Think of it. She’d ruled for half a century. She’d been the one to defend the old order—braver and bolder than any of the men. And more cunning. And now she was ushering in the new world. No more emperors after her. She’d be the last to rule. A heroine, perhaps. The most extraordinary woman, certainly. An enigma: Ah, she’d built a splendid tomb for herself, and so have many rulers; but if you want to fascinate historians, then you must be an enigma.
The art of the thing. The symmetry. How I admired her.
But she still took me by surprise by what she said next.
“So, Lacquer Nail, what do you think I should do?”
“About?”
“The emperor.”
“You are asking me, my lady? Your humble servant?”
“I’ve known you fifty years, Lacquer Nail. You’re intelligent. I trust you. And you’re not an interested party. You’ve nothing at stake one way or the other. And the truth is that I hardly know what to do myself. I am so old and tired. But I would trust you to do the right thing.”
I stared at her. And I thought very hard. “You know I am loyal to you, my lady,” I said. “I’ve never been anything else in my life. And I think you understand things better than anyone else.”
She was listening to me carefully. “And?”
“Are you sure, my lady, that you want me to express an opinion? Personally,” I went on, “if I have understood you correctly, I don’t think anyone should say anything at all.”
She looked me in the eye and nodded slowly, and I knew that she had just left the fate of the Celestial Kingdom in my hands. Think of it. In my hands.
“I am tired now,” she said. “You have things to attend to. Come and do my nails in the morning.”
—
It was early evening when I went across the little bridge to see the emperor. There were lamps lit in the corridor and on the narrow bridge. They made shiny little reflections in the ice-covered water of the pond.
He was looking very low. “My stomach’s been hurting all day,” he said. “I’m awfully tired, but the pain won’t let me sleep.”
“May I prepare a pipe for Your Majesty?” I asked. “I brought a little opium. It will take the pain away.”
“All right,” he said.
“May I also smoke?”
He nodded, and I prepared two pipes. After we had smoked for a little while I asked him if the pain had eased, and he said, “Yes, but it’s still there.”
“I believe,” I said, “it would help if you also drank a little tea. It’s good for the bowels. Would Your Majesty allow me to pour a little tea for myself also?” I dared to ask.
He indicated that I should prepare the tea, so I did. He was quite drowsy, so I had to prop him up with one arm as I gave him the tea, which I naturally did before taking any myself.
“Drink it all,” I said. And he emptied the cup.
It was quite a big cup, with enough arsenic in it to kill two horses.
People say that the Empress Cixi herself went to see the emperor on his deathbed and watched him die. But it’s not true. I was the one with him. Only me. It was me who took the life of the last reigning emperor of China.
Two hours later, after I had cleaned everything up, I went back across the bridge, leaving word with the eunuch on duty that the emperor was asleep, but that he didn’t seem very well.
“He’s been like that all day,” he said.
—
When I came to see Cixi the next morning, she was already up and busy dealing with the death of the emperor the evening before. The infant Puyi had already been sent for.
I was still there when his father brought him in to present him to Cixi. She was having a rest at that moment and the child did nothing but scream, so I don’t think anybody enjoyed the meeting.
But the succession was decided. Puyi was the infant boy emperor and his father was regent.
Before I withdrew, Cixi called me to her side. “Is there anything you need, Lacquer Nail?”
She had so much money. She’d have given me anything I asked for. But I was already well set up by then. So I was glad to be able to ask her for nothing, and I’m sure she was pleased.
But I did have one bright idea. “Your Majesty,” I said, “I should like a few books for my house. It would add distinction, and there are many in the palace. Might I take a dozen or so?”
“What an extraordinary request. You are full of surprises. Take whatever you want, but let me see them before you go.”
So I went to the private library and selected a dozen books I believed to be valuable and brought them to her. She was quite tired, drained by all the events of the day I’m sure, and she hardly glanced at them. But she managed a smile at me.
“I don’t think we shall meet again, Lacquer Nail,” she said.
“Please don’t say that, Majesty,” I muttered.
“You are unlike the other palace people,” she went on, “because you used to be a man. And I have often thought that you had feelings for me.”
I bowed my head. “It is true, my lady,” I said softly. I was very moved.
“Here,” she said, “take this in memory of me.” And she pulled off one of the beautiful jeweled nail guards she wore and gave it to me.
I have it still.
That very evening, she laid herself out in the correct posture, with her face turned towards the south, and died. She willed it.
There was never any woman like her.
That day was my last in the palace. I retired with honor. I ceased forever to be Lacquer Nail the eunuch. From that day, I lived only as my other self, the rich merchant with a fine house and children
