Her lips compressed in a tight frown.
'It is better if you don't appear. She is looking for girls to reject. If she does not see you, she cannot dismiss you.'
Ji Yue nodded, but still didn't look at him. Given how direct her stare had been earlier, this sudden uneasiness bothered him. 'Why are you nervous?' he asked.
At that she lifted her chin and met his gaze. He could tell she had to force herself, and he trembled inside at the anxiety he saw in her eyes. 'What do you want of me?' she asked. 'Why have you singled me out?'
He had no answer for her. In truth, he had been wondering the same thing. Before he'd met her, the idea of seducing a virgin—much less a potential imperial concubine—held no appeal whatsoever. But this was different. Chen Ji Yue was very different indeed.
Without a way to answer her, he dodged the question. 'Many girls have asked for baths after their examination,' he said. 'I can take you to the bathing chambers now so that you can wash in private. I must see to the removal of the girls dismissed at lunch. You will have as much privacy as can be found in the Forbidden City.'
She nodded heracceptance. 'That would be fine.'
So he escorted her to the bathing area. He ordered fine linens for her use and special foods for her lunch. And then in an act of supreme self-sacrifice, he left her alone. For now….
Chapter 6
JI YUE FELT LIKE DANCING! She had passed the physical exam with excellent marks, and now she was going to meet the emperor!
This was not the usual course of events. Normally, no virgin would see the emperor until the final selection day, but something marvelous had happened. The vicious Taiping rebels had been defeated and one of their leaders was dead! The emperor had declared everyone in the Forbidden City would feast in celebration. There was to be a banquet, and he would be there!
Ji Yue decided that she would do whatever it took to shine before the emperor. Unfortunately, all fifty of the remaining virgins had the exact same thought as they dressed for this important event.
Hair always took the bulk of time as it was wrapped around boards then glued into place. Jewels made to look like butterflies or flowers were intertwined with the strands and cemented in. Finally, heavy white paint would be stroked onto each girl's skin and accented with delicate red or black. An empress would have no less than five servants to assist her. The virgins, on the other hand, were given one eunuch per five girls. Though they had the whole day to prepare, no servant could possibly fill the demands of so many girls intent upon impressing an emperor.
The first arguments began in the bathing chamber around noon. One girl claimed another had passed gas and should be removed from the festivity for fouling the water. By two, someone accused another of stealing her cosmetics. The argument became so heated that Bo Tao was summoned. Upon searching the accused trunks, he found dozens of stolen items. The thief was immediately expelled, but such swift action only increased the problem.
Suddenly everyone knew of a thief or a liar who should also be tossed out of the Forbidden City. That occupied him for another two hours until he declared that one girl's accusations were completely fabricated. Ji Yue could have told him that at the beginning, but he was a man and felt he had to investigate. In the end, he came to the correct conclusion and expelled the accuser.
In truth, Ji Yue was impressed by his methodical investigation. He remained unswayed by tantrums or hysterics. Seeing that there were risks to groundless accusations, the virgins then turned their rancor on the hapless eunuchs. Even with the aid of the head eunuch, Bo Tao could not stem the tide of women who absolutely demanded satisfaction for one slight or another.
By the time Ji Yue's roommate began screaming, poor Bo Tao looked stooped with exhaustion. His clothing was stained from thrown cosmetics, his queue was distorted and his eyes blazed with fury. The man had reached his limits.
Unfortunately, Hua Si did not seem to realize her danger. Bo Tao stood in the doorway, his mouth tightening into a hard flat line while Hua Si screeched as if a monkey had bitten her rear. Ji Yue tried to shrink as far away as possible, which in their tiny boxlike room wasn't far at all. And then Bo Tao spoke, his tone harsh and cold.
'Your noise is offensive!' he bellowed. 'Explain yourself!'
Hua Si blinked. Surely, thought Ji Yue, the girl would see her danger and moderate her tantrum. Apparently not, because the spoiled beauty actually stomped her foot in irritation.
'Someone spit in my paints!' she wailed.
Ji Yue rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look at the cosmetics. It could be a serious problem if the heavy white paint was too thin. The color would be blotchy when applied and wear off in streaks throughout the evening. But someone would have to spit a lot for such a problem to occur. Hua Si didn't seem to care, though, as she folded her arms, peered down her nose, and demanded new paints.
'No,' answered Bo Tao.
Hua Si was stunned. 'No? No!'
He smiled. 'No.' Then he turned and began walking down the hallway.
Hua Si stormed after him. 'Don't you want to know who committed this crime? Don't you need to investigate?'
Bo Tao turned and looked not at Hua Si but at Ji Yue. There was a question in his eyes that she didn't understand. Did he think she had spat in the girl's cosmetics? Ji Yue felt her mouth open in shock and she straightened to defend herself. But Bo Tao simply shook his head and turned his attention back to Hua Si.
'Virgin Gao Hua Si, I don't care if someone pissed in your pot. Finish your dressing and be done with it!'
Hua Si gasped, the shock of his vulgar words upsetting her delicate constitution. She began to shake. 'But what am I to do?' she wailed.
'I suggest you eat your poisoned makeup. Perhaps that will silence you.'
Ji Yue winced at his ridiculous suggestion. Such a comment would send her roommate into a tirade that would last for hours. Bo Tao would be gone, of course. He looked like he was about to bolt, anyway. But Ji Yue would have to endure hours of the spoiled beauty's hysterics. So she pushed up from her table, acutely aware that her hair was undone, falling about her face in an unruly mass. But she'd never get the eunuch's help if Hua Si was throwing a fit.
'Eating is an excellent suggestion, Master Sun Bo Tao,' she said. 'Soothing tea and a small dumpling would be a great substitute for the paints. In the meantime, Hua Si, you may use my cosmetics.'
'What use would I have for your pig slop?' Hua Si screeched. The sound was loud enough that Bo Tao winced.
'I have heard, master,' Ji Yue continued, 'that a lack of food sometimes makes women unsettled. It is our delicate constitutions, you know. And we have had nothing since morning tea. Do you not recall how excited we all were when we heard of tonight's celebration? Many of us were too excited then to eat a bite.'
Bo Tao narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. 'They are hungry?' he gasped.
'Perhaps you are hungry, you ugly cow,' roared Hua Si, but she did not get to rant for long as the head eunuch came bustling in from another room.
'Who is hungry? What ridiculous nonsense! Do you think we have food to spare, girl? For testy spoiled virgins who beat their servants and screech like fishwives?'
Ji Yue bowed slightly in a show of shame. 'My apologies, head eunuch. I merely thought that with mouths full, the virgins would have no breath to complain.'
'Truer words could not be spoken,' said Bo Tao. 'Head eunuch, can we not bring some sweet dumplings? Surely the kitchen will have made enough to spare.'
The cut man bristled with indignation. 'And who will fetch and serve this bounty? You? Her? My eunuchs are too busy for such nonsense.'
Hua Si sneered. 'I have told her she eats too much, but she is from the country and does not understand that
