The Double

Time flees like a dream, and beauty fades as flowers do, all alike in their transience.

Emperor Hongxiao was in Cining Palace, accompanying the Empress Dowager in reciting scriptures.

As the Empress Dowager recited scriptures, Emperor Hongxiao simply sat to one side, flipping through the scripture book. Compared to the Empress Dowager’s piety, Emperor Hongxiao seemed to be much less sincere. But the Empress Dowager, eyes closed and absorbed in her recitation, did not see this. She was so focused, as if nothing in the world was more important than the scripture before her. And so the days went by, one after another, year after year, almost as if since the moment Emperor Hongxiao took the throne, this had been her way.

She did not intervene in the affairs of state, nor did she dominate the palace like Empress Dowager Liu, almost causing people to forget there was such an Empress Dowager. It was said that when she was young, she was the same—gentle and virtuous, never engaging in jealousy or conflicts in the harem. Instead, she raised a child not her own and watched him ascend the throne. Without the Empress Dowager, the young Emperor Hongxiao might have been devoured to nothing by the ambitious Empress Dowager Liu and her son.

But to say that Emperor Hongxiao and the Empress Dowager shared a close bond would also not be quite right; it was nothing more than a façade of peace.

After accompanying the Empress Dowager in chanting scriptures for a while, Emperor Hongxiao left Cining Palace. He didn’t return to the Imperial Study Room. He had looked over documents all night and attended the early court session, sleeping for less than a few shichen in total. He needed to return to his sleeping chambers to rest. As he reached the entrance of his sleeping quarters, Eunuch Su approached him and said, "Your Majesty, Consort Li has arrived."

Consort Li emerged from behind the door. Among the many beauties of the palace, she was the most unhurried. Even as the spring brought a fresh influx of beauties into the palace—young, vibrant, bud-like beauties that made the entire royal palace especially beautiful—the former beauties felt threatened and dressed up even more extravagantly. But for Consort Li, it seemed there was never any distinction. She never felt endangered, nor did she fear the emperor falling for another beauty. She just went about her affairs gently and softly, just as she was then, standing at the doorway, smiling at Emperor Hongxiao and saying, "Your Majesty, I made some snacks using the new acacia honey from this year. Would you care to try some?"

No one could refuse such gentle insistence, and Emperor Hongxiao chuckled, "Sure."