The Ant Woman Ch. 17

The only matter that needed to be settled was who would be promoted to the rank of Empress Consort.

Wen was caressing one of her son's bare feet when she first thought about it. The Emperor could technically choose any consort from his harem to be the next Empress. However, that didn't mean it would be wise of him to just pick whichever one he fancied the most. The Emperor needed his support, and if those who supported him didn't like who he chose, there might be a problem.

There was also the issue of being fair to the consorts themselves. The ones that had loyally served the Emperor the longest should be the first ones considered for the position. Wen knew that even if the Emperor had suddenly decided he was madly in love with her, he'd never hand her the mighty seal, a printing stamp that was a symbol of the lofty position.

It had been only a handful of days since the former Empress Consort had been deposed. A doctor had tended to Wen as if she was the most precious woman in the Imperial Harem. She thought she was feeling well.

The Ginger Steam Palace still lacked any visits from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. But Wen couldn't say this place was quiet. Her children were here. Miseo and Hayun both visited regularly, and despite the lack of favor from the Emperor some other concubines asked to see her on occasion. Wen believed Miseo had something to do with that.

If Miseo treated one well, then the other consorts would do well to respect that. She was currently the highest ranking consort in the harem. She had the most authority, and it was pretty obvious that she would be chosen to be the new Empress Consort.

Wen thought she would be satisfied with Miseo as the new wife of the Emperor, but she wondered if the position would suit her well.

As if the thought of her brought her close, Seed Consort Miseo was soon seen in her sedan chair, being carried up to the Ginger Steam Palace. Wen met her with a kneeling position on the floor. Miseo's expression was cloudy and distracted, but she let Wen up and sat with her in a dining room. There, they had a pleasing lunch. A bowl of noodles made of spinach. Spiced, grilled meats. Braised abalones. And a soup made of a fungus that was supposed to be good for the skin.

The women laughed at harmless jokes. They spoke of the cooling autumn weather and dancing techniques. Then Wen complimented Miseo on how well both the little princesses danced now.

"Such a careful and doting mother you are," Wen said after taking a long sip of her tea. "His Majesty will certainly choose you as his new Empress Consort."

Her violet eyes low, letting her spoon drag across a bowl's rim, Miseo quietly said, "His Majesty's already confirmed this to me. I'll be given the seal soon." She sounded deflated.

"Oh, then I must congratulate you," Wen said with a smile.

"Would you like to know what else the Emperor said to me?" Miseo put her hands in her lap.

Wen shrugged. "If the Seed Consort wants to share, then she will share."

"He said, 'The one who desires power doesn't deserve it.'"

Using chopsticks to pick up some grilled meat, Wen said, "His Majesty is wise. We're all blessed to have been tied to him."

Miseo sighed. She'd eaten quite a bit of food, but she didn't seem to relish any of the flavors. She turned her head to look at Yuwei, who was refilling her cup of tea. "I believe the Emperor has been ordering all sorts of things from merchants," Miseo said.

"Things?" Wen took a bite of her meat.

"I'm not sure what His Majesty has been ordering, but I'm certain they're luxurious." Miseo's eyes were still on Yuwei as the maid carefully put the teapot down.

"Presents for his new Empress Consort," Wen said with a breezy tone.

Slowly nodding, Miseo admitted, "That might be true."

***

The sedan chair had ornamental, hanging layers of silk umbrellas. The cushions had the finest down stuffing. The Emperor had purchased a new one just for her.

Empress Consort Shungjahe Miseo. The new wife of Emperor Shungjahe Shunlin.

Her gown was black with images of dragons and clouds in silver, gold, and red. The red threads were actually coated in lacquer. The long sleeved blouse was bright yellow with black and silver images of leaves and bellflowers. The openings of the blouse's hanging sleeves had black fabric borders lined with pinkish orange sapphires. Her wide shawl was dark purple with white printed designs of stars.

The Empress' dark hair had been set in place with wax and wires. There was one long bundle across the top of her head. Then two large and long, oval-like hoops had been arranged. Golden flowers, coiled dragons of pale green jade, combs and hairsticks of matching jade, and falling chains of silk autumn leaves had been set in the hairstyle.

