Ghost Du Hongmo

Prince Asano's Birthday Party

Hongmo looked into Asano's eyes and saw his sincerity show through. She too had missed him in her own way. She stood up and walked to the side of the room and opened a drawer. She pulled out a sandalwood box that had plum blossom tree and a pine tree carved on the box. The plum blossom symbolized perseverance, hope and beauty. While the pine tree symbolized longevity, steadfastness and endurance.

Hongmo walked over and handed the box over to Asano. A moment's confusion ran over his face as he received the box.

"It's your birthday in two days isn't it?" Hongmo said as she sat down again. "A present. No strings attached."

Asano's face lit up as he stared at Hongmo in surprise. He wasn't expecting anything from her by the way she had been ignoring him. His fingers traced they designs on the box with his fingers. The meaning of the trees wasn't over looked by him as he traced each detail slowly.

"Open it." Hongmo encouraged him.

Asano opened the box and inside was a clear glass vial with a blue shining liquid on top of a white velvet cloth. Asano looked up at Hongmo in confusion.

"The Elixir of Jujube." Hongmo tells him. "Jujube's represents wealth, prosperity and fertility. The Elixir of Jujube is the cure to help you reproduce children that will carry your family name."  

Asano set the box on the table and lunged at Hongmo.  They fell to the ground as Asano knocks her chair back with the force of his body.  His arms came around her as he hugged her tightly.  He had missed her, missed the feeling of holding her, missed the smell of her, missed everything about her.  

"Thank you."  Asano told her as he stared into her navy blue eyes.  Her eyes shined as he kissed her forehead.  

"Get off of me before my servants walk in and see us!"  Hongmo yelled at him.  

"I'm pretty sure they heard us the first time.  So what if they see us now?"  Asano teased.  

Hongmo taps on him lightly before she pushed him off of her.  

"I have things to do."  She said as she stood up. "You may be born into wealth, but some of us have to work to earn for our living."  

Asano sighed heavily as he stood up.  He was determined to get closer to her heart by any means necessary.  

"My birthday party is in two day."  He said as he pulled out the invitation card. "It would mean a lot to me if you came."  

Hongmo opened the card and read the contents, "I'll be there."  

Asano smile widely at Hongmo's answer and felt the darkness that hovered over him for the past few days lift.  He left her home with the sandalwood box in hand and headed to his Master Teacher to lecture him for causing him trouble with the one person who had become important to him.  

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Two days later, Hongmo had enough money to buy a luxurious carriage and have a carpenter carve out her emblem.  It was of an owl sitting on a willow branch.  When her servants saw the emblem they didn't understand why their Mistress chose the owl and the willow branch as her emblem.  The owl represented the harbinger of death, while the willow branch represented the will being able to bend, but not break.  

Hongmo didn't make her emblem a big issue with her servants, she just told them that she liked owls and willow branches and that's why she chose them.  She brushed it off as if it was nothing and continued on her way.  However, the true reason why she chose the emblem was to make a statement.  That her strength of character can bend, but it will not break for she is the harbinger of death. 

When she arrived to the royal palace where the party was being held, the party was in full swing already.  Several ministers, generals and their families have attended the party.  Their seating was arranged by their status around the stage that dancers and performers were on while Asano sat at the head of the raised dais.  Several ministers and generals have walked in front of his table to wish him a happy birthday and drink with him a cup sweet wine to wish him luck and fortune in his life.  They would introduce their daughters to him in hopes to attract his attention to make her his concubine or wife.  While they would introduce their son so he would notice their son's skills in the government or their son's martial abilities, in hopes of rising their status through their connection to Prince Asano.  

Hongmo had arrived late, she really didn't want to surround herself with people more than she would like to, so she made sure to take her time while getting ready.  She had bought a new dress.  It was a vine green dress with white and gold peonies embroidered on the dress.  Her hair had been pinned up with pearls.  Two long green and white jade hair pins, one in the shape of a dragon and their other in the shape of a phoenix, were crisscrossed in the bun to hold the bun together.  Her ear held a gold and pearl teardrop earring. While her wrist had white and green jade bracelets of a dragon eating it's tail and on her ring finger was a white and green jade ring.  

When she came out of her room, Natalie and Blair cried out in excitement.  They have always known their Mistress was pretty, but all made up, like a lady, she looked beautiful, just like the nobility. 

"You're going to be the envy of them all!"  Natalie said as she brushed Hongmo's dress of imaginary lint.  "You're going to make so many young misses regret that they weren't born with your beauty!  I wish I could be there to see their faces!"  

Natalie laughed as Blair giggled.  They walked her to the carriage, where Blake opened the door for her and closed it after her.  

"Mistress Hongmo, I must say, you're going to have so many suitors knocking at your door once they take one good look at you.  You might want to hire some guards to kick them away from your gates!"  Blake joked at her.  

"Lets go Blake, I'm running late as it is."  Hongmo's cold demeanor did not thaw at their complements.  

Her servants were already use to her cold character, but they knew she had a kind heart deep down inside.  She had let Blake and Blair learn how to read and write.  Their pay as servants where twice the usual amount of others.  She didn't micromanage them and they didn't need to cook for her as she always took her meals at the restaurants.  As long as they did their jobs and keep their loyalties to her, she was the best Mistress that they could ever wish for.  

When Hongmo arrived at the banquet hall in the royal palace, her name alone made the whole room stop what they were doing to stare at the door.  Her silhouette against the moonlight made her look ethereal.  

"The Godly Poison Expert, Miss Hongmo." The eunuch yelled as Hongmo gave her title and name to him.  

Asano stared intently as the beauty stepped into the room.  She had completely changed into a lady who held high status, instead of simple and plain miss who didn't care for what others think of her.  Now she had an aura of nobility and impenetrability that no one could touch.  Her beauty called out to them, but her ice cold aura warned people off of her deadly beauty. 

Asano had found himself on his feet and in front of his table and had completely forgotten about the people who came up to his table to wish him a happy birthday and drink a toast to his health and fortune. As Hongmo crossed through the dancing troupe on the stage, who stopped to stare at her and move out of her way as she passed through the. Hongmo had a slight smile on her face as she bowed to Asano.  Asano quickly came forward to help Hongmo stand.  

"I didn't think you would come."  He told her as he stared at her from top to bottom, not believing her transformation.  

"I did promise you that I would."  She told him as her smile widen slightly.  

"I'm glad you did."  He said as he led her around his table to sit next to him. As she was taking her seat, a shout caused a huge commotion and drew everyone's attention from Hongmo to the young girl. 

"Slut!" The young girl who stood in front of the Prince's table yelled.  

Hongmo's smile widen completely when she heard the familiar voice of Lady Sara