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"Your majesty," A messenger bowed in front of the queen of Jungpi as servants buzzed around her with cosmetics and pins. She was by no means beautiful. Her own mother had always referred to her as the fox face. But she had learned to embrace this quality about herself such that the king refused to have noble consorts until she had born him, Princess Yan Ming.

Her nails were long and red like spider's claws which she raised to observe his presence, "I see you. Tell me what you have seen around my capital. Is my idiot husband of need of assistance?"

"The Caiwong Official Chu will present his daughter to you today."

"Chu? He is always speaking of farmers and little people things. It is said he has no political ambitions and staffs his house with elderly folk. He is a queer man. But he sent no letter of introduction? Who are her mother's people?"

"Highness, the king may also entertain in court to observe you today."

"He will come in person or in a guise?"

"He is in a mood to watch you rule from the side curtain. He will have tea with you and Yan Ming afterwards. He asks that you also invite the Chu family as they knew the Caiwong royals better than the Jungpi advising you."

"This is such a troubling this. I don't even know the girl and I will have tea with her. She could be a mute. She could be a concubine born."

"Highness, she arrived a lot later than her father. There was trouble in their manor where all within were slain. Even though she returned he did not make her known."

"Not weak then. Who was her mother?"

"She was a childhood friend of Official Chu whom he married. They got on well until she died of illness when the girl was young. The woman was of a minor noble house of no accomplishment. Her grandfather did serve as a military general."

"She was raised as a son then. Tell the carriage I am ready for court. Messenger, please tell the king I welcome his invitation and thank him for his insight. His knowledge as always is all knowing."

The messenger bowed as the queen left him in the room.

=\\=

Bingquing straightened her dress and touched her hair for what could have been the fiftieth time. She checked her makeup in a small bronze mirror.

"Calm down." Official Chu said as he pressed his hands against the sides of his daughter's forehead. "If you're not ready for this, you don't have to go. You're only so many years old and later you will be so many years old. You could just stay here and play with Du Ni. You've been meaning to go to that temple that has the thousand buddha statues."

"Father, I am following a plan to get stronger. I have to put myself in an uncomfortable place to get to where I want to be."

As they walked into the carriage, Official Chu fussed over her. In turn Bingquing complained that his uniform was not free of creases. Even inside the palace they bickered.

After a while, the officials all gathered and Bingquing was lead into a side room where there was an older man dressed plainly. He wore no ornament on his head and the stitching on his clothing was well done, though simple. He had kind eyes and a knowing smile.

Bingquing felt there was something off about him. If she met him in a market she would not mind him, but why was he in the palace? There was another room for commoners who wanted to speak to the queen. This was supposed to be for nobles only.

It confused her more when he struck up a conversation with her. He reminded her of a fish seller, "Mam, I have come to see that ugly queen today."

"Ugly? I have heard she is plain, but even tempered. Being plain does not constitute one as ugly."

"Plain? Is that not an insult? I hear the women in the harem are more beautiful than she is which is why she only comes to the court and refuses to manage the harem."

"I have never met her so I cannot comment on my thoughts, only I speak the words of others."

"Are these the words of your father?"

"His eyes were only for my mother. He says she is a fair and just ruler. He often says the kingdom is much more capable in her hands. He wishes more women would rule because they do not always focus on war and riches."

"Does the emperor of Caiwong interested in such things?"

"I am only speaking from my experiences reading the books in his study."

"If I were to take all his books in his study and burn them, what would you say then? I ask the same question, is Emperor Tong of Caiwong a good ruler?"

Bingquing was surprised to be asked such dense questions so early in the morning. These were the questions a man would ask a new scholar. "If I had no books, I would not know there was a Caiwong or Jungpi. I would only know the town I lived in. If the town was prosperous I would say he is a good ruler. If the town was failing, I would say he is bad. A man needs to read if he is to know of all the goings on in a kingdom, and after considering how the ruler deals with those he rules, you can poise a good argument of whether the ruler is good or poor."

"As you are the daughter of a Duke, I did not assume you would speak well. Most noble women are not prone to--"

"Then you made a similar mistake as I am sure you speak the words of others."

The man smiled and got up from where he had seated himself next to her. A eunuch had arrived, he bowed to both of them. He then said, "The queen of Jungpi has dismissed her courtiers and wishes to see you now, daughter of Official Chu, Bingquing."