealed, in his last moments of life, to be bitter with the Empress, for the latter never again gave him an answer to a request of his own to visit her in the palace. Now, it was too late! The Empress could no longer correct her mistake and that left her with no solution in sight. As the months went by, the human relations between the two women, the Empress and Xi, became more and more tense and difficult. At court, all those who had a relationship with her now noticed a deep sadness, which she could no longer hide. Some time later, one grey morning, the palace was shaken by the news that the Empress had been found lifeless in her bed. The court physicians, called urgently, confirmed the occurrence of natural death with cardiac arrest. By order of the Emperor the funeral act was discreet and reduced to the essential.

Two years later...

The palace has returned to its near normality, influenced only by Li’s absence and the Empress Zizi’s death. During this period the Emperor changed his daily routine a little, giving more emphasis to his public life at the expense of the private. In the official acts, inside the palace, the Empress’ throne remained empty, as if to remind that one day it would be occupied again by someone. This particular one conferred serenity to the court, except among the concubines where a climate of tension was notorious, contrasting strongly with the calm that lived in the rest of the personnel. Among them, the climate of intrigue and envy ran high - on a level of almost explosion. The youngest girls recently admitted and the ladies-in-waiting, were, here and there, making their predictions of who would be in the most favorable conditions to access the favorite places of the Emperor’s preference. This speculative wave extended, however, to other situations of a more serious nature. Rumors began to circulate through the corridors of the palace that the death of the Empress, after all, had not been as natural as the doctors’ diagnosis had admitted. Behind the scenes, especially among the ladies, there was the version of a probable poisoning. This version began to have supporters when it became known of the death of a cat that had ingested liquid, spilled accidentally, from a teapot existing in the Empress’ quarters - since the death of the Empress that her quarters had remained closed. Among the doctors the version was another - according to them, the death of the animal was probably due to the existence of poison that, however, resulted from the long time of permanence of the tea in the teapot that was of metal and had many precious stones embedded.

With the death of Empress Zizi and the absence of Li, the way was free for Xi, who took advantage of every moment to gain more and more influence with the Emperor. As time went by, that influence grew to such an extent that, in the eyes of the Emperor, it began to make sense to grant her a new status. At a certain point, in the corridors, there were talks of preparations for a new marriage. Shortly after, with the death of her father, Li returned to the palace. The first news, unwanted, to which she had to adjust, was precisely that Xi would soon be the new Empress. Among the concubines this event was already admitted, but for Li it was a brutal shock! The atmosphere of tension previously existing between Li and the other concubines had become lessened with time, perhaps because she now posed no threat to the others. The Emperor, busy with his political life, did not appear or claimed any of his concubines, however special they had been in the past. In the corridor conversations between concubines, the eunuch Zhu was now much talked about, both because of the circumstances of Empress Zizi’s death, and because of his influence with Xi. Among the eunuchs, the atmosphere was reserved and little given to corridor conversations. They didn’t externalize what was in their soul. There seemed to be total serenity among them. The concubines’ reading of this environment was, however, quite different, with the version that they were living another calm period before war.

Xi, in the months leading up to her wedding, was coy in her chambers, wrapped in silence, as if preparing some or simply hibernating to renew her poisons, more suited to her future social condition. The beginning of preparations for the festivities now pointed to a modest marriage, without the pomp and circumstance of other times, either because of the Emperor’s age or because he revealed, in recent years, less appetite for social life - a reflection of declining health, far from the vigor of youth. The official invitations, strongly limited in the number of attendances, revealed that same lack of enthusiasm that seemed to be installed in the soul of the Emperor. Had it not been for the commitment and dedication of Zhu, now appointed as coordinator responsible for the arrangements of the imperial enclosures and rooms, the celebrations would have been reduced to a gloomy, almost effaced wedding. The bride’s dress, prepared under Xi’s direct guidance, stood out in contrast to everything else. In this particular, it exceeded all that was predictable. Among the oldest ladies in the palace, it was commented that there was no memory of such a meticulous and pompous dress preparation as that which Xi had just had executed. All the concubines were invited to give their opinion on the dress, with the exception of Li, who was even forbidden to enter those quarters. Xi knew she had to be cautious, now more than ever - her enemy Li had to stay at a distance, not only from the Emperor, but also from anything that might damage the image of the ceremony. Gradually, in the corridors, conversations began to be heard among the concubines, expressing fascination and amazement at the dress, so that at one point there was not a single conversation between them that did not have this subject as the main theme.