The Empress' face was as wonderfully white as the moon except for the points of color. Her upper lip was almost fully painted in a blood red. The lower lip had a thick vertical line. A geometric medallion of yellow was on her forehead. Small spirals of purple were on each side. The dimple dots on her cheeks were black. Higher on those rouged cheeks, there were also yellow diamond shapes. Several formal pieces of jewelry were on her body. Gold and jade. Sapphires and moonstones. Some bits of silver and some garnets.

This Empress was as elaborate as the occasion required.

Miseo was carried off to the Emperor's throne room, where all the consorts knelt, women on each side of the rug in the center. A eunuch called out praises. The new mother of the nation, the elegant and kind woman, the example for all women to follow, Empress Consort Shungjahe Miseo. She was here now to receive the seal.

Her soft, glittering shoes moved under her dress and across the carpet. Her posture was stark. Her beautifully painted face was so emotionless that it might seem grave and frightening to an outsider. She went down to where the throne was and knelt.

The equally somber Emperor rose from his seat and walked down to a space a bit in front of his new wife.

Min Ji held a golden tray before the Emperor. On the tray, there was a sturdy little box, similar to a jewelry box. The Emperor took the box and held it down to Miseo, who plucked the box up. She opened it. Inside, there was a seal made of imperial jade, literally jade that was called imperial regardless of what empire it was a part of. Then, after all the other consorts prostrated themselves, Miseo put the seal back in its place and closed the box.

Paper streamers were thrown in the air. Flutes and small drums were played.

Empress Consort Miseo turned around to walk back. The other consorts got to their feet and followed. When Miseo was outside and getting into her sedan chair, the other consorts all stood nearby and said in unison, "Long life and fine health to the Empress Consort!"

Then Miseo was being carried off to the Moonlight Pearl Palace, where she would now live with her daughter and foster daughter. At the palace's entrance, her favored servants were all kneeling to her. Some extra servants were there, they'd served the previous Empress Consort. The rest of the servants from that woman were distributed to other palaces or honorably dismissed from their positions.

Miseo told them all to rise. She wanted to go see the girls inside.

But she was temporarily distracted. In the reception room, there were packages on top of packages of gifts from the Emperor. Clothing and accessories, vases and seeds, cosmetics and jewelry, sculptures and prayer beads, mirrors and musical instruments. If he hadn't given her all these lovely things, he would've been highly criticized. His new wife had the right to gifts.

But he didn't present them to her personally. He wasn't anywhere in the Moonlight Pearl Palace.

Miseo thought that was very telling, but she wasn't angry about it. She was only worried about how troublesome her new position was. She was in charge of the Imperial Harem. She had to judge disputes, care for pregnant concubines, treat all the others' children as her own (assuming any more gave birth), and even manage special occasions such as dinner parties or religious ceremonies. The previous Empress was notoriously lax in certain areas. Miseo knew she was expected to be a much, much better Empress.

She hoped she'd do well.

***

The afternoon after the coronation ceremony, Wood Consort Wen was holding one of her sons on her lap and watching rain fall. She was on a roofed patio. The other son was playfully rolling around on a large, cushioned mat on the patio's floor.

Thankfully, the wet-nurses were supervising and the patio's fence was sturdy without any holes of a size that child could get stuck in. Nothing bad would happen.

"Fuguo," Wen said as she stroked her child's head, "the rain's made the day much cooler, but I think it's good for you and your brother to inhale fresh air, even the coldest of it." The babies were adequately dressed. They even had little hats that covered their cute little ears.

Tiny Fuguo grabbed Wen's index fingers and thoughtfully stuck the tip in his mouth, sucking and gnawing on it. Lien approached with a tray carrying a cup of hot tea. "Madam," she said, "you should have something warm in your throat and belly."

"I appreciate your kind thoughts," Wen said as she handed a small cloth toy to Fuguo, "but you should've asked me if I wanted any tea before boiling the water."

"With respect, Madam," Lien said as she stepped a little bit closer, "your health is highly important to us."

"Then I suppose I must humor you." Wen stood up and carefully put Fuguo down next to his brother. She said to the wet-nurses, "Put them inside and dress them appropriately. They've had enough cold air. If they seem cold, give them small cups of warm water." The babies had reached an age where small amounts of clean water were safe on occasion.

But the moment everyone was inside, all the adults had to kneel. Lien had to be careful with the tea.

