The Sorceress' Revolt
Author: Toriumi Jinzō
Translator: Ainikki the Archivist
Ko Biji's Story
Part Eight: The Eunuch
Ko Biji was assigned to her own separate quarters in the Inner Palace. She had a small villa all to herself. It was surrounded by lush forests and gardens, and was out of reach of outside enemies. Guards were stationed all around, and two maids were to look after Ko Biji at all times. Ko Biji was completely cut off and isolated from the outside world, but she was in the safest place there was, far from the prying eyes of National Guardsmen.
That evening, Rai Ingyō visited Ko Biji in the Inner Palace. He was captivated by her at a glance. Though Rai Ingyō was both a man and not a man, he possessed a keen eye for women and was greatly interested in them.
A few nights later, Rai Ingyō invited Chō Ran to his study for a banquet. “Ko Biji is indeed a beautiful woman.”
“Yes, it is rare to find such a one.”
Chō Ran didn’t seem to mind hearing praise for Ko Biji. “One day, Tanshi will be dead. I want to choose a path that will make her happy.”
“Will she be the Emperor’s wife?”
“She is older than the Emperor, so she cannot be his wife. But she is too good to be a palace maid. I would like to welcome her into my home, but…”
“You would marry her to your son?”
“No, no, I want her for myself.”
“What?” Chō Ran stared in shock.
“What I said. It’s not unusual for eunuchs to take wives. It’s written in the history books. Gao Lishi of the Tang Dynasty married a woman from the Lu family, and Li Fuguo married a woman from the Yuan family. Chō Ran, this is my lifelong hope. You might not understand, but my emotions and desires are the same as any other man. Nights are lonely for me. Sometimes I sneak off to the brothel behind the temple and seek entertainment with the prostitutes, but these relationships never last long. I really want to marry and live a long life with my wife.”
As Rai Ingyō pleaded with tears in his eyes, Chō Ran was half astonished and half sympathetic. Chō Ran could not understand how Rai Ingyō, who had nothing left, would treat a woman. Although they were both castrated, Chō Ran had never felt such a desire. During the three months he had lived with Ko Biji at his estate in Xiangzhou, he had felt a kind of affection for her, but no sexual desire.
Although he would like to be of help to Rai Ingyō, who had entrusted him with solving a major problem, he could not understand him in this. “I wonder if the woman will be able to give up on Tanshi… it would be no fun to force her.”
“Hmm… I’ll talk to you about it again sometime.”
“The sooner the better, please.”
***
Ko Biji’s chambers in the Inner Palace had been carefully arranged to appeal to a vain young woman, likely at the direction of Rai Ingyō. Her bedroom was luxuriously furnished, and the maids took care of her meals. She thought about escape, but her Daoist powers were lost to her since she’d inhaled all that poisoned gas at the estate on Mt. Hua.
Still, Ko Biji remembered what Chō Ran had told her: “I’ll find Tanshi another time. It’s not necessary to find him now. Indeed, I don’t need to find him. All I need to do is wait for him to find you.”
Even Chō Ran didn’t fully understand just how true those words were, but Ko Biji never forgot them.
The idea that Tanshi was coming was one of her few comforts. Rai Ingyō visited her at times, bringing her gifts like a jade comb and clothing whose style he preferred. This blatant attention drew Ko Biji’s scorn. Chō Ran witnessed many of Rai Ingyō’s clumsy attempts at courtship when he tailed him from his estate to Ko Biji’s chambers in the Inner Palace.
“You look lonely. Is there anything you want? Do you like the food?” Rai Ingyō would ask her.
Ko Biji felt nauseous and didn’t answer.
The clothing she was given was gorgeous and had designs similar to those worn by the Empress Dowager at banquets. Many young women of the court would envy her such clothes. She looked radiant in them and earned much praise from Rai Ingyō and others, but wearing them only made her feel sad. There were nights when she cried herself to sleep. Her former liveliness faded as the days passed.
Translator's Note
1 曹操: Cao Cao was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (c. 184–220 CE), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. His son and successor Cao Pi ended the Eastern Han Dynasty and inaugurated the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). ↩
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