Chapter 7 Incense and Green Tangerine
When we left, Li Yuancheng asked what the Empress and I had talked about.
I answered, "This consort asked Imperial Mother some things about nurturing the pregnancy.
"This consort has no Mother, and Second Elder Sister is still in Jinling and has not returned, so this consort could only seek counsel from Imperial Mother."
Li Yuancheng did not look as if he suspected me. "Imperial Mother is kind. She will not be stingy in teaching you."
On the way back to the Eastern Palace, I ran into Li Yuankuo again.
Several young princes were pulling at him, asking him to play cuju with them.
They saw us as well and immediately put away their smiles to greet Li Yuancheng.
Those brothers were somewhat distant from Li Yuancheng.
Li Yuancheng had been sent to Chen as a hostage at ten and only brought back to Great Zhou at seventeen. The time he had lived with them had not been long.
"Imperial Elder Brother, will you come play cuju with us?" Li Yuankuo asked on his own.
"All right." Li Yuancheng agreed readily.
I had thought Li Yuancheng would not agree. At breakfast, Xu Liuyi's maid had come to say she was unwell, and Li Yuancheng had promised to return early to see her.
Besides, Li Yuancheng had never seemed to like Li Yuankuo. Otherwise he would not have sent Li Yuankuo, only nineteen, to campaign against Wu.
Yet he agreed.
And he even had me come watch.
On the cuju field, Li Yuancheng moved with speed and control, slipping past those who tried to stop him again and again.
Li Yuankuo was no weaker. He moved like a swimming dragon and landed several successful counters.
Watching the two of them snatch the ball back and forth, I thought that if Great Zhou had not had the rule of naming the eldest son Crown Prince, Li Yuancheng would not have taken the seat of Crown Prince so easily.
At the height of the match, Xu Liuyi arrived.
She sat down without paying respects to me.
When others could not see, she never observed the rules in front of me.
Before, I had made allowances because she had fallen from princess to Tribute Woman, and I had not quarreled with her.
Now, I would.
So I started to vomit again, until the sky and earth went dark, and the maids scrambled in a panic.
Li Yuancheng ran over at once. "Why are you vomiting again?"
My eyes filled with tears. "It is nothing. I have only grown sensitive to incense lately. I want to vomit the moment I smell it."
Here, only Xu Liuyi's clothes carried incense.
Suyue spoke up for me as well. "Lady of Excellence Xie Yuying cannot bear incense. The imperial physicians gave special instructions. Xu Liuyi, it is one thing that you used it, but you even sat so close to Lady of Excellence Xie Yuying..."
Everyone looked at Xu Liuyi.
On an ordinary day, they would not have thought her use of incense meant anything.
But now the child in my belly had half a chance of becoming the future Crown Prince of Great Zhou.
They seemed to take it as her slighting me.
Li Yuancheng glanced at Xu Liuyi. "Do not use incense from now on."
There was a look of grievance in Xu Liuyi's eyes. "Yes."
But in the next breath Li Yuancheng said, "Wait until the child is born. It will not be too late for you to use it then."
Xu Liuyi grew pleased at once. "This consort thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Her eyes shifted. She smiled at me as if I were a joke.
The people around looked at me too, with sympathy.
Most of them knew of Li Yuancheng's fondness for Xu Liuyi. Perhaps some even knew I was the scapegoat meant to die in Xu Liuyi's place.
And I, knowing the truth, felt a sharp pain in my chest when I stood in the middle of it again.
"Imperial Elder Brother, since Lady of Excellence Xie Yuying is unwell, let today's cuju end here," Li Yuankuo said, which at least got me out of it.
Li Yuancheng answered, "Very well. We can settle the score another day."
Li Yuankuo then held out a green tangerine to me. "Put this tangerine under your nose. It can stop the vomiting."
My heart sank. This kindness of his was likely to bring trouble.
Li Yuancheng's eyes went cold. He had always been fiercely possessive. Even if I was only the birthing vessel he had chosen, I could not receive care from another man.
Especially since I had nearly been granted in marriage to this man.
Xu Liuyi fanned the flames as well. "Your Highness Prince Huan is truly concerned for Lady of Excellence Xie Yuying."
Li Yuankuo gave a faint smile and took another green tangerine for Xu Liuyi. "Xu Liuyi, your color looks a little poor. Eating some tangerine can help."
It seemed to me he knew how to turn the disaster toward someone else.
Xu Liuyi took it, unwilling.
I thanked him as well and had Suyue take the tangerine, peel it, and give it to me.
The clean scent of tangerine spread through the autumn air. My restless heart did ease a great deal.