- My friend Xi has a dress that matches her stardom, don’t you think?! – Observed the concubine Titi, perhaps to make it clear that the future Empress was her personal friend.

- I have been around for many years and I can assure you that to this day I have never seen anything comparable!

- She always knew what she wanted! I’m not surprised by all this.

When the big day finally came, Xi got up much earlier than usual. For her the night had not been quiet at all, she had had restless dreams and nightmares, involving a lot of emotion. After a light and first meal in the morning, she met Zhu to find out once again that everything was ready and compliant. Then she headed to the room where the wedding dress had been made, having noticed, strangely, that the door was half-open. That circumstance made her nervous, as she had given express orders for that door to remain closed at all times. She had been careful, but “despite all the care and recommendations, the result is this” she thought, already a little irritated. Xi took a look around the room, but as everything seemed normal to her, she became calmer, reducing the importance of the incident and ensuring, when she left, that the door was well closed. At the agreed time and with the arrival of the ladies-in-waiting, it was initiated the dressing of the bride. All the women were able to confirm once again that the dress was a real work of art. All that remained was to apply the final part of the veil - a long covering mantle, with pearls and precious stones inlaid, which gave the ensemble an incomparable beauty. For security reasons, this final adornment piece was enclosed in a giant lockable trunk. The bride watched the padlock being removed and was already imagining the greatest compliments with the application of that wonderful cloak. However, with the opening of the chest, the surprise and indignation of Xi was total. The cloak was reduced to rags, torn into a thousand pieces by so many scissors. For Xi, that instant represented an unspeakable humiliation - it was like the dethronement of a feathered peacock to which they had cut off all the feathers of his tail and was reduced, in nonsense, to the insignificance of a hen with raised wings. The pearls and precious stones remained in the chest and, by the number, they made believe, that whoever did that had as his only objective to humiliate her as much as possible. In the first moments Xi was as if petrified, without a single gesture or word, only her expression was becoming disfigured at a dizzying pace. Briefly, she left the room running, deranged, towards Li’s quarters. The door was closed, but that was no problem for Xi, the latch burst, entering Li’s room completely furious. Before she could identify what was going on, she was bombarded by that dark figure just arrived, dressed in red and vociferous with all sorts of impropriety, cries of anger and curses. Xi had poured on Li all the hatred accumulated in recent years:

- May the gods bring upon you and your offspring all sorts of curses! May you be cursed everywhere on earth! And finally when you feel despised by everyone and transformed into a human rag, serve as pasture for the vultures! Cursed, a thousand times!

Before Li could intervene, a bang was heard again. It was the door closing, with all the violence, with the exit of that sinister figure. The moments that followed that Dantesque scene, laden with hatred, gave Li a vision of terror... She couldn’t think about how much she had just seen and heard. In the moments that followed, no matter how much effort she made with her memory, she could not find a single reason that could give rise to such a crazy act. But whatever reason or motive Xi had, that was the drop of water that made the cup overflow. In her heart she pleaded to the gods to reverse all her enemy’s curses back to her, asking for justice for herself. She was fed up with all the intrigue and slander in which she lived. At that very moment she decided to leave the palace. It was time to return home. She wasn’t going to stay there another day! She immediately began to pack her personal belongings in her room, which she left moments later. As she left her quarters, she took the shortest way to the service gate so that no one would see her. On that day and at that hour the corridors and terraces of the palace were deserted. She had no difficulty in leaving the palace in anonymity. She didn’t said goodbye to anyone, for many reasons. That place was no longer hers. Without looking back, Li left with a confident step and decided not to return.

