I, Wu Zetian, female emperor of the Great Tang, recently took a stunning male consort, Xie Yunshu. By day, he coughs up blood and looks as frail as a willow. By night, he keeps sneaking over to my dragon bed, claiming he's “afraid of the dark” and needs me to hold him while he sleeps. Ridiculous. I rule the realm. How could I fail to see through his little tricks? Sure enough, my guards report that this man is the leader of a rebel faction plotting to overthrow Wu and restore Tang, hiding in the palace to assassinate me.
Ha, how interesting. I wonder how long he can keep up this act. So I play along, watching him pretend to be obedient and affectionate each day, putting on a show of loyalty before me. His “heartbreaking” performance is more entertaining than the newest song at the entertainment house. But as the act goes on, something starts to feel wrong.
Then, on the night of the palace coup, a stray arrow cuts through the air, and that fool actually throws himself in front of me. The arrow pierces his chest, and he collapses into my arms, his breath fading as his hot blood stains my imperial robes. Leaning close to my ear, he uses his last bit of strength to grit out, “Foolish woman... I've been undercover for ten years... How did I... end up giving you my heart...”
I hold his body as it grows cold, gazing at his still-handsome face, now devoid of life. For the first time, I can't smile. Xie Yunshu, which one of us broke the other's heart?
