The Other Empress by Amanda Roberts

Author:Amanda Roberts [Roberts, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Empress Publishing

That night, before the emperor had a chance to summon anyone to his bed, I went to see him myself. He was still working, even though it was long after all his councilors had gone home, so he seemed surprised to see me.

“I didn’t send for you,” he said.

“I know. But I need to speak with you.”

“About what?”

I gulped even though my mouth was dry. My heart was racing in my chest. I needed to speak plainly, but I was terrified. I had no way of knowing how he was going to react.

“About the fact that you have been summoning Han prostitutes to your bed,” I said. He looked up at me, his face blank. My voice had been so small, I was afraid that he had not heard me.

“Did…did you hear what I said?” I asked.

“I heard what you said. I am only shocked you dared to say such a thing to me.”

“It is true, then?”

“Did you doubt it? Did you think it was mere rumor?”

“No. No, I did not doubt it. I knew you were summoning women to your bed whom you should not. I suppose I only expected you to try and deny it.”

“Why should I deny it?” he asked, standing up and coming around his desk toward me. I took a step back. “I am the emperor. I may bed any woman I wish.”

“That is not true,” I said. “You cannot bed a married woman. You cannot bed a widowed woman. You are not supposed to bed any woman who is not your own.” I felt my strength, or perhaps my anger, growing. “And you are certainly not supposed to bed a Han woman. It is against the law for a Manchu man to take a Han woman to wife.”

“I am not taking any Han woman to wife,” he said.

“Taking her to bed is the same thing,” I said. “It is something that should only be between a husband and wife. It is something that should result in children. You cannot have a Han child.”

“You are clearly upset,” he said. “You are being irrational. I am the emperor and can do whatever I want.”

“I am being irrational? How can you say that? What is rational about sharing a Han whore with countless other men? Where is your pride? Where is your honor? Your dignity?”

“How dare you question my honor? I am the emperor!”

“Stop saying that!” I knew I was growing emotional, but I didn’t want to stop. He had to know how his actions were impacting his women. “Believe me, I know that you are the emperor. No one knows that better than me. But being the emperor does not mean you are free to do what you will. No one in the empire has more responsibilities than the emperor.”

“You think I don’t know that?” he yelled back, stepping close to me, but I did not back down this time. I was not doing this for me, but for all the women of the Inner Court. “Day and night, I work for this cursed, ungrateful country.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.