With only Min Ji at his side, Emperor Shungjahe Shunlin stood. Both of them were wet from the rain, which implied that the Emperor had refused any functional umbrellas and only rushed in. Combined with the fact that he'd gone into the palace without Wen being warned beforehand only enforced that idea. As Wen's heart weakly stuttered, as she tried not to look at his face, yearning to see some clue as to what in the world was going on, she remembered his slightly rough fingers and smooth voice.

Little Kaitao giggled and gurgled at the sight of his father. Wen knew it was him. His voice was often more high-pitched than his brother's.

It was that only voice in the room for some time. The lack of talking made the rain seem louder.

Wen tried to open her throat and greet the man. She ended up coughing into her sleeve. That's how caught off guard she was.

Shuffling on her knees, Lien moved to her and held out the tea. Wen took the cup and forced down a little sip. When she clicked the teacup back on the tray, the Emperor finally said something. For the first half-second, Wen flinched and thought she'd be scolded for something, perhaps for letting the babies out in the cold weather. But Wen earnestly believed it was good for babies to be strengthened by tiny bits of bitter air, a building of endurance. Her mind whirled imaginary conflicts around and around. The Emperor cared for his sons. He'd never allow anyone to harm them.

"Wen ..."

Tired, but also ... happy? As if he'd been craving something for a long time and now it was finally here.

His fingers were so relaxed. One of his hands rose a little. "I ... I'm waiting. Some of my eunuchs should be here soon."

And right after he said that, a decently large amount of eunuchs suddenly appeared. Boxes, coffers, packages, and bags. They carried these things. Wen looked up at the eunuchs and the things they held. Then her head moved back down. An ornament of silk verbena and sunflowers trembled in her coiffure.

The Emperor's black boots clacked and stamped on the floor as he moved a foot forward. "These ... these are gifts ... I," he paused to clear his throat, "I haven't visited the mother of my sons in quite some time. In order to ensure they're raised well, the mother must be cared for, no?" He sounded like he was trying to make an argument for his Royal Mother's approval ... but he wasn't sounding like a grown man, but instead a teenager with a lack of adult worldliness.

Wen's stomach vanished, or that's what it felt like. Her hands shook so much that she had to press them together on her lap. She sucked her bottom lip against her teeth and silently warned herself to hold her words down. A single word had the potential to ruin whatever miracle was happening here.

"Come," the Emperor said as he turned around, "and admire your gifts while I admire my little sons."

No words came from her. She only nodded and got up to her feet. Everyone went into the reception room. As the wet-nurses kept the babies entertained, Wen was shown gift after gift. None of them exceeded her rank, but they were still lavish.

Copies of precious paintings. Original calligraphy works. Framed samples of colorful, embroidered images. Flower and herb seeds for Wen's garden. A variety of incense. Ornamental rugs. Bolts of fine cloth and threads. A brand new, elegant zither with new picks. Fresh rolls of exquisite rice paper and other fine writing materials that Wen didn't need (not that she needed any of the other presents). Various pieces of fine jewelry. Cosmetics and creams. Fingernail paints.

More toys for the princes, stuffed animals and tiny rattles, little drums and rope puzzles. Sturdy cloth for little clothes too. A brand new set of bigger cots for when they were big enough to walk. The princes had plenty of food to spare (they were just old enough for bits of pureed food to be taken with breast milk), but the Emperor had sent over extra packages of fruits, vegetables, grains, and some meats just for them.

Other edible items were given to Wen, either to take herself or share with her favorite people if she wanted. It was considered perfectly acceptable to have more food than typically allotted if it was given to you. More fish and meat. More sugars. More beans, rice, and wheat. More swiftlet's nests. More tea and wine. There was even a container of dry hot chocolate.

These were all presented. Wen nodded to each gift. When it was all done, Wen knelt down to the floor and gave her first verbal statement. "The Emperor is a kind and generous person, truly worthy of the title of Holy Ruler." She prostrated herself so low that she could smell and almost taste the rug on the floor. "This concubine shall be eternally grateful."

"Up, get up." Wen did just that, but she kept her head down all the while. The Emperor spoke again. "You're so comely today, even in this dismal air. Hasn't Miseo been teaching you dancing techniques?"

"This concubine could never match the Empress Consort's grace," Wen said with proper humility.

"I'll be the judge of that," the Emperor said as he gestured towards one of the wet-nurses. Kaitao was soon placed in his lap. As he petted the top of his son's head, the Emperor lightly demanded, "Have someone play music, and dance for me."

