“You will come with me now,” she said, her voice cold. “I will check your honesty.”
Ling Xin’s face burned at her mother’s tone, but she knew it was inevitable. She had transgressed badly, and now she would pay the price. And while she followed her mother into her bedroom, she heard her father give orders to his strongest retainer.
“Take him into my library. If he fights, kill him. I will check his honesty in Master Gao’s home.”
She shuddered at her father’s words, but at least she knew Zhi Hao was safe for the moment. He would not run and if it came to a fight, she had no doubt that he would win. But she could think no more of him as her mother shut the bedroom door and rounded on her.
“Have you lost your mind? You are to become the empress! Why would you risk everything on—”
“How, mother? How am I to become the empress if you do not teach me what I need to know!”
“And what is that?”
Ling Xin swallowed, but she would not be deterred. “Have you found Grandmother’s pillow book?”
“How do you know that name?”
She thought the answer was obvious. “I learned it from Ko Zhi Hao.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “And what else has he taught you?”
So much. “I am still pure.”
Mama snorted. “You have never been pure. Always looking where you should not, always questioning things you were not to know.”
Ling Xin frowned, wondering at her mother’s tone. She sounded like being impure was a good thing. “Mama—”
“Answer me honestly or I swear I will check your body and it will not be pleasant for either of us.”
Ling Xin winced, but she knew how to answer. “Yes, Mama.”
“What have you done with him?”
“I asked him to tell me how to attract the emperor. Men are not interested in purity.”
Her mother crossed her arms and glared.
“I have touched his dragon. He showed me how to caress it.”
There was no response, just a narrowing of her mother’s eyes.
“And…he showed me how to do the fan dance.”
“You already know how.”
“Not like he showed me. Not as if I danced for the emperor.” Ling Xin’s cheeks burned. “I danced as if I wanted to bear his child.”
“You do want that.”
Ling Xin glared at her mother. Was the woman being purposely obtuse? “Not for political reason,” she said. “I danced as if…” She moved to lift her breasts high and swiveled her hips. It was an awkward movement, but her mother’s eyes finally widened.
“Oh,” she finally said. “He taught you that?”
“He said…” She bit her lip, trying to phrase it politely. “He said that men like breasts. And bottoms. I should emphasize those when I dance.”
“I see.” Then her mother was quiet for a long time before she arched her brows. “Is that all?”
Ling Xin winced. How much could she say? “He rubbed himself against me, but he did not… We did not…”