Li Yu × Little Zhou Empress
Ruler of the Southern Tang × the younger sister of the former empress
When Pipi was ten, she went to the palace for the first time to visit her older sister. Not knowing the palace rules, she barged into the imperial garden with a noisy crowd of children.
There she came upon the young ruler, guiding her sister's hand as she wrote the line, "A cloud curls, a jade shuttle glides."
A throng of palace attendants behind them cried out in alarm, rushing to protect the ruler.
Li Yu let go of her sister and looked up before a garden full of lotus blossoms.
It was hard to understand why someone so strikingly beautiful, with the power of an entire kingdom in his hands,
always looked so shy when speaking with others.
Pipi stood there, stunned, and heard Li Yu ask softly, "Has your younger sister come to visit?"
*
In her short ten years of life, no one had ever been so patient with her.
Pipi fell for this brother-in-law, whose face held such a gentle, innocent expression.
She vowed that when she grew up, she would marry a man just like him.
When her sister and the palace attendants heard this, they laughed together.
Her sister tapped the tip of Pipi's nose and laughed at her silly words. "There's only one ruler like him in the world."
Pipi stared at her, not understanding why.
Her sister only smiled. "You'll understand when you grow up."
But when Pipi was fifteen, it was she whose hand Li Yu guided as they wrote, "When will spring flowers and autumn moon come to an end?"
The palace attendants had also begun calling her "Little Zhou Empress" in private.
Still, Pipi could not understand
why there truly was only one Li Yu like this,
or how the relationship between her, her sister, and Li Yu had gradually become what it was.
*
Barefoot, she steps onto the fragrant stairs, holding her golden shoes in her hand.
I had such trouble sneaking out. Let me indulge you in every way.
One by one, Li Yu's poems became proof of his passionate affair with Pipi.
They spread through the streets, into the court, and to her sister's ears.
Again and again, Li Yu crouched before Pipi,
gently and desperately begging her, "We really can't see each other anymore."
"We really can't meet again."
With his hand clasped in hers, Pipi begged him too. "We can't keep making the same mistake."
But Pipi couldn't understand why every one of them meant what they said,
why they all wanted it to end and were all in pain,
yet the pain still felt like a whirlpool, drawing them in,
making them move closer to it the harder they tried to escape.
*Xiaoke disease: An ancient name for diabetes.
When too much sugar is consumed, blood sugar rises and fat breaks down, producing excessive ketones. This may poison people with xiaoke disease and can be fatal in severe cases.
*Pi (pí)
*Angst-heavy romance
*But not melodramatic
*The elder and younger Zhou empresses are historical figures. If any of this bothers you, I don't recommend adding the story to your collection.
*Blurb posted on March 1, 2025. The story is already being written in advance.
Theme: The harder you try to leave, the closer you move toward the life you share.
