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Jinshi wasn’t sure if he’d heard His Majesty right. “What?”
“This banquet will serve for you to find a wife, too,” he repeated, using clearer words this time. Jinshi’s stomach dropped. “You’re getting old, Zui.”
“I know, but–”
“I’ve honored the terms of our bet all these years. It’s time for you to truly step into your role.” Jinshi couldn’t help but feel like the Emperor meant much more with those words, but he opted to ignore it. He had a new prince now. Jinshi was not the first in line anymore.
“Will I at least get to know who will be in attendance?” Meaning, was there any girl His Majesty hoped to set him up with? Jinshi hoped not.
“I’m certain there will be many Western officials eager to introduce their daughters. But I’ve also asked Ah-Duo to help procure some candidates of her own.”
He clenched his jaw. It was good that he didn’t have anyone specific in mind, but delegating the task to his former consort didn’t bring Jinshi any comfort. This was a nightmare; the exact thing he’d been hoping to avoid all these years. “And what if no one is to my liking?”
No one else, he wanted to say, but he held his tongue. His Majesty smirked. “Well, I’m certain you’ll find a way.” Jinshi did not understand what he meant. “Regardless, I want you to enjoy yourself on this trip, Zui.”
He did not know how he could. A trip like this could easily take months. It’s already been hard enough to find the time to go see Maomao. He couldn’t stay away from her for so long.
Besides, she’s been of immense help concerning the plague. All the knowledge she’d been able to accumulate from the books and from her own observations had been of utmost importance to him. Jinshi was trying to adjust his actions accordingly, such as with the new tax rates. He wished to see how much it was affecting some of the villages, but…
He placed a hand on his chin, pondering. It wouldn’t be a complete detour to see it for himself, but he would need to be careful going about it. Could this be an option? “May I ask for a favor, Your Highness?” Jinshi said.
“What is it?”
“I’d like to visit a few villages on the way to the Western capital. Particularly, the ones that produce paper.”
His Majesty pondered for a moment. “Is this about the taxes you’ve raised?”
“Yes, sir. I’d like to see their impact firsthand.” There was more to it, but Jinshi had been the one tasked with dealing with the plague and everything associated with it. He intended to see to all of it.
The Emperor stroked his beard. “I suppose that would be acceptable. Although I’m unsure if it would be a good look for the Moon Prince to make inspections of this kind…”
“I have a plan for that, sir.” He waited for an explanation. “I’ve spent years pretending to be someone of much lesser status. I can do that once more.”
“You can no longer be Jinshi the Eunuch.”
“I have other disguises.” He’d been putting Maomao’s lesson in makeup to very good use. It was the best way to show up in the pleasure district without attracting any attention to himself. People were sure to talk if they noticed the Moon Prince was making regular visits to the Verdigris House, of all places.
“So be it,” the Emperor said, standing. “You are dismissed.” Jinshi bowed, and made to leave. “Zui.”
“Yes, sir?”
The Emperor had an unusual look on his face, but Jinshi couldn’t tell what exactly it meant. “I hope you'll make a good choice.”
Jinshi wanted to go visit Maomao today, but he was buried under a mountain of paperwork. Business as usual, but he was not paying attention to any of it. He could not get the Emperor’s words out of his mind, and he needed to come up with a plan.
Needless to say, Jinshi had no desire to get married to some woman he barely knew. Only a year prior, he hadn’t wanted to get married at all. Things had changed, but the threat of being forced into a political marriage was real now.
Jinshi had to find a way out. He sighed. He knew full well that marriage would be a terrible idea at this time. The Crown Prince was too young still; if anything happened to the Emperor, Jinshi was in danger of taking his place. If he ended up marrying now, his wife would end up trapped into a role she never wanted.
Still, in order to avoid getting engaged to anyone else, he would have to make sure everyone knew his choice was made.
This shouldn’t be as hard as it was. On paper, Maomao could be a candidate. She was the daughter of a high-ranking military officer – the head of a named clan, no less. For all intents and purposes, Maomao was a princess, more than suitable to be betrothed to the Moon Prince.
There were a few problems with that. The first was that no one knew who Maomao was. It was common knowledge at this point that the Grand Commandant Kan had a daughter he was quite fond of, but few people had ever seen her. She had never made any appearances in high society functions, and therefore it would be tough to simply announce her as his choice.
The second issue was the position the La clan held in court. They were a neutral faction, playing by their own rules, never making any kind of political alliance. If Jinshi and Maomao were to marry, it would disrupt the balance of the empire. Even if she rejected her status, it would be as much a declaration of loyalty to the Emperor as anything else.
Lakan would not be fond of that. He would also not be fond of any man trying to take his precious daughter away, but that was beside the point for now.
But the final and most prominent issue was Maomao herself, and her tendency to push Jinshi away. He still held hope that she liked him, but her hot and cold demeanor brought a lot of doubt to his heart. This would be a harder problem to circumvent, but he was going to try no matter what. This was what he wanted, and he would stop at nothing to get it.
