Short Story: A Day in the Life of Lu Qing Yu (POV) Part 1

Since I ascended the throne, life had been mundane for me.

At first, I was relieved that I no longer had to keep up pretenses with the rest of the family. The battle for the throne had worn out even the most patient and distant of the family, leaving behind only flaming palaces and broken bridges. Every other day, a new memorial tablet was added to the ancestral hall.

Then, I was overcome with grief. Grief that took many, many years to subside. Beneath the strong, cold front I put on every morning together with the dragon robes, I secretly wondered if I had done the right thing.

As I lay in bed, the faces of my fallen brothers and sisters appeared in my mind, haunting me, admonishing me for the sins I had committed. I longed to be a small child again, playing with my siblings in the palace grounds, hiding from the maidservants. I was free to like who I liked, get up and leave when I didn't like something, and immerse myself in my books.

This morning, my elder brother made an appearance in my dream again. Against the willow trees, an elegant silhouette gazed at me. White and jade robes fluttered in the spring breeze, bringing with it his distinct scent.

This part of the palace gardens was like our secret place, where even the maidservants knew to keep a distance, allowing us to converse in secret. For awhile, I let down my guard, returning to a happy place. The man with the sharp eyebrows and dewy complexion that looked like a painting slowly parted his lips, mouthing something to me. I watched him eagerly, straining my neck, too short to speak to him at eye level. I was 8.

"Qing Yu, are you happy?"

The voice that came out wasn't my elder brother's silvery, barotone voice. It was strained, cracking, full of resentment and unsaid words.

My head spun as the scene changed. Patches of red clouded my vision, and I fell to the ground. Feeling something wet on my forehead, I touched it reflexively and lifted my hand to my face to take a look. "This... blood?" I croaked.

My head was throbbing. The smell of iron slowly spread, suffocating me. As I raised my head to look at my elder brother, the whole scene was dyed with red. The grass was matted with clotted blood and treaded dirt, and the sky seemed to be lit on fire, a fiery orange with patches of purple bruises.

Hollow, shuddering breaths brought me to my senses. "Elder brother!" I rushed to his side. The curved bark of the willow tree was painted with bloody hand prints. Elder brother leaned weakly on the tree, disheveled. Between the slim, bony fingers pressed to his stomach, pungent blood seeped out at a startling pace, dying his robes crimson.

"Elder brother, I, I'm so sorry, I..." I stammered, my mind at a blank. I had seen this scene many times throughout the years, but had never been able to take control. I was just a spectator. No matter what I did, the events still continued to play out, trapping me in this day like a horrid tale. Elder brother lifted his head slowly, his expression distorted and mocking. His breaths had slowed tremendously, and weak breath after breath was separated by too long intervals. "Qing... Yu.... you..." he managed.

Beside myself, I leaned forward, trying to hear the next few words.

They never came. They never did.

I woke up, covered in sweat.

I sighed, holding my aching head. I looked around to make sure it was a familiar room. Remembering I had something to do as usual, and no time to sleep in, I forced myself to get out of bed. Perspiration had stuck my inner clothes to my body, and I peeled them away fruitlessly, trying to cool down.

I moved aside the curtains to look outside. Unlike what I thought, the sky was still dark, and the dim glow of "lamps" lined the courtyard. As I pulled aside the curtains, 2 guards standing right outside my window startled, before greeting me, and moving further away. Never mind. I could get an early start to my day today.

I made my way to the bath. My servants, used to my odd waking hours, had already heard me moving around in the room and had begun drawing the bath. The courtyard slowly came to life. After a bath, I felt a bit better, my mind clear and refreshed. I was helped into dragon robes and dressed properly before I headed out to my office.

At the door, I was met by Eunuch Song Chu, as well as 6 guards who came to escort me out. I knew there were more hiding in the shadows. "Can't sleep again, Your Highness?" Eunuch Song Chu, or Chu, as I liked to call him, asked. I shook my head. "Thought I'd get an early start today. There's lots to do." I said. "Your Highness is so dedicated to the empire." he remarked.

