Xi walked into the bedroom, and the scene before her left her stunned. All the curtains were pulled up, and the furniture was rearranged, including the small sandalwood table, Yu Gege's favourite, now overturned on the kang.
Scattered all over the floor were the thread-bound books that Yu Gege had used to show off her knowledge, but it seemed that her needlework would be given up, as silk threads, tassels, embroidery needles, and patterns lay scattered everywhere.
Xi couldn't help but frown. It would be quite a task to tidy everything up again.
Xi's discontent went unnoticed by Yu Gege, who was crouched on the floor, meticulously picking at the gaps between the bricks with her long, manicured nails.
"Gege, what are you doing?" Xi asked cautiously.
Yu Gege paid no attention and couldn't be bothered to even flicker an eye at Xi's presence.
"Are you looking for something? Tell me, and I'll call Fu to help. We can search for it together."
Still, Yu Gege remained silent. One can't blame her, how could she put it into words? "Oh, I'm just looking for a needle to pierce through the heart of a little doll?"
Xi endured Yu Gege's cold demeanour and thought to herself that it's no wonder Yu Gege remains unmarried with such an unlikable personality. Nevertheless, Xi maintained her role as a servant and put on a smiling face, helping Yu Gege to get up and freshen up, and then assisted her in changing into new clothes. The Emperor had summoned her to the Changyin Pavilions.
Yu Gege couldn't help but tremble at the mention of the Changyin Pavilions. In her heart, it was like a forbidden place she dared not approach again.
Xi noticed Yu Gege's reaction but pretended to be solicitous, supporting her gently and saying with a smile, "Gege, what's bothering you? This is a good thing. With your current status, it's very lucky that the Emperor can summon you."
The words from Xi struck a nerve with Yu Gege, and she looked coldly at the clumsy but overly clever servant in front of her. In her heart, she thought, "You lowly servant with dog-like eyes looking down on others. My eldest brother, Pujun, was appointed by the Empress Dowager Cixi as the Grand Prince. If it weren't for him... I would be the legitimate Princess. Anyone I want to see would come crawling to me, and anyone I want to marry would be grateful beyond measure."
"Xi, you are right. Please arrange my clothes and jewelry," Yu Gege said, forcing herself to be pleasing to the servant. She even forced a smiling face, as her Amah had instructed her before entering the palace. She had to endure humiliation and carry the burden for the revival of the Duke Duan's family, their fate depended on her.
Yu Gege stood outside the Changyin Pavilions for over an hour, enduring the oppressive heat of the early autumn weather, before finally being summoned inside.
Emperor Puyi and his Empress, Wanrong, sat side by side in the centre of the audience hall.
Yu Gege couldn't help feeling a pang of bitterness. These two brats seemed just like the dolls Grace had given her as gifts—the foreign dolls living in their toy house—yet now, due to reincarnation beliefs, they had become her masters.
As Yu Gege entered, Puyi and Wanrong remained motionless, their faces filled with arrogance. Yu Gege understood that they were waiting for her to perform the ceremonial greetings. Very well, she thought, she would play along with their game of make-believe, as opportunities like this would be rare.
Yu Gege performed the three bows and nine kowtows earnestly, and only then did a hint of animation appear on Puyi's rigid face. He lifted his hand, signalling for Yu Gege to rise.
"Tell me, what happened that day?" The 18-year-old Emperor's voice was still going through its changing phase, making him sound like a little duck eating.
Yu Gege knew exactly which day Puyi was referring to, and her instinctive reaction was, "Can they really ask me about that?" But upon further thought, she realized she was the one who portrayed the male character, so they could say she was involved. She knew she had to be cautious and careful not to let these two half-grown children pin the blame on her.
"Your Majesty, this matter is a bit complicated. Whatever I know, you already know, and whatever I don't know, you probably don't know either..." Yu Gege replied cautiously.
"You!" Puyi had already heard of Yu Gege's notoriously bad and stubborn temper, and seeing it today confirmed its reputation.
Wanrong placed her hand on Puyi's arm, signalling him to stop.
