Princess Songyi - Chapter 2

“Your Majesty, something has happened! The ladies of the inner palace heard the princess is being sent to Beirong. They’ve all gone to the imperial study!” A palace attendant rushed in, breathless.

Mother and I exchanged a glance and hurried there. Before we reached the study, we heard a chorus of women’s voices. Outside a place normally so solemn, there was unprecedented commotion. Chief Eunuch Hou and several younger eunuchs were trying to hold the ladies back at the door.

“My ladies,” Hou begged miserably, “His Majesty is attending to important affairs. Please, do me a kindness and return to your palaces for now.”

Gentle Lady Shu wiped away a tear. “It’s been years since the sound of a baby crying was heard in this palace. We watched Princess Songyi grow up. It may be presumptuous to say so, but we’re half mothers to her. How can we stand by and watch her walk into the fire pit that is Beirong?”

Graceful Lady Rong frowned. “Songyi is Daqian’s only princess born to the empress. How dare Beirong demand the jewel of our court by name? Their arrogance is outrageous.”

The cool and proud Lady Ye looked positively frosty. “If we send a princess, Beirong will think Daqian is yielding. In my view, there is no need to negotiate peace. We should march out and beat them until they kneel for mercy and never dare raid our border again.”

The other ladies, who rarely left their palaces, added their voices to the plea. They had all come for my sake. Father had few children, so there was less intrigue and rivalry in the inner palace and a rare measure of warmth instead. I had grown up playing at their knees, and they loved me like a daughter. Seeing them disregard palace rules for even the smallest chance to save me brought a sting to my nose.

I hurried over, addressing one as Lady Shu, another as Lady Rong, and coaxed them patiently for a long while. At last they went back to their palaces, looking over their shoulders again and again.

Once they were gone, Father summoned me inside. He turned toward me, his eyes bloodshot. “Songyi, do you resent me?” he asked hoarsely.

He seemed to have aged years in a single night. Fighting back tears, I went to him and caught his sleeve as I had when I was little. “Father, I have never resented you.”

He had treasured me all my life. How could he not ache for me? I knew he wanted this marriage even less than anyone else. But now that Beirong had demanded it, only two paths lay before us: renew the war and fight to the bitter end, or send a princess far away and buy a little peace. One had to be chosen.

He was the emperor of Daqian, and I was its princess. I had been born into privilege, fed and clothed by the throne and supported by the labor of its people. In peaceful times I enjoyed every comfort. When the kingdom needed me, how could I shrink back? This was a duty I could not cast aside.

So between war and marriage, I chose the path that would cost Daqian’s people fewer lives, even if the life sacrificed was my own.