Wen sighed. Then she asked a few maids to play some instruments. As her feet moved to an open space in the room, she froze her face into a calm, suave thing. Then she moved around and around the best she could. She felt the blood move all around in her veins. She felt her skin flush. Her palms and feet felt toasted. Even through her slippers, she felt the floor's surface.

Wen saw Lien and Yuwei standing by, watching her movements. Yuwei seemed more interested than Lien. She saw Fuguo playing with a soft, wooden toy as a wet-nurse knelt beside him. She saw the room spin and spin, and then she saw the Emperor's tired, almost careworn face and Kaitao shaking a rattle.

Once the dance was finally done, Wen half-knelt, and everything turned quiet, except for the babies' voices. She looked down at her shoes as she heard the Emperor's voice. "Miseo's a wonderful teacher."

Her eyes darted up to see the Emperor's ringed hands putting Kaitao into another wet-nurse's arms. He got out of his seat and started walking towards her.

Wen's heart struggled again. Her breath quickened.

He was close to her when he stopped. He took both her hands in his. He bent down and put his hushed voice to her ear.

"I'd love to have you wash your face."

She had to follow him then. Even as the balls of her feet tingled and her fingers felt limp.

Into her bedchamber, where soft pastel fabrics and calligraphy paintings gave a simple and sweet aura. Flowery incense gave off pleasant smoke. No servants. Nobody else. Only Wen and the Emperor.

Almost feeling numb, Wen washed her face and throat. But she wouldn't go to her alcove bed, not alone. She awkwardly stood in one place, staring at her gleaming, painted fingernails.

The fluttering noise of her bed's curtains being drawn back nearly startled her, although she should've expected it. Why else would he go into her bedroom? There was also the noise of the covered mattress giving into the man's weight. Then his voice, low and even.

"Wen, come."

It was more unsettling than the first time she'd laid down with him. This time, Wen had no idea what he was thinking, let alone why.

She walked over to that bed and sat down beside him, although she purposely looked away from his face.

The Emperor's next move was quick and unexpected.

His fingers went to her cheeks, spreading out, and he held her face under his as he stared down into her eyes.

He looked tired. His eyelids lowered. His lips were a bit jerky, as if the nerve endings were being prodded by something. He took in a large chunk of air into his nostrils, and then those jerking lips parted.

"I shouldn't have ignored you."

Wen swallowed down what felt like a fuzzy lump. Her eyes tried to turn away, but the man firmly said, "Look at me!"

She wanted to cry. She felt the itching in her nose and throat. Her eyes moved back up to meet his.

Trembling, pale blue irises, faintly coated in what could be called tears.

"I've neglected you."

Wen forced herself out of his grasp and fell down to her knees. Her palms on the floor, her fingernail guards pressing on a rug, she said in a croaking, not very pretty voice, "This concubine hasn't been neglected. I live in a fine palace. I have many luxuries. The food is more than I'd ever dreamed of. My sons are coddled and loved. For the Emperor to say he's neglected me ... it must be a misunderstanding."

The Emperor's voice didn't rise, but he did say, "Return to me." He reached down to claw into her sleeve and yank her back to the spot next to him. His arms wrapped around her torso and his nose went to her throat. His breath felt dense and hot.

Wen shivered.

"Wen ... this won't happen again. I won't allow it."

"Ah ... Your Majesty?"

His lips stopped her, pressing against hers, kneading and caressing. He dragged her down. They rolled around on the mattress until he suddenly pulled his mouth off, his eyes surprised, and he reached out of Wen's view. He sat up. Wen sat up too. She saw one of the Emperor's boots in his grasp. The laces were neatly tied.

Quiet, wiping her now wet lips with her sleeve, Wen watched the Emperor reach back and get the second boot. That one was also neatly laced and tied.

The skin under his eyes and cheeks quivered. He made a little smile. Then he bent over to drop the boots on the floor. Da tap! They landed in a clumsy way.

He looked down at his fingers, snorted, and started pulling rings away. He'd apparently forgotten about them. Wen got off the bed to get a tray to hold the jewelry. Then she got another tray for hers. There should've been some lovesome words between them. There wasn't. Wen was afraid to say much, and she thought the Emperor was busy thinking of lustful things.