The Empress Wears Gucci

65

        Today was my birthday. The ancient Chinese didn't celebrate birthdays. Only when you were younger or the elderly, they would. I was fine with that. I usually never celebrated my birthday.

         We were in the midst of summer now, the beautiful birds singing outside and the humidity was scaring me. Near the end of July, I should be enjoying myself with Cherry. I will forever miss my family and friends. However, I've been so used to this environment, that I wasn't as saddened as I should be.

        Was it wrong? The next month marks my anniversary of being here. It has only been a year but it felt like forever because there was no way could I have possibly been Empress within a year. 

        I chose to ignore the elephant in the room. 

        I wasn't from here. There was no reason to stay here. I had goals to accomplish and I wanted to find love. 

        All was well. Everything was going great and the harem was surprisingly peaceful. I sat on my throne next to the Emperor as he went through with his tasks. While I continued reading in silence, he straightened his back and turned to me. 

       I put my index finger on my spot in the book before looking up at him. "What's bothering you, Your Majesty?"

       "Ying Yue, I wish to promote an Imperial Concubine," the Emperor spoke solemnly, staring into my eyes.

        Confused, I nodded in agreement with his wishes. It was a random train of thought in his head, I believe. We were sitting silently for quite some time before he brought it up. But I always complied with his requests.

       "Yes, I will do the promotion," I gave him a small reassuring smile. My eyes wandered away from him before I shifted in my seat. "But, Your Majesty, I will like to get to know this concubine before promotion. Do you mind?"

        The Emperor watched me carefully. He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying my face for a moment. After, he turned away from me and picked up his brush again. "Not at all. Imperial Concubine Feng, Feng Bao Zhai comes from the Feng family. Her father is the head of the Ministry of Revenue."

        "Perhaps it's best if I leave immediately to visit her," I suggested, getting up from my seat. "I shall take my leave, Your Majesty."

        The late empress has clearly never complied with the Emperor in this sort of way because the Emperor watched me with a dismayed look on his face. He tried to hide it but it didn't work. His sudden blinking and pausing of his movements were funny to watch.

       My reputation as the Empress was not bad at all. The harem was peaceful. There weren't any troubling situations. Even the petty fights between the women had decreased. The four women who were pregnant were healthy. Two, including Su Yin, will be due in about two months. 

         The Emperor talked to me about state affairs from time to time. Something had happened in various regions. People weren't making as much money as they usually were. Class was a big division here, and I wasn't very surprised by it. He was planning to head over for inspection soon but there were too many things to keep track of. 

        I fixed my attire and tucked the book under my arm. As I began to walk down, I felt the Emperor grab my wrist. 

        "Yes, Your Majesty?" I looked behind my shoulder. A cheerful smile spread across his face as he pulled me back near him. 

        "It is your birthday, Ying Yue," he stated. "I believe you are nineteen this year?"

        "Yes, Your Majesty." I nodded hesitantly. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't. He held his tongue. I still try to process the fact that I was the Empress and a young adult at the same time. It was surreal to me.