"Gege probably wants to keep your Amah company, right? It's only natural for children to be filial. However, Xinjiang is quite far away and impoverished. Gege may not be aware of the harsh conditions there."
To others, Wanrong's words might have seemed disconnected, but Yu Gege quickly realized the power play behind her words. Wanrong was using this opportunity to warn her, implying that if she didn't behave like a good servant, she could be exiled to Xinjiang, just like her Amah and elder brother.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your humble servant will always speak the truth and hold nothing back," Yu Gege immediately yielded. She understood that when one is under the eaves of someone else's house, one must lower his head and submit.
As Yu Gege collected herself, a series of images flashed before her eyes like scenes from a motion picture, one after another.
It was the second day of August, Puyi suddenly invited foreign diplomats residing in China to the palace to watch the "civilized" play.
Yu Gege initially thought Puyi and Wanrong were merely indulging themselves out of boredom, but Jun, her cousin, didn't see it that way.
"Gege, you must understand, this is His Majesty's earnest intention. He constantly thinks about the revival of our Great Qing," Jun explained with a sigh, gazing at the small square of sky framed within the courtyard with a furrowed brow and a concentrated expression.
"Crap!" The position Puyi held was originally meant for her brother, Pujun, so Yu Gege had a strong disdain for this young Emperor. "Reviving the Great Qing through a play? If that were the case, he should just stay in the play as the Emperor forever and never come out of the act."
"Do you really not understand the Emperor's intentions, or are you pretending not to?" Jun questioned.
"I genuinely don't understand. Unlike you, I'm not a puppet controlled by him," Yu Gege retorted.
Yu Gege's teasing didn't bother Jun; instead, she continued to analyze the situation. The Emperor was leveraging this play to build relationships with the foreign diplomats, perhaps to gain sympathy on the international stage. Who knows, they might even be able to retake the Great Qing from the hands of the Republic someday, maybe even with the support of an Eight-Nation Alliance.
"Do you know why the day of the play was set for the second day of August?" Jun asked.
Yu Gege didn't know the reason, but her expression clearly conveyed the message that she couldn't be bothered to deal with it.
"This day happens to be Emperor Taisho's birthday. His Majesty is wise, the only country that might genuinely help the Great Qing is Japan," Jun explained.
Yu Gege glanced at Jun with a side-eye, acknowledging that her analysis made sense. However, her pride and arrogance wouldn't allow her to admit that Jun might have more insight than her.
"Oh, look at that little clever mouth of yours. It's a shame that you're just parroting what someone else taught you."
Jun's face immediately changed, "I won't talk to him."
"Just not talking won't be enough. With such deep-seated enmity, according to the nature of our Manchu people, it would require bloodshed and merciless vengeance," Yu Gege said, recalling how Jun had lifted her head after those words, looking at her with the eyes of a startled little rabbit.
Yu Gege knew she had gone too far; even with a blood feud, it didn't necessarily have to escalate to self-destruction. Besides, if Yan really died, Yu Gege couldn't be sure that she wouldn't feel pain in her heart as well.
Quickly trying to mend her words, Yu Gege continued, "If you don't want to talk, then don't talk."
Unexpectedly, Jun quickly went back on her words.
The play chosen for the performance was "Romeo and Juliet," selected by Puyi's English tutor, John William Stanton, who said it was written by a great literary figure from their country called Shakespeare and depicted a tragic love story. Mr. Stanton also handpicked the actors for the play, and coincidentally, Yan was chosen to play Romeo, and Jun to play Juliet.
Puyi wanted to make the performance even more grand, so he personally issued a red imperial decree, signifying his "imperial approval." As soon as Jun saw this imperial decree, her face turned pale with anxiety. She knew she couldn't avoid talking to Yan; otherwise, it would be seen as disobeying the decree and an act of rebellion.
Rehearsals went on intensively, and in the Changyin Pavilions, Yu Gege faithfully attended as an audience member every day, sitting in the front row, watching Jun and Yan's touching and sorrowful performance. The jealous feeling in her heart couldn't be suppressed, not even with an extra serving of dumplings during dinner.
