Incest

Since the last post there were many major events that occur. Heavenlight persuades many officials of the court to side with her and turn against the late Empress's uncle, who everyone obeyed. With her success, she was able to give herself the title of Empress. But, with her new position and title, she has to create a system to go against all of the other wives of the Emperor, who covets her title. To have the most power in the inner court, one must have the Emperor’s favor and to do this, they must satisfy his desires. Heaven Light decides the best way to keep the Emperor’s favor is by offering him her sister. Between her sister and her, the Empress is able to keep the Emperor away from all his other wives. Things are going well until it is discovered that the Emperor has been sleeping with the Empress’s niece, Harmony.

“Harmony had refused her meal in the pavilion where she was locked up. When my serving women opened the door and lit the candles, she turned to look at me; she looked disheveled, but showed no hint of remorse. It was as if she lost all the heedless joy of childhood in one night. Her drawn features and dark expressions were those of woman consumed by hatred.
With her forehead on the ground, she said, “Majesty, send me to a monastery or to the Cold Palace, condemn me to death, I would have no regrets. My body already belongs to the Son of Heaven (blogger’s note; this refers to the Emperor). I am happy to offer him my life.”
Harmony’s impetuousness reminded me of my own. I had experienced the same voluptuous suffering, this heroic sadness, but I had lost my innocence. I no longer believed in the ridiculous word- love.
I ordered the young girl to look up. I looked her right in the eye and said: “I shall spare your life because you are the daughter of the Lady of the Kingdom of Han, my beloved sister, and because the Lady of the Kingdom of Dai, my venerable mother, would die of grief if you left this sullied earth before she did. You are fifteen. The path of the life before you is long. Today I am giving you a choice: Either I arrange to find you a good marriage and you shall have a husband and children, or I shall offer you a palace in the Inner Court. But you should know that, like your mother’s, your liaison with His majesty will never be official. You will remain the Empress’s niece. Your body shall never be touched by mortal men again; you will never have children.”
When I read up to this part of the book, I was mortified. It was already bad enough the Empress “offered” her own sister to the Emperor to keep his “favor”, but to allow your niece to become the Emperor’s unofficial mistress along with her mother is just preposterous. Looking at the bigger picture, this shows the true nature of how life was like back then for the Chinese Royals. The mindset of survival of the fittest outshined the idea of love. We thought Hamlet’s mother and uncle we’re messed up in their incestuous marriage. But comparing them to the Empress’s situation, their controversy should be considered child’s play.