“I apologize for what I’m about to say, Your Majesty. Your favor in me may have been wrong and it is fortunate that you have Lady Mei at court so you won’t be alone. I am asking you to grant my leaving the palace and hope that you continue to treat those around you well and not miss me.” With this, she took the hairpins and powder box from her robes. She sobbed quietly. “These are the tokens of our love. I want to return them to their original owner.”
“Why are you talking like this?” The Emperor was in shock. “We love each other. Why should we be separated? Please forgive me for whatever I did wrong.”
Lady Yang continued to cry.
“Look at your knitted brows and wet eyes. You make me love you even more. Keep the hairpins and the power box. I will not part with you.”
Yuhuan had been bluffing all along, but the Emperor’s talk reassured her of her place. She put away the hairpins and the powder box as he wished, and took a breath.
“If Your Majesty means what he says, I’ll stop.”
This happened on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, also known as the Double Seven Festival. Legend had it that this was the only day of the year when the Cowherd met the Weaver Girl, a metaphor for a loving couple living separately. At that very night they could be seen meeting on the Bridge of Magpies over a wide river in the sky (the Milky Way) separating the two lovers (Altair and Vega) and their sweet words to one another whispered in the breeze could be heard. Hence, the young girls of the country traditionally offered fruits and prayers to the Weaver Girl to grant them with intelligence, creative talents and good marriage. Couples asked the stars for long-lasting love.
That evening as the Emperor walked to the Palace of Eternal Youth a breeze brought about a ripple of laughter.
“Who is laughing?” he asked the eunuch walking beside him. “It’s Lady Yang begging smartness,” the eunuch replied.
The Emperor crept forward to look inside the palace. A table, adorned with incense, vases filled with flowers, and fruits was placed in the middle of the room. Lady Yang was holding a stick of incense and praying softly.
“I humbly present these gifts along with my piety. May the love between the Emperor and I last forever and may his favor never fade.” she bowed as soon as she finished speaking.
At this moment the Emperor had already entered the room and stood behind Lady Yang, smiling.
“What are you doing, my lady?”
“I was praying to the Weaver Girl for intelligence,” she replied.
“You are already smarter than others,” the Emperor laughed, “You don’t need to beg for more.”
Lady Yang blushed. The Emperor took her hands in his and sat down,
“The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are separated by the Milky Way and can only meet each other once a year on this day. How can they bear the painful separation?”
“As I see it,” Lady Yang sighed, “though they can only meet once a year, their affection for each other will last forever. I fear our love will not last as long as theirs.” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke.
“How can you talk like this?” said the Emperor wiping away her tears. “Their affection can never match our love?”
Lady Yang looked at the stars above and sighed pensively. “I have the honor of being favored by Your Majesty. I have something I would like to say to you tonight.” Then she paused, gazing at him tenderly.
“Go on please.”
“Though your favor in me is unmatched, I worr y that I cannot grow old with you, and that our love won’t last long.”
“You shouldn’t worry so much, my lady. Our love is strong, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“If what you say is true then let’s vouch before the stars of Cowherd and Weaver Girl for our everlasting love.”
“As you like,” the Emperor replied, “I’ll burn incense with you.”
Together they prayed to the stars.
“With the two stars as witness, Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan hereby swear that they will be a pair of loving husband and wife forever.”