Yu Gege seriously doubted whether this script was truly written by someone named Shakespeare. It seemed more like Mr. Stanton had eavesdropped on the private feelings between Yan and Jun and specially tailored the play for them, allowing them to use the performance as a way to ignite their emotions and create a beautiful love story.
Otherwise, how could it be so coincidental?
The feud between Romeo and Juliet's families mirrored the enmity between Yan and Jun's backgrounds—one from the revolutionary party, the other from the remnants of the Qing dynasty. Romeo and Juliet's love was passionate and all-consuming, and similarly, Yan and Jun only had eyes for each other, as if there was no one else in the world.
Someone clapped, Yu Gege subconsciously followed the rhythm and clapped a few times as well. She was afraid that if she didn't clap, others would see her envy and jealousy.
"I clap, and you clap too. Gege, why are you imitating me?" It was Wanrong who said this, considering herself the number one beauty among the Manchus. In her eyes, even someone as attractive as Yu Gege would be considered plain."I'm clapping to remind you not to act like a mute fish, deceiving the Emperor."
Yu Gege came back to earth, ignoring Wanrong and directing her attention to Puyi. After all, she was still his cousin.
"What exactly do you want me to say? You were present that day too," Yu Gege asked Puyi directly.
"You just tell me, how did Ande (Ande means brother in Manchu language) Yan die?"
"Ah, Instructor Zou is dead?" Yu Gege feigned surprise. In public, she referred to Yan as "Instructor Zou" since he was the foreign firearms instructor for the entire city of Beijing's police.
"You don't know?" Puyi squinted, clearly skeptical of Yu Gege's response.
"How could I possibly know, Your Majesty? Please think about it. I have been confined within the palace for a long time, rarely going outside. Nobody would inform me about things happening outside," Yu Gege replied, trying to deflect any suspicions.
Puyi fell silent, pondering the credibility of Yu Gege's response.
Meanwhile, Yu Gege's thoughts were in turmoil.
"Ande Yan ? When did Yan become your Ande? Are you a born sweet-talker, flattering people whenever you see them, or just a clueless, ungrateful brat? Yan is a member of the revolutionary party, and it was him and his comrades who overthrew the foundation of our Qing dynasty."
However, Yu Gege couldn't deny that Yan indeed had a charm that captivated people. Not only was he handsome like a jade tree by the wind, but he was also skilled in various weapons, be it knives, guns, swords, or cannons. He was not only courageous but also quick-witted, displaying incredible tactical acumen in planning and strategizing. It was no wonder Puyi referred to him as Ande; perhaps he sought to benefit from Yan's influential aura by considering him a sworn brother.
"How did you replacing Ande Yan and playing Romeo?"
Yu Gege quickly sensed a hint of danger from Puyi's question. She must control of the conversation and not allow these two young children to lead her into trouble.
"That day you were there too, to save the situation like putting out a fire. Don't you remember?"
Of course, Puyi remembered.
That day, there were around hundreds of people in the Changyin Pavilions, including various foreign diplomats. The place was packed to the brim. It was the first time Puyi faced such a grand occasion since his wedding, and he was exhilarated, his face flushed with excitement. He felt the sense of "ruling the country," fearing the slightest mistake or omission.
The more he feared, the more unfortunate events seemed to unfold.
As the time passed, Mr. Stanton's warm-up jokes became less and less amusing, and the curtain for the performance wasn't yet to be raised.
Eunuch Jiang leaned close to Puyi's ear and whispered the truth: Yan, who was supposed to play the male lead, was nowhere to be found.
Cold sweat broke out on Puyi's forehead. If Juliet was missing Romeo, the play would be impossible to perform. If the play couldn't go on, it might be a laughingstock that no one in the Great Qing could be relied upon, causing a loss of trust.
Puyi felt restless and helpless, considering whether he should dig a hole and hide in it. Just as he was at a loss, the curtain began to slowly rise, and the performance began.
