Tang Man was born in the time when the only means of transportation was by horse. It was a time when the monarch was head by the royalty. And a time when the gap between rich and poor was as wide as the open sea.
Killed by her husband, the famous Ge...
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The sky was tinge red as the sun begun to set. For every breeze, cherry blossoms were swept away and around the isolated courtyard. Summer was just about to bid its goodbye in the last week of the month.
At the stone table, a tea set was laid. A fresh pot of tea and a cup filled with steaming tea waited upon the lady in a white dress. She was alone and left to ponder her life.
When was the last time she smiled?
When was the last time he visited her courtyard?
These questions, she could no longer remember the answers. It was far too long, and here she was, trying to remember what was left of her and him.
25 years ago, she was only but a 15 years old girl who just had her Coming-of-Age ceremony. As a daughter of a concubine, she was meant to marry anyone her father desired for prestige. She accepted that fact and awaited upon when she will finally leave the life of a martyr.
If only she knew then, that her life would be no different.
For indeed she was married for her father's career.
Indeed, a higher ranking official took her as his concubine.
He took her first, but never a second. She fell in love at first sight, but it was never meant to be fulfilled, for later, she learnt he already had someone he dearly treasured.
When was the last time she saw him?
When was the last time he visited?
She can no longer remember...
As she continued to observe the falling of the cherry blossoms, she heard faint footsteps approaching her courtyard. She did not turn around, for she thought they were her usual servants who never bothered to talk to her.
Until she heard the person speak.
"The cherry trees in your courtyard really has the best view."
Her eyes widened as she abruptly turned her head. There, just a few steps away from her, he stood, an expressionless face but eyes not cold, nor warm. His well-endowed body was muscular in all the right places, while a hand was resting on the hilt of his sword by his hip. His long ebony hair that was tide in a simple ponytail swayed with the gentle breeze. The cherry blossom made him appear even more ethereal and her heart constricted as her mouth drew a sharp breath.
She simply stared at him in all his glory, memorizing the changes brought by the passage of time. He was still the most attractive man she had ever laid her eyes on.
She continued to speechlessly wait for him at the table as he finally begun to approach. Stride by stride, she could hear her heart beating violently in her chest, she could no longer hear the birds singing her peace.
Stride by stride, and finally she met him face to face. She slowly stood up from where she sat, performed a respectful bow to her husband and gave him a polite greeting. "Zhangfu, please forgive qizi for not welcoming you properly."
He was thoughtful for a moment before giving a grunt reply with a curt nod. Then he sat himself at her stone table.
She cleared her head of all speculations and immediately served her husband a cup of tea as elegantly as she remembered. As soon as the tea was served, she stood at his side to await for his words, the epitome of an obedient wife always heeding her husband's words. Her head remained bowed for the duration he drank his cup of tea.
He lifted up the cup to his mouth elegantly, but there was no doubt the feeling anyone would get from seeing his actions was of that a heroic warrior. His actions did not dwell and was as sharp as his sword, swiftly, he had put down his cup to rest on the stone table with a plunk.
"Have a seat, Concubine Rong."
Her heart felt like it was pricked with a thousand arrows when she heard him rigidly call her with her title in his house. At the same time, she wondered why had he come in her courtyard if not to spend some leisure time with her. But it also had been a long time and she was older now.
She demurely took the opposite seat with her head still bowed. She did not take her cup that had now gone cold.
He looked at her with a slight frown on his handsome face, but his actions spoke otherwise as he poured her cup of cold tea onto the ground and poured her a fresh cup of tea.
"Take it." He said as he pushed the cup towards her.
She was still confused, but she could not think of answers and so she absent-mindedly laced her hands around the cup and sent its contents into her mouth. She felt the lukewarm temperature of the green tea as she continued to drink and empty its content.
She gently placed the empty cup back on the stone table and waited for his next words.
Only, there was none and darkness consumed her.
It was only in her moment of muddle-headedness that she could understand what was going on.
"Guards!! There's an assassin!!" He called for his men, commanding them to chase after whoever poisoned her cup