Jinshi would have to make her attend that banquet, then. Could he find a way to bring her there without raising any suspicions in her mind?
He couldn’t tell her what this was about – he knew her; she would play dumb until the very end. The stop at the paper village could be the perfect excuse. Getting Maomao to come along to help with a political issue should be easy. But he needed to keep her unquestioning even after arriving at the Western capital. He would not be able to be seen with her there.
How could he orchestrate this, then? “Moon Prince,” a voice came in from the doorway.
He noticed it was Basen. “Yes?”
“A messenger came in to deliver this.” He placed a wooden box on his desk. “Is this something you recognize?”
Jinshi smiled. “Yes, thank you.” He opened the box, seeing exactly what he’d expected. It did not take as long as he thought it would to be finished, but the new hairpin was here. He’d decided to get her a replacement almost as soon as Maomao mentioned she didn’t have it anymore. What great timing.
Jinshi had been upset Maomao had given his hairpin away, but when she’d told him who she’d given it to, he’d understood. He couldn’t stay upset after realizing this was her way of looking out for a friend. It was a shame, but he didn’t think Maomao realized why she’d done it.
So she understands what it means. At least on some level. She wouldn’t be able to ignore it this time.
He took the hairpin out of the box. The craftsman was an exceptionally talented worker, and the results did not disappoint. Jinshi had given clear instructions about what he wanted, and all the details were superb.
It was of fine silver much like the old one, but it looked somewhat different, with something quite significant engraved onto it: a moon and poppies. There was no way she would miss what it meant this time.
No one else would miss it, either. “Is that for you, sir?” Basen asked.
“Do you think it is?” He got flustered immediately, and Jinshi had to laugh. “Just a joke, Basen.”
“Of course, sir.” Jinshi stored the hairpin back in its box, his plan taking a more solid shape. Basen looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t.
Jinshi could guess what it was. “Is there anything you want to say?”
Basen hesitated. “Is it true His Majesty wants to find you a wife?”
He sighed. He didn’t mean to, but the subject was already flooding his mind, and he was sick of it. Literally, for the mere mention of it caused his stomach to turn. “I suppose yes.”
There was a beat of silence. He wondered what Basen was thinking. Maybe his milk brother feared that this would put the same idea into his own father’s head. Gaoshun certainly seemed eager to have his youngest take a wife sooner rather than later. “Do you know any of the candidates?” Basen asked.
“I do not.” At least Jinshi thought he wouldn’t know any of them. The officials from the Western capital were sure to have many options in mind, but who knew which ladies Ah-Duo would bring? He thought of who she might pick, and realized to his horror that it wasn’t out of the question for Consort Lishu to be brought along as a candidate.
His Majesty had been searching for a reason to get rid of her for years now, uncomfortable with her position as one of the high-ranking consorts. He’d only ever seen her as a daughter, and refused to visit her. But the thought of her as his bride made Jinshi extremely uncomfortable too.
Not only because she’d been originally brought to the rear palace as a consort to the former emperor, but also because Jinshi had known her for a long time. Worse than that, he knew Lishu mostly as Jinshi the Eunuch, and he was well aware of all the suffering she’d endured all these years.
The last thing he wanted was to marry someone he pitied so deeply. He’d rather be with someone he respected; someone who wouldn’t look out of place standing next to him.
He sighed again. He had to get Maomao to that banquet, and he had to make it abundantly clear she was his only option. He could not be crass about it, but there were many holes in his plan still.
He also questioned the lackadaisical attitude the Emperor had about this. He didn’t have any specific woman in mind for him. He was letting Jinshi choose as he wished, even though he had a good hunch His Majesty knew exactly who he would want to choose.
Jinshi frowned, his words continuing to echo in his mind. I’m certain you’ll find a way. Was that what he meant?
He’d been suspicious of His Majesty’s opinion of Maomao ever since the Shrine of Choosing. If the Emperor only wanted to know the correct path, he could have simply asked her about it. Allowing her to walk through it, joking about making her one of his consorts, then telling Jinshi to take her instead; all of it had felt like a provocation.
Jinshi knew His Majesty wasn’t happy about his reluctance to succeed him. But this was not his path; he was merely his younger brother. His firstborn should be the one he turned his attention to. Jinshi brushed it off as the fact he was an adult, while the other princes were still infants. But if this continued…
At least one good thing had come out of that episode: the Emperor would have no qualms if Jinshi picked Maomao. Good, because anyone else would be a cruel punishment.
I hope you'll make a good choice. He would. He already had, actually. Long before this banquet was ever set up, though Jinshi wasn’t sure how to bring this up with Maomao in a way she would understand. Even if he had no intention of marrying her right away, he needed to make his feelings known.
Now he had the perfect excuse. All he needed was to find someone to accompany her…
He glanced back at the papers on his desk, deciding he should stop procrastinating. It was a report regarding the rice shipment of the papermakers’ village he’d mentioned to the Emperor earlier. It truly looked like something was up, so it would be a good idea to stop by. Lahan’s numbers sure showed–
Jinshi’s eyes went wide, an idea hitting him like a lightning bolt. “Basen!”
