Chapter 16
Cleanliness Next to Godliness
Royal Precinct, Tianjing
Prince Wupeng slowly eased himself into the bath. Normally he would have several attendants assisting him, but he wanted to be alone. His baths were not so enjoyable since he had to send Feifei away, but his mother was not quite as quick to intrude on him here, so he at least had some chance of finding a little peace. It would not be long before the period of mourning for his father would be ended and he would be crowned Emperor. His life would be even less his own after that.
If only Yingli had been a boy, then she would be the one to go through all this. Then again, if their places were reversed, it might mean Wupeng would have been made to marry that old toad Lord Grima. He was not certain which fate was worse, but it seemed that Yingli was mostly free of their mother's meddling after she left their household. That was enough to make even Lord Grima seem attractive.
His thoughts went back to Feifei. He hoped his mother would keep her word and leave her and their son alone now that they were back in Chiyuan. He thought about the recent assassinations of Lady Limei and Lady Kuai. Surely it was his mother's work. They were no threat to her anymore, but she had them killed all the same. At least Lady Limei did not leave any children behind, but Lady Kuai had three who would no doubt be joining their mother before the coronation ceremony.
And then there was Captain Yuan. He was baseborn and a notorious whoremonger, but he served the late Emperor well and Wupeng liked him. However, more than his rampant whoring, his low birth was an unforgivable sin in his mother's eyes. She would probably lobby to have someone loyal to her house replace him. Lord Grima was sure to give her what she wanted to ingratiate himself to her lest she pressure Wupeng to find a new Minister of the Household. Of course, she wanted Lord Grima removed anyway, so no matter what he did, his time as one of the Nine Ministers was coming to an end. Before long, Wupeng would be surrounded by men and women who answered to his mother, if he was not already. They might call him Emperor, but the reins of power would be firmly in her grip.
If she wanted power so much, why could she not just take it for herself openly? Why the pretense? Wupeng knew, of course. The great houses would never accept the rule of a woman. It was not very progressive of them, but in their empire founded on medieval stasis, there was no place for progressive thought. If the Celestials did not so enjoy all the benefits of high technology, they would no doubt prefer to live as primitives.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a maidservant cleaning the floor. What was she doing here?
"I thought my orders were clear that I wish to be alone," he said.
The maidservant, who was already on her hands and knees, bowed low and replied, "Your maidservant begs forgiveness, Your Highness. She did not know. She will leave at once."
Perhaps he was just lonely without Feifei, but the whim came over him and before the maidservant could leave, he told her, "No, wait. I would have you join me."
"By no means, Your Highness. Your maidservant is not worthy."
Sounding much like his father, Wupeng said, "I decide what is worthy. Or would you refuse an order from your prince?"
"May it not be so," the maidservant replied. "Your maidservant begs Your Highness' patience while she prepares."
"No need," Wupeng said. "You are clean enough, I am sure."
"As Your Highness wills."
"Do take your clothes off first, of course."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Would she have gotten into the bath with her clothes on if he had not told her otherwise? There was no telling with this one.
He watched her undress out of his peripheral vision. She had a slight figure, quite unlike the plump Feifei, but there was more tone to her muscles than he would have expected. In fact, he did not think he had ever seen a girl quite like her before. It was not his usual taste, but there was something intriguing about it.
He noticed something else as she approached the tub, about the way she carried herself. She was trying to appear meek and shy, but it was clearly an act. There was a confidence in her bearing she could not hide in spite of her efforts. She was not what she would appear to be and it piqued his interest all the more.
She entered on the opposite side of the tub, affording him a full view of her. He could see that she had been receiving beauty treatments, which was not unusual even for the servants, but it seemed to indicate that she came from a family of some rank. It was not required here in the Royal Precinct as it was in the Forbidden Precinct, but it was highly preferred, especially for those serving here in the Red Lion Palace.
"Come over here," he said. "I want you by my side."
"As Your Highness wishes..."
The girl moved closer to him but still remained about a meter away.
"Closer, girl," the Prince said. "A man does not invite a woman into his bath if he wants her to maintain a respectful distance. I would feel your skin against mine."
"As Your Highness wishes..."
She moved in closer and Wupeng put his arm around her. She seemed even smaller up close.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Your maidservant is called Park Cheong-mi," she said, "the niece of a knight in the service of Baron Shi of Shishizi."
As his fingers stroked her firm bicep, the Prince asked, "Is it because you come from an equestrian family that you seem more... hardened than most girls?"
"Your maidservant's father has always prized athleticism in both his sons and his daughters, Your Highness," the girl replied.
"Let me guess. The lone mountain flower grown hardy amid the thistles."
"It is as Your Highness says. Your maidservant has four brothers and could not grow as delicate as the other girls here in the Capital."
"I thought I only cared for my women soft and round," the Prince mused, "but perhaps I have been missing something all this time."
"And your father said you couldn't appreciate me."
Prince Wupeng froze, as much because of her change in speech as what it was that she said.
"What?"
No, it was not simply surprise. His muscles were tensing up, from the crown of his head down to his toes. He could not move. His jaws locked up. He could not say anything either, could not call for help. It was then that he felt the sinking sensation of fear deep in the pit of his stomach.
The girl lifted his arm off of her. It was as stiff as a wooden bar. The Prince started breathing rapidly through his nose as he could not open his mouth.
"Calm down, Your Highness," the girl said. "The poison won't kill you. In fact, it'll wear off in about ten minutes. Unfortunately, I don't think you can hold your breath that long."
What was supposed to be the Prince fleeing with all his might amounted to little more than some ineffectual twitching.
Stroking his head like he was a dog, the girl shushed him. "Sh-sh-sh, it's gonna be alright. It'll be over before you know it. Just relax and let it happen."
She then pushed down on his shoulders and his head sank down into the water. He could not move, so he could not struggle against her. He blew the air out of his nostrils, but that only meant that the water came flooding in when he reflexively inhaled. Coughing did nothing to expel the water. If anything, it only served to make him take in more. His lungs spasmed from being filled with water and already he could feel his consciousness fading.
He never wanted to be Emperor and now it seemed he never would be.