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Rocking her son after so long was bliss, and seeing as the Mandate of Heaven would one day fall on his head, maybe Lihua was truly blessed to be his mother. Though her heart could see the baby with eyes only a mother could have, she knew this boy was less of hers to cherish and more of the people of Li to command.
It had been over a whole month since the fateful day, Lady Yingsu had informed them of the poison that was slowly killing her and her son. Not all was easily resolved, for somehow even after Shin’s thorough overseeing of confiscation of the outlawed powder, one slipped through.
Paranoid as she had become, she had sent the powder over to Master Jinshi for investigation.
It was indeed the same poison, and the lady-in-waiting who deliberately hid it from the eunuchs was exiled from court even after pleas of mercy. The thought of herself in bed, unbeknownst of the poison on her, slowly dying alongside her beloved son used to haunt her nights for weeks. Thankfully, her boy had recovered from his illness and so had she.
The court rumors once again shifted from talks of curse on imperial children to the possibility of her ascension to Empress, mother of the nation. Lihua had never been much for courtly etiquette, Shin was much better at their classes when they were being raised as proper ladies. She almost pities her devoted cousin for not choosing a noble match for herself. Despite the great help Shin was, Lihua would’ve loved to hold her nephew or niece.
Lihua feels content with her place in the world but if it came to it, she would make sure to be the most dutiful empress she could be to her subjects. But as it currently stands, Lihua remains to be the Wise Consort presiding over the Crystal Pavillion.
The Emperor had said it was too early to name a boy heir when a man was there. Any other woman may have done everything to secure the throne, and the way letters addressed to her were Lihua should've too but she found herself content in rocking her child, heir presumptive in all but law.
The moon prince is practically family to Lihua, yet she has only heard of him in rumors and whispers. He doesn’t seem to desire the throne much either, for he never ever seems to leave the shadow of his mother's room even as he has almost become a man. He might still be the crown prince but the brother of the emperor, crippled and incompetent could hardly be a threat to beloved son.
Her son might just be a baby now but one day, he will grow up and it has been far too long to leave the spot of empress vacant anymore. Sooner the Emperor names his heir, sooner would the seat of Empress come to Lihua. The mother of the nation is supposed to guide her subjects by heart while the Emperor guides his people by fist, she only hopes to do her best.
The last time he visited the Crystal pavilion for his nightly chores, the Emperor had told her, “I intend to go to the Shrine of Choosing in the coming few days. I’d like you to accompany me.” He ran his hand over his beard, it was quite a lovely beard afterall.
It was three days later when Master Jinshi had come to escort Consort Lihua on behalf of his Majesty to the old shrine. Being of royal blood herself, she knew quite a lot from her days as a young girl who was educated in all matters seen fit for an Empress of Li. All this to say, she knew what was about to happen.
This shrine had once been used to determine the one worthiest to be placed at the zenith of the nation amongst the several sons born to the Ka Clan. But as it had been long forgotten after the death of the Previous Emperor's elder brothers, and since then neither he nor his son bore many sons for the Shrine of Choosing to be needed.
She has never heard of eunuch joining the ceremony, one which even restricted consorts the permission to attend unless asked by the Emperor himself. But one could suppose the presence of a eunuch or two could easily be forgotten as an afterthought in these matters or maybe his Majesty truly had proclivities that especially favoured Eunuch Jinshi.
They went by lantern light through the darkness, heading for the northern quarter of the palace. His Majesty’s two eunuch bodyguards were with them, as were Jinshi and Gaoshun. When they reached the shrine, someone was waiting for them: an old eunuch who Lihua assumes must have been responsible for the care of the structure,
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said with a respectful bow.
The Emperor, stroking the beard of which he was so proud, nodded at him. “May I enter once more?”
“You may enter as many times as you wish, Your Majesty.” The eunuch spoke before reciting the tale that Lihua had heard way too many times in her etiquette lectures:
It’s said that once upon a time, a different people lived in these lands. These people had no chieftain, but a woman of noble blood came to them from a far place and took up residence among them, and conceived in her belly the son of heaven, who would become the country’s first emperor.
The woman was called Wang Mu, “the Mother Royal,” and some said she was an immortal. She possessed eyes that could see even in the dark of a moonless night, and it was with this strength of vision that she led the people.
That shrine was built by the original inhabitants of this land. Lady Wang Mu, the Mother Royal, chose not to forbid the people from practicing their faith when she ruled this place. Instead she used it, and made that faith concrete.
Any who would rule this land must pass through that shrine, and only those who choose the proper path may become chieftains of the land. Such was the charge Wang Mu laid upon the first emperor.In days of old, only those chosen by Wang Mu could become the next king. Eventually, the kings came to be called emperors.
Then, the old eunuch unlocked the shrine door and ushered the Emperor inside; “And whom do you require for your attendants?”
“These two, if I may,” the Emperor replied as he pointed towards Master Jinshi and Lihua.
Just past the shrine entrance was a large, empty space. There were three doors, each of a different color, and above them a sign that read: Pass not through the red door. The doors were blue, red, and green, respectively.
“Which door do you choose, sir?” the old eunuch said, stroking his chin.
The Emperor scratched the back of his neck, then headed for the blue door. “I chose the green one last time. Might as well try this one.”
“Indeed, sir.”
The party passed through the blue door which began the game of choosing doors and passing through narrow halls till they reached the last door. The door creaked as it opened, but beyond it was only a single door unlike the three doors in all the rooms before.
In place of a question, the sign above it read: Child of royalty, yet not child of the Mother Royal. The phrase didn’t exactly make sense to Lihua, but it was a pretty clear rejection nonetheless.
“Same as last time, eh?” The Emperor seemed to be hiding a bitter smile behind his bountiful beard. Jinshi was watching him closely. “Is it not given to me to know the will of heaven?”
“Your Majesty jests. Ever since this shrine was closed away in the rear palace, I alone have been left to oversee it. Heaven’s will has nothing to do with it.” The eunuch put his hands in his sleeves and bowed his head. The eunuch opened the door before them. “You’ll find the exit this way, sir,” he said.
“Lihua, do you think the heavens would be more pleased to let you know its wishes?” The message was clear, the Emperor wanted her to lead the next round of choosing ahead of them. The legend did speak of the worthiness of man if his consort could solve the riddle behind the shrine of choosing and after all this, Lihua was admittedly curious too.
“If that is what you desire, Your Majesty, I would be pleased to offer my counsel to you.” But alas, Heaven’s wishes remain a mystery as despite Lihua’s drastically different choices, they still ended back at the same door.
Maybe heaven was waiting to reveal its secret to someone more like Consort Gyokuyou but the Emperor has been a tremendous ruler despite Wang Mu’s approval. Maybe the old eunuch was right and heaven truly does not oversee the shrine anymore.