“Yes, sir?”
“Could you please carry a summons for me? It’s urgent.”
“Of course, sir, who do you need me to call?”
Jinshi smirked. Yes, his plan was coming together nicely.
“You wanted to see me, Moon Prince?” Lahan asked, his head bowed. He was annoyed to be plucked away from his work so suddenly, but he could not ignore a summons from the Moon Prince himself. He had no idea what he wanted that was this urgent, though.
“Yes,” he answered. “I heard you were interested in meeting with some Western merchants, is that true?”
Lahan was both surprised and impressed that his intentions had traveled so quickly. “Yes, sir.”
He opted to not elaborate. The numbers did not lie, and the threat of famine drew close in the countries to the north of Li. If he could propose a trade of grain while the threat was still a mere threat, Lahan would surely be able to profit from it. The money would be more than welcomed right now.
The Moon Prince smiled, his eyes calculated yet still stunning. Lahan wondered what it was like to be in possession of such otherworldly beauty. “Well, it just so happens that I will be attending a banquet at the Western capital soon. I was told that many merchants from Shaoh will also be in attendance.”
“Truly?”
He nodded. “I assume you’d like to meet with them in person, no?”
Lahan took a moment to reply. He needed to analyze the situation first to know what would be the correct response. The Moon Prince had emphasized this was a pressing matter, and here he was dangling a great business opportunity in front of him. Something about this wasn’t adding up.
As far as Lahan could see, none of this concerned the Moon Prince at all. Unless this was related to the plague, and there was more he wished to learn. He decided he had to go along with whatever he said. “It would be quite favorable, yes,” Lahan answered.
The Moon Prince continued to smile. “In that case, I’d like to invite your clan as guests. Since this is a matter that concerns your family, as such.” Something still seemed off, but Lahan could not deny a direct invitation from him. “Your father, would he be able to come along?”
Lahan shook his head. “Unfortunately not, sir. He’s been having some personal issues as of late.”
The Moon Prince nodded. His eyebrows moved a few centimeters, indicating he was actually happy with this outcome. Lahan was glad, because he was not willing to explain that after the lavish expense that had been buying out that courtesan – and the long time Lakan had taken off work afterwards – her health was deteriorating fast.
Lahan was still struggling to pay off that debt, hence the need to seize this opportunity. “Well, I suppose he could send a subordinate to represent him,” the Moon Prince said. “Though you also represent your clan well enough.”
Lahan was not sure if that was a compliment or not. “Thank you, sir.”
“So it is decided, then. You’ll come to the banquet.”
His words were as good as the word of heaven, so Lahan could only agree. He was a little confused as to why the Moon Prince was showing such generosity, but he would take anything he could get. “It will be an honor, Moon Prince.”
“I have a request, though.” Of course. Lahan should have seen this coming, even if he didn’t see the Moon Prince as a particularly cunning individual. “I need you to take your sister to the banquet.”
“My sister?”
“Yes.” Lahan noticed his cheeks getting about forty percent darker. “All the guests present will be accompanied by a female relative. Since she is the only woman within the La clan, it would make sense for you to bring her along.”
Female relative, huh? So there was more to this banquet than he was letting on, and it was a personal rather than a work matter. There was a glaring concern with his condition, though, and Lahan’s toes began to ache on instinct. “Well, sir, I would gladly be her chaperone, but getting Maomao to the Western capital with me might be an issue.”
“Don’t worry, she will be there. I’ll make sure of it. All you have to do is escort her and be seen with her. She is a member of your clan, after all.”
Lahan smirked, catching some hidden intentions in his words. Ah, how fortuitous.
He should have realized something was going on when the Moon Prince decided to come out of hiding in order to lead the Forbidden Army against the Shi clan. Lahan knew his main reason hadn’t been to squash the rebellion as much as it had been to save Maomao.
But he had no idea things were this serious. If this banquet had the purpose the Moon Prince was implying, and if he was insisting on having his sister there… Yes, most fortuitous indeed.
His father might be happy staying neutral, but Lahan had no issue with picking a side if the numbers told him it was the best option. Neutrality had proven to be the most effective path so far, but if his honored little sister managed to get herself a little heir from the Moon Prince, the numbers would surely shift.
An imperial heir, right in his household… Lahan could not picture a better outcome than this. Even if Maomao didn’t end up as his wife, all she needed was his child. Lahan would gladly take the brunt of raising it from her. They could be a team for once, working for the greater good of their clan.
Now all he needed was a way to convince Maomao to let the Moon Prince into her. That shouldn’t be too hard, if they were actually as close as they seemed. Maybe things were already happening between them, and that was why he was so eager for her to attend this banquet.
Lahan bowed. “As you wish, Moon Prince. Maomao will be there with me.”
The Moon Prince smiled, radiant and perfect as always. “Good.” For all Maomao was not the ambitious type, life had sure dealt her a great hand. Lahan intended to make good use of it.