Although dressed in British attire, with a fake beard and wig, Puyi could still tell that this Romeo was not his Ande Yan. Not long after, Wanrong confirmed his suspicions, informing him that Yu Gege was playing the role of Romeo. Luckily, she had been diligently observing the rehearsals and memorized all the lines, otherwise Juliet would have been left with a monologue.
"Your Majesty, from a young age, I heard my father say that Emperor Kangxi's brilliance lay in his clear rewards and punishments. I don't say this to seek rewards, but the way you questioned me makes me feel wronged," Yu Gege said, pretending to wipe tears with a handkerchief.
She was genuinely feeling upset, not because of Puyi's harshness or lack of gratitude, but because halfway through the performance, while she was still waiting for her cue, she overheard rumours that Yan had attempted to assassinate Duke Gong, Puyi's half-brother, and had been captured by the Japanese.
Yu Gege subconsciously glanced at the stage, where Jun was still delivering an emotional and eloquent monologue as Romeo. Yu Gege thought that if she knew about Yan's situation, she would probably be overwhelmed with distress and unable to utter a single word.
Seeing Yu Gege wiping tears, Puyi hesitated for a moment. She was right; questioning her Yan's death wouldn't yield any answers.
However, Puyi had his own predicament. Too many people coveted his relatively powerless throne – first it was Pujun, and now it seemed that even Puyi's half-brother, Puwei, was plotting against him. He was eager to give the Japanese an explanation but had not considered whether using Yu Gege as a scapegoat was justifiable.
Wanrong, as the Empress, took swift action to quell the situation, "Rewards? You still want to talk about rewards? After making such a big mess in public, if His Majesty hasn't served you a cup of poisoned wine or a white silk scarf, that's already the greatest reward you could hope for."
"The Empress's words don't make sense. I don't understand. Please clarify," Yu Gege countered, relying on her royal background to confront the Empress directly.
"Did you not poison Princess Jinghe? Yet, here you are pretending to be clueless," the Empress shot back.
Princess Jinghe? What on earth was this? Yu Gege's mind temporarily went blank.
"Princess Jinghe is none other than Jun, your childhood companion. Thanks to His Majesty's grace, Jun's family was recognized, and she was bestowed the title of Princess Jinghe, named Aisin Gioro Yundan."
Seeing Yu Gege in a daze, Wanrong quickly added more explanation.
Yu Gege snapped back to reality, recalling the incident that had indeed taken place on the day after Jun's supposed death. She remembered looking at the imperial edict issued by Puyi and her initial reaction, thinking that Jun's death was truly worth it. One person's success brought glory to all his family members, and after many years, her sixth uncle's long-cherished wish was finally fulfilled through his daughter.
However, now was not the time for her to feel bitter. Yu Gege had to quickly clarify the misunderstandings and shake off the dirty water splashed onto her.
Yu Gege respectfully bowed and then stood upright, looking directly at Wanrong. "Empress, 'Romeo and Juliet' tells a particular story, and I'm sure you are well aware of it..."
Before Wanrong could respond, Yu Gege quickly interrupted, "You must already know the plot well, as Mr. Stanton must have discussed it with you. It's in English, and in this palace, even if you claim to be the second best at speaking English, no one dares to say they are the best..."
Wanrong found Yu Gege's words quite flattering and decided not to hold it against her for interrupting.
"In the climax of the play, Romeo and Juliet agree to take a potion that simulates death, allowing them to elope together..."
Yu Gege paused for a moment, her gaze burning into Puyi and Wanrong.
Wanrong, being clever, quickly understood the meaning behind Yu Gege's eyes.
"Are you suggesting that the potion was fake and that you were just acting? Although you handed the potion to Princess Jinghe, her death had nothing to do with you."
"Empress, you are wise."
"Do you think we are fools? The same potion—you drank it and remained lively, while Princess Jinghe drank it and met her demise. Whether you were the mastermind or not, you cannot escape your connection to her death."
"Firstly, I didn't drink that potion; it was all just a performance. She insisted on taking it seriously, and if she chose to act out of foolishness, who can blame me for her tragic end? Secondly, that potion was just a prop, left backstage where so many people handled it. Why should it be assumed that I was the one who poisoned her?" Yu Gege argued logically.
