Chapter 3: The Empress

Eunuch Wang Li had only begun serving the emperor today. Though he had heard tales of the emperor’s temperament, these were but rumors; faced with the emperor’s grand ambitions, he felt little. The two palace maids in the hall, however, exchanged glances, each thinking, “Why does the emperor seem so changed today?”

They knew all too well the emperor’s usual conduct—scandalous and wanton. Nearly every day, he would tease them, and though perhaps out of deference to the Prime Minister he never truly crossed the line, suggestive remarks and inappropriate touches were common. Yet today, the emperor seemed to have forgotten their very existence.

Most astonishing was that, whereas before the emperor’s mind brimmed only with indulgence and evasion from the Prime Minister’s lessons and state affairs, now he spoke in lofty, heroic terms. It was bewildering. His words were strange—what of Shu Han’s fall? What of living two lives? The maids could not make sense of it.

As they whispered in secret, hurried footsteps sounded in the courtyard. All looked up to see a woman burst through the doors.

She appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed simply in white, her hair coiled high, her expression tense and brow furrowed. Lifting the hem of her gauzy skirt, she strode swiftly across the courtyard threshold. Upon seeing Liu Tan standing on the steps, tears welled in her eyes, and she rushed to his side in an instant.

“Your Majesty, the Empress!” the eunuchs and maids saluted, making the identity of the woman clear to Liu Tan—his empress, daughter of Zhang Fei, known in later generations as the Revered and Lamented Empress.

He gathered his senses, about to look at her closely, when she unexpectedly seized his ear.

“Your Majesty! As sovereign, you show no diligence, no concern for the realm, instead idling away your days in mischief. Were it not for my prayers and vows in plain dress, your very life might have been at risk! You must not act this way again, do you understand?”

A sharp pain shot through him. Liu Tan instinctively grasped her hand, trying to free himself, but this slender, delicate hand proved astonishingly strong. Even with all his might, he could not budge her grip.

This realization left Liu Tan both exasperated and helpless. He could only plead, “Empress, Empress, I... I dare not, I dare not. Please, let go!”

The empress released him and wiped away her tears, before suddenly breaking into a smile.

“As long as Your Majesty is unharmed, all is well!”

Liu Tan coughed awkwardly. The empress’s care for the emperor was evident, but her methods—this was truly formidable. He could not help but feel sympathy for the former Liu Tan.

Moreover, her strength was tremendous—truly the daughter of General Zhang Fei!

Now that he himself was emperor, however, this state of being bullied had to change.

His thoughts shifted quickly. After all, he was now the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler.

He caught the empress by the arm and smiled. “Empress, come, let us speak together.”

He turned to Wang Li and ordered, “Bring tea for the Empress and me.”

He led the empress into the main hall.

“Please, be seated,” he said, settling her onto a chair before finally taking a good look at her.

He had to admit, the empress was strikingly beautiful. Dressed simply, without a trace of makeup, she was as lovely as a celestial maiden. One could hardly imagine that the fierce, wild-eyed Zhang Fei could have fathered such a daughter.

Her beauty was worlds apart from her father’s visage, but her temper—that, Liu Tan realized, was truly her father’s legacy.

“Your Majesty, please,” said the empress, accepting the tea tray.

“You may all withdraw,” Liu Tan instructed the attendants.

Once alone, he gently set the tray on the table and offered a cup of tea to the empress.

She hesitated, surprised. This was entirely unlike the emperor’s past behavior. Before, he would either rage or make a scene; when had he ever served her tea?

She looked up at the man before her, a subtle stir in her heart. The emperor truly seemed changed today; she found herself curious, even hopeful for what might come next.

The emperor straightened his robe, his expression solemn. “Empress, was your conduct toward me just now not improper?”

The empress narrowed her eyes, responding only with an “oh,” waiting to hear him out.

“Though I am the sovereign of Shu Han, you humiliated me before all. Was this proper?” He paused, leaning toward his beautiful wife, the Empress of Shu Han, and demanded, “Was it?”

She started at his sudden shout, nearly falling from her seat, but quickly regained her composure. This was the emperor seeking to censure her—her temper flared.

She was used to being domineering; the emperor’s shout alone would not change her ways. She leapt from her seat, rolled up her sleeves, expressing both anger and concern, and said with a stamp of her foot, “Your Majesty, I am strict because I care. As empress, it is my duty to urge you to diligence. Shu Han stands weak; outside, we face powerful foes in Wei and Wu, while within, endless wars leave the people destitute. I dare not strike too harshly nor scold too bitterly, but through these shrewish displays, I hope to remind Your Majesty always that you bear great responsibility and must not remain as lost as before!”

Though her words and actions seemed overbearing, anyone could sense her deep concern for the emperor. Liu Tan understood, yet to be treated so before all was still unacceptable—he was, after all, the emperor.

“Empress, I will strive henceforth. But leaving aside my own failings, you showed disrespect to the emperor in public. According to the law, what should your punishment be?” he asked, fixing her with a look.

Her brow arched. “Does Your Majesty mean to punish me? Very well, very well, very well!” With that, she made to leave the hall. “I shall fetch the Prime Minister to judge between us!”

“Damn it!” Liu Tan cursed inwardly, hastening to stop her. “This is a matter between husband and wife. Why involve the Prime Minister? Besides, I do not truly wish to punish you. Come, let us discuss this.”

Inwardly, Liu Tan felt immense vexation. He could not best her in strength, nor would scolding have any effect—indeed, it might make things worse. And when he tried to reason, she threatened to bring in the Prime Minister.

The former Liu Shan had been a wastrel. Even when in the right, blame would still fall upon him. Moreover, the empress’s family was the Zhang clan. Though Zhang Fei was long dead, his influence surely remained. In the end, the emperor might not even have the upper hand.

He sighed inwardly. Who says being emperor is easy? Just this one incident revealed that Liu Shan’s reign was far from idyllic.

With this empress before him, he could hardly stand his ground—let alone face all his officials and ministers.

“Hmph, just you wait. When I’ve secured my footing, I’ll have you singing my victory,” he thought.

Despite his thoughts, Liu Tan gently returned the empress to her seat. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “What is there to discuss? If you do not improve, there is nothing to discuss.”

“Improve?” Liu Tan asked. “And what, pray, does the empress consider ‘improvement’?”

Her lips curled in a faint smile. “Excel in both civil governance and military achievement—surpass even me.”