When Xi returned to the room from which she had left untimely moments before, she was delivered a message from the Emperor that the ceremony was about to begin. Her first reaction was to look into a large mirror. Only then did she become aware of how horrible she looked! Her dress in total disarray and her face totally disfigured! Time therefore imposed urgent measures. She looked around the room looking for a last anchor to save her from that distressing situation. She noticed that in one corner, on one of the shelves, there were several silk rolls and embroidery - they were orders from noble merchants bound for the courts of Syria and Arabia. Xi, in a reflection of a wounded and distressed eagle, performing perfectly instinctive acts, approached the shelves and, with sudden gestures, removed all the rolls stretching them out on the floor of the room. Then, screaming, she ordered the ladies to join the ends of two of these silk rolls and fix them, one on each of her shoulders, doing the same with another roll, but this time of lace, demanding that they created with it a small veil and put it over her head to cover her face. With the rest of the rolls she had an extensive trail added as an extension of her dress (all done in a fraction of an instant) and always screaming, while the ladies, stunned, strictly followed all her orders. Time was overwhelmingly running out! The seamstresses had barely begun what Xi had ordered and a second message from the Emperor demanded her presence, reporting the bride’s delay. Some time later, Xi, recomposed in her image, began the bridal march on the way to the imperial hall. With her face half covered in lace and about twenty ladies holding her immense tail, Xi entered the hall with all her pomp. The Emperor, as well as the whole court, was surprised by all that apparatus. The bride entered with a majestic semblance, walking slowly and cadently, wearing a dazzling dress ending in an immense tail held by two rows of ladies.

The wedding ceremony was brief, compared to others held in the palace in other times. The festivities, those lasted all day. In the late afternoon the newlyweds gathered at the palace of Earth Harmony, where they spent the night. In the morning of the following day they went to the summer palace, accompanied by a small entourage. With the departure of the bride and groom the imperial city returned to its almost routine, tranquil and bucolic condition, as in so many other exits of the Emperor. In the corridors, this time, a differentiating factor appeared, the strange absence of Li.

Since the day before, no one else had laid eyes on Li. As the discussion between the two rivals was not witnessed by anyone, speculative versions began to emerge between the ladies and concubines. That mysterious disappearance of Li began to give way. For some, she couldn’t bear to watch the Emperor marry her main rival and ran away. For others, they were facing kidnapping or poisoning ordered by Xi. The mystery thickened. When the Imperial couple returned, there was no talk of anything else but Li’s disappearance. However, conversations between concubines and others were made with great care, fearing reprisals from the new Empress. As time went by the subject was becoming more and more reminiscent of the silence of consciences, now tortured by the growing influence of the new Empress in the management of personnel and generating an environment one could cut with a knife. Early on, Empress Xi realized that, in personnel management, Zhu could be very useful. So, gradually, the Empress delegated powers to her right arm. For some, this delegation was commented on as retribution for the organizational effort at her wedding, for others, she was favoring the eunuchs over the other hierarchies in the palace. Those times were now of transition, no one had any doubts. As the months passed and with the permanent changes dictated now by the new Empress, the uncertainty of the following day reigned among the staff. The times brought silence and bitterness. Hallway conversations were no longer possible, for one never knew which side the person one was talking to was on. A conversation, apparently innocent, could be interpreted by the Empress as opposition to her and this was not tolerated in any way. As time went by, there were strange absences of people whose whereabouts were no longer known. The period of insecurity was followed by another, where fear began to take place. With a growing influence of the eunuchs and a particular prominence in Zhu, terror set in among the smaller personnel. One now looked back to the time of the former Empress Zizi. At that time peace and joy also took place, in contrast to the present moment where there is only room for malevolent insinuation or destructive threat, building a daily life where everything is demanded in exchange for almost nothing. Smiles slowly disappeared to give way to grudges and silent hatreds.

The Emperor, with the advancing of his age, far from the glow of other times, no longer sought the company of girls or concubines to awaken in him the pleasures of life. He lived in the palace ever more distant from everyday life and closed in on himself. In recent times, with the passing of the months, his health has been deteriorating markedly, increasing the protagonism of the Empress. The illness had been installing itself and to such a point that he had even stopped presiding over his own official acts. The entire imperial court was now wondering about the future. It was known that he had made a will, but its contents were unknown. When death finally came and the contents of this will were known, some of the old sages of the court left the palace quietly and definitively3.

The funeral ceremonies took place without the apparatus of olden times. The tradition, greatly altered by the Emperor’s will, however, retained some of the rites and forms, among them the verticalisation of the body, unlike most culture in other countries, where the body is buried in horizontal form. His reign had come to an end and with it began a paradoxical time, in which his son, only four years old, ascended to the throne now represented by the widowed Empress, Xi.

1. .../... Page 51

2. Men in the service of the Emperor who agreed to be castrated, voluntarily, so that they could exercise permanent activity in the palace.

3. .../... Page 21