In my office, I sorted out the papers I had been looking over the night before, then made a mental checklist of my priorities to complete for the day. Eunuch Song Chu stood at the ready with his scroll beside my desk for our morning ritual. "Chu, what do I have today?" I asked. Eunuch Song Chu had been my servant since I was a child. Seeing as how we practically grew up together, sharing misadventures, secrets and went through life and death matters to ascend the throne, I treated him more like a friend. And he me. In private, we could speak as we liked, and I valued his opinion.

"Your Highness, you have court until the late afternoon. After which, you have to approve the appointments of the 2 new county heads, approve the budget plans for the month, as well as consider the new law proposed in the last court." he said. I snorted. "So a typical day stuck in the office." I said. "Yes, Your Highness." Silence fell as I briefly resigned to my fate. "Can I say something?" he asked frankly. "Go on." I waved my sleeve carelessly.

"The Empress Dowager has been meaning to spend an afternoon with you. Imperial Princess Jun also wishes to see you. Perhaps you can get out of court early and use visiting them as an excuse." he said. "Oh! This is great news! I forgot all about it. I'll do as you suggested." I said happily, feeling better. But why did I feel like I had forgotten something? I fidgeted with the thumb ring on my left hand, thinking. Hold on. Thumb ring?

My eyes traveled to the elaborate but simple thumb ring I wore. Ling Yue had given this to me. Ling Yue! "What is Ling Yue doing these days?" I asked Eunuch Song Chu. "Your Highness, Noble Concubine Ling is working on her business expansion. She is very busy." he said. Again? Running a business sure wasn't easy. I wished I could see her more. "Erm... What gift should I get her?" I asked awkwardly. "What's the purpose of the gift?" Eunuch Song Chu asked. "Is it a special occasion?" he added.

I shook my head. "I just want to do something nice for her. What about more fabrics? We just got a new tribute from one of the vassal states. It would look good on her." I suggested. Eunuch Song Chu scoffed. "Noble Concubine Ling has mentioned she does not care for hairpins, jewelry, robes or treasures. She has built a new wing in Lunar Palace to accommodate all the gifts she keeps getting. It may come off as insincere." he said. Oh... he was right.

But I had to send her something. What if she forgot about me? I hadn't been mentioned in the story much recently. "We just got a shipment of honey peaches from Yu Zhou province. It is in season now and quite difficult to get ahold of." he prompted. "Great idea. Get the kitchen to check for poison, then make her some confectioneries with it. Then someone can send it to her, wherever she is, and include some matching flowers with it too. Hold on."

I grabbed a piece of paper from a drawer and wrote a short, tender (in my opinion) message. "Here. Make sure this is delivered as well. She has to know my heart." I said triumphantly. "Alright, I will go do it now. I need to deliver the instructions properly to make sure its up to standard. Call if you need somebody." Eunuch Song Chu said, receiving the folded paper. Then he was out of the office.

I had a leisurely breakfast brought to my office, humming all the way through. Ling Yue would like those peaches, wouldn't she? Wasn't I thoughtful? And after the boring court session I get to visit Mother and and Jun and... Wait. I hadn't seen them in ages. Perhaps I should send them something as well? I called Eunuch Song Chu back in, instructing him to prepare a batch for the escape later as well, then made my way to court reluctantly.

I held my head high as the entourage made our way through the corridors, before making it to court. "Attention! The Emperor has arrived!" the eunuch at the door shouted as the heavy double doors opened.

I discreetly eyed the ministers in attendance as I was escorted to my seat at the head of the large hall, an imposing gold throne in laid with various precious stones and featuring dragon motifs. "Long Live the Emperor!" the ministers shouted loudly as they kowtowed from their seats. I sighed internally as I spied some problematic ministers at the front. It was going to be a long court session. They looked ready to battle.