"Because you had a motive…"
Under the accusation of jealousy, Yu Gege stumbled for a moment. She didn't understand what Wanrong meant by motive.
"In this palace, unless one is blind, everyone knows you envy Princess Jinghe," Wanrong said, glancing at Puyi, who quickly nodded in agreement.
"Me, envy her?" Yu Gege let out a cold laugh, "What do I envy about her? Envy that she was born into dependence? Envy that she has a weak and incompetent father, a labouring mother, and a brother who lacks wisdom and is all talk and no action? Envy that she will forever be my shadow, my foil?"
"That's not jealousy, you just don't like her. I'm not trying to accuse you, but punishing someone should be done at the right time. Doing it in front of so many foreigners, how do you think they will view our Qing Dynasty? They will think we are ruthless and disregard human lives, not caring about principles or democracy."
Emperor Puyi's thoughts are always focused on his Qing Dynasty. However, Empress Wanrong intervened at the right moment, steering the conversation back to the topic of Yu Gege's jealousy towards Jun.
"I'm not saying this without reason..."
Empress Wanrong looked smugly at Yu Gege, her eyes fixed on her.
Xi walked forward with a tray in her hands, and as she passed by Yu Gege, a hint of gloating "you're in big trouble" was evident on her face. Yu Gege glanced at the contents of the tray and immediately turned pale.
Wanrong picked up the puppet that Yu Gege had been muttering to every night. "This is the evidence, Gege. You are a princess after all, yet you resort to such cheap tricks, tarnishing the reputation of our ancestors."
Yu Gege pressed her lips tightly, her face turning iron-cold. It was unclear whether she was feigning composure or planning her countermove.
"In everyday life, you curse Princess Jinghe with this little puppet, and now, playing 'Romeo and Juliet,' you finally got a chance to strike back," Wanrong remarked.
Yu Gege cleared her throat and maintained a serious expression. "Emperor, Empress, I understand that you are eager to provide an explanation for the incident. However, using me as a scapegoat will only further demonstrate the incompetence and senility of our Great Qing dynasty..."
While Empress Wanrong remained stern, Emperor Puyi appeared remorseful, as if he felt guilty for involving Yu Gege in this situation. Wanrong shook the puppet in her hand, treating it as her solid evidence.
"Empress, this little puppet cannot serve as evidence for me pranking Princess Jinghe. It is true that I don't like her, but I have no reason to lower myself and resort to such superstitious and vulgar methods."
"You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin..." Wanrong retorted, inspecting the small puppet in an attempt to find a connection between it and Jun. However, after searching for a while, she found nothing.
"Empress, would you mind flipping over the collar of the puppet?" Yu Gege said.
Two characters, "Er Niu" (Second Girl), appeared in front of her.
"Er Niu? Who is Er Niu?" Wanrong furrowed her brows.
"In my family, I'm the second child. I have an elder brother." Yu Gege remained composed.
"Are you saying this little puppet represents you? You curse yourself to have an unfortunate death?" Wanrong still seemed skeptical.
"No, I'm not cursing myself..."
Wanrong lifted the puppet and shook it. Several silver needles were embedded in the doll's body, reflecting glimmers of light.
Yu Gege understood Wanrong's implication, "Do you think I'm blind?"
Clearing her throat, Yu Gege said, "I am skilled in acupuncture..."
"Acupuncture? You mean the art of using needles for healing?" Emperor Puyi interjected.
"Your Majesty, Emperor Shizong left a legacy. After the Manchus entered the Central Plains for a hundred years, many people have forgotten even equestrian skills. Although I am just an ordinary woman, I don't want to be seen as a parasite in the eyes of the Han people. So, I learned acupuncture. As a compassionate healer, how could I understand the suffering of patients if I haven't experienced it?"
"Such a big liar..." Wanrong muttered under her breath.
Yu Gege pretended not to hear Wanrong's taunt, but every wrinkle at the corner of her eyes revealed the triumph of a victor.