After Jun Meng picked 13 ladies to compete for being his wife the trials that the concubines planned started.,
First trial is from the first concubine Qui Li, the Empress step sister which she choose to have them perform in front of everyone., as any talent will do., they have about two hours to practice and perfect their performance before showcasing it.
The criteria is that they must show how elegant they were at the same time can satisfy the crowd.,
Which Ven found silly, yet she thought of it as a great opportunity to voice out her opinion and open the eyes of the corrupt and give what they have stole from the citizen who's suffering the burn of climate and war.
hours passed and one by one the ladies names are being called. one performed after the other, Till it was Ven's turn and she prepared her speech which is a poem to be exact
she stood up and walked elegantly towards the plat form and looked everyone in the eye, before speaking her mind out.
Poor Shoulders
"The walls are made of the wounded.
The doors are made of stone.
Beyond we are promised riches
Greater than we've ever known.
Comply! You'll be rewarded.
Security not guaranteed.
The government makes the cuts
And watches as the nation bleeds.
The king sits in his counting house.
The bankers chase the gold.
The world collapses under the weight
Of problems that money can't solve."
(Poor Shoulders is a poem about society written by Ms Moem.)
Everyone is silenced, most of them didn't get what was she's pertaining besides only the royals and the court officials knew the depth of her words.
Before anyone could react the prince went to her and grabbed her arm dragging her somewhere out of everyone's eyes.
And with the mess that was created Li Cheng decided to end the first trial at that
Since Ven is the last candidate to showcase her talent.
meanwhile with the prince...
"Hey! Quit dragging me!" Ven freed herself from his grasp and tried to ease her wrist
"Why would you do that?! DO YOU WISH TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?!" he furiously asked
"What I've said is the truth and none of you can cover that! The emperor himself experience poverty too!"Ven retorted upset that his making a huge deal about it.
She well knew the consequence of her words but just have to voice it out even her life will be on the line.
Jun Meng is more furious and frustrated
"Is this how you'll get back to me after what I hide from you?! I only hide the fact that I'm a prince you DONT have to go that far to make yourself known that I've upset you in someway" Jun Meng
"Don't make this all about yourself your highness., cause in the first place I expect you as a prince to understand more about your people than leisurely playing around town." Ven calmly stated putting stress in her tone when she mentioned his tittle and left the prince dumbfounded as she looked for her big sister who also looked upset earlier before she walked out.
While with Jun Meng after she left he felt helpless and went straight to the emperor's chamber to ask his brother some advice as he told him their conversation just a moment ago
"Brother being with the empress makes me realize how incompetent I am as a man and as an emperor, With Kim Li the need to understand her more is a must, her intentions and creativity might be questionable but looking at what she have already build , we the empire prosper and it shows that she included every single one of our people." Li Cheng stated
"But why do she have to state that poem that can possibly Kill her by less majesty! Maybe you won't take offense for it cause you know that I liked her, but what about the officials they'll start pressuring you to do something about her for stating those!" Jun Meng frustration is already at its pick
"Maybe because just like your sister in law, she's fighting for something she believed in" Li Cheng calmly explain
Even though Li Cheng is still troubled of how the empress act earlier and he didn't get the reason why., He's now trying to understand her more and more.
While talking to his brother his trying to decipher his empress words one by one as of what triggered her that he did or say, for her to be so upset.
After Jun Meng excuse himself to get some fresh air He lay down his bed and closed his eyes as his mind kept replaying the scene earlier.
How the empress looked hurt and disappointed through her eyes, it's the not the first time he saw her react something like that.
He knew that she could kill out of anger and his one of those who saw it in first hand. As she's the devil yet an angel at the same time, as she also knew how to save a life.
He thought harder and her words of being in someone else shoes end up repeating in his mind as his eyes felt heavy and drifted with the thought of ways to understand his empress better..
While Kim Li is now wondering as of why she reacted like that,
As if she intended to release her frustration on Li Cheng for not accomplishing what she wants him to behave.
She's still pissed at him for not understanding her point, but turning back it shouldn't have been the issue since their marriage is just for political purposes only.
Now she's starting to wonder if she like like him like that.
Questioning herself as of when did it begin, what did he do to impressed her, and how did she actually like like him?
Hey mind is in turmoil and she can't find the answers she needed right now.
And it's starting to drive her crazy.
Cause she doesn't want to be trapped in the thing called "Love".