I settled into my seat and gestured to the side. "You may rise!" a eunuch at the side shouted loudly, and everyone in the hall got back up. I grimaced seeing elderly ministers struggle to get up from the floor, some requiring a helping hand. I turned to my left, where Advisor Yi Rong, my confidant sat. "We should not require the elderly to kowtow." I whispered.

Advisor Yi Rong shook his head sadly. "The elders won't allow it. An emperor has his dignity. They have to kowtow." he said. Disappointed, I sat back upright. The "elders" in question were an informal council of old aristocrats and ministers who had held power since my father's era. It was considered righteous and filial for any emperor to consider the opinions of the elders, although they rarely had to act on their opinions. It was exactly them who pressured me into marrying so many concubines "for the sake of the empire".

I zoned out briefly as the court session proceeded, starting with greetings and an agenda, before the officials presented their cases for the day. "Your Highness!" a loud shout pulled me out of my trance. I had gotten good at looking fierce and domineering while daydreaming or zoning out.

The minister of education, Minister Fang, kowtowed then got up, standing at the podium. "Yes?" I said faintly. "This minster begs you to reconsider the budget for the Ministry of Education! Shouldn't more funds be dedicated to the future of the empire?" he said.

There were several murmurs of agreement in the ranks of the officials. "What will the funds be used for?" I asked. "For building new schools, stocking the assessment centres and offices with necessary equipment, books and getting out new campaign out in print." he said righteously. "Where are you building the new schools?" I asked. "That..." he paused for a moment, considering his answer. Aha! This was my opportunity to butt in before he could give an answer.

"If we recall..." I started, purposely drawling for suspension sake. "We had granted the Ministry of Education an increase in budget 3 years ago to reward the performance of the Imperial Examination. Funds had been used to build new schools as well as buy new equipment.

It cannot be that there is so much wear and tear in 3 years, right?" I said sarcastically. Before he could answer, I continued. "The Ministry of Education does not need a budget increase this year. The budget should be allocated to other causes." I said.

Then I glanced to the right. The eunuch caught my eye and knew my intention immediately. "The Emperor has spoken! Next!" he shouted at the court, saving me from having to hear any more of Minister Fang. "Hold on! Your Highness! I beg you to reconsider!" he shouted.

It looked like he was going to make a scene. I had long received intelligence that Minister Fang was supporting the rival faction, and that he was corrupted, but had been unable to do anything as my hands were tied. If I eliminated or exposed a pawn, I might cause a ripple effect and invite the bigger players to make a move.

I glanced at Advisor Yi Rong exasperatedly. "Don't worry, Your Highness. The questioning succeeded." he said in a timely matter. My eyes lit up. Alright. We had been secretly working to get rid of the rival faction and had finally managed to convince them to forsake Minister Fang. In that case, I could get rid of him as I liked. Metres away, Minister Fang was still "righteously" defending his cause to any officials who would listen.

I coughed. "Attention! The Emperor is speaking!" the eunuch shouted again. "Using the budget to further the education of the the empire's future. What a noble cause." I said. "Then, Your Highness means..." elated, Minister Fang responded. I turned to my right, where Eunuch Song Chu had been waiting with a file of documents that served as evidence.

Going to court was a battle. Although I held the highest authority in the empire, ruling like a dictator and exposing enemies was a sure way to lose. Dissatisfaction could cause riots and rebellions. I still had to play the part of a benevolent, capable ruler on the outside to appease both parties and improve public opinion.

"We would agree, if not that you were going to pocket the additional funds!" I shouted. The hall was an enclosed space. My voice reverberated through the hall, and the hall went quiet, no one daring to make a move. "Your Highness... this minister didn't..." Minister Fang started. I grabbed the file from Eunuch Song Chu's hand and stood up, waving it in the air. "Do you take us as a fool!" I shouted. "No, no... Your Highness, this minister would never suggest such a thing..."

Looking around and seeing that no one was willing to speak up for him, he started to lose confidence.