Princess Songyi - Chapter 1

The day we learned that Beirong wanted me as a bride to seal the peace, Mother lost her composure entirely. She hurried to Father’s palace, weeping as she pleaded with him.

“Songyi is the daughter I have cherished all her life. How can Your Majesty be so cruel as to send her to that savage land?”

Father sighed and explained the situation on the frontier, his expression grave. In the end, he could not bring himself to decide my fate. Instead, he had word discreetly passed to the imperial clan.

The next day, Mother summoned me to Kunning Palace. A row of pretty young women stood silently inside, dressed in bright silk. Pointing to them, she said, “Songyi, choose one. She will marry in your place.”

The girls stood with lowered eyes. Some had red rims around their eyes; others looked numb. I knew none of them wanted to go. I certainly did not. Why should I make someone else endure what I could not bear myself? All I would accomplish was to send another young woman to waste away in an enemy kingdom.

After a long silence, I shook my head. “Mother, I won’t choose.”

The girls stirred. One or two quietly let out a breath, and one even glanced up at me. Mother’s eyes reddened.

“Silly child, Beirong is cold and uncivilized. What good could come of your going there? Your father offered their clans generous rewards, and their families agreed. These girls came willingly, to secure protection and favor for their fathers and brothers. Nor would I mistreat the one you choose. I would adopt her, confer on her the title of Princess Defender of the Realm, and give her the finest dowry. She would leave the palace with every honor.”

Mother coaxed me gently. “Be good. Choose one, won’t you?”

I looked at the girls. They dropped their eyes in embarrassment, and I understood at once. Every one of them had been sacrificed by her family. Their supposed willingness was merely the result of their clans calculating what they stood to gain.

I smiled and forced back my tears. “Mother, I am willing to marry into Beirong. If our kingdoms go to war, what have the common people done to deserve it? If one marriage can avert the bloodshed, then I… I will go.”

“Songyi has truly grown up.”

The crown prince’s voice came from outside. He entered, bowed to Mother, and smiled. “You heard her, Mother. Songyi is so compassionate and devoted to duty. Why not honor her wish? None of the unmarried men in the capital has ever caught her fancy. Perhaps she’ll find a good husband in Beirong. Besides, sending a substitute would disgrace Daqian. If Beirong found out, it could give them an excuse to cause even more trouble…”

He failed to notice how dark Mother’s expression had grown. He kept smiling with polished ease, speaking as casually as though my entire future were not at stake.

“You wretch!” For the first time, Mother lost her temper with him and slapped him across the face. “Your sister is about to be sent away for a political marriage. Instead of trying to help her, you stand here talking nonsense. What are you thinking?”

He stared at her in disbelief. A shadow passed over his eyes before his courteous smile returned. “Please don’t be angry, Mother. Of course I care about Songyi. I simply believe this journey need not be entirely bad for her.”

“Beirong is a wilderness. How can my precious daughter live there?”

“The Beirong emperor is old. Songyi is beautiful and accomplished. If a prince falls in love with her and she helps him ascend the throne, she may someday influence Beirong’s policies and bring lasting peace to Daqian’s border.”

Before he had finished, Mother looked at him with open disappointment. “The border is the generals’ responsibility. How can you barter away your sister’s life for peace? This is absurd!”

I lowered my eyes and gently caught her sleeve. “Mother, I know you’re worried about me. But the people on the frontier have suffered through fighting for so long. If my marriage can bring a peaceful life to thousands, it will be worth it.”

Her tears fell onto the back of my hand, hot enough to burn. She was silent for a moment, then waved to the girls. “You may all go home. Say nothing of what happened today.”

They bowed and left as though reprieved from a death sentence. Mother turned to the crown prince. “You may leave too.”

His face darkened slightly, but he bowed and withdrew. At last, we were alone.

Holding my hand, Mother sighed. “The crown prince was raised under my name from childhood, but I never truly won his heart. I thought that if I treated him kindly, he would protect you when he became emperor. Now he seems eager to push you into Beirong himself.”

Mother had spent decades in the palace. Of course she could see the distance and calculation behind his gentle manner.

When I was six, I came skipping back from Lady Rong’s palace with a peach blossom cake she had given me. As I reached the doorway, I heard the crown prince speaking to Mother.

“Has little sister been visiting another of Father’s ladies again? Mother, I only wish to stay by your side. I would never spend all my time running from one palace to another.”

I froze. The half-eaten cake fell from my hand and landed with a soft thud. I did not understand his words then, only that they sounded strangely unpleasant. When Mother saw me, she called me over and sent him away.

I threw myself into her arms. “Why did Crown Prince Brother say that? Songyi loves you too, Mother.”

There were few children in the palace, so Mother encouraged me to visit the other ladies and keep them company. Small and sweet-tongued, I was welcomed wherever I went. They would pull me close, call me their little ray of sunshine, and fill my pockets with treats and toys.

The crown prince never did the same. He wore a solemn face, prided himself on his dignity, and kept his distance from Father’s consorts.

Coldness flickered through Mother’s eyes. Then she stroked my head tenderly. “His birth mother died when he was young. He only wants Father and me to love him a little more. He’s your brother. Be kind to him. When he takes the throne, you’ll have someone to stand up for you.”

I nodded, only half understanding. Children forget their grievances quickly. The next time I saw him, I called him Brother with a smile and followed him around as cheerfully as ever.

Looking back, there had been many such moments. When my little brother died, Father was overcome with grief. I rested my head on his knees and murmured, “Don’t be sad, Father. You still have Songyi.”

The crown prince spoke up at once. “Yes, Father. You still have me…”

He always seemed to be quietly competing with me for every bit of affection our parents gave. Perhaps, having lost his mother so young, he wanted to hold tightly to whatever warmth he could find. I told myself that Crown Prince Brother had suffered enough, and I ought to let him have his way.

But now he wanted to send away his only sister with his own hands. A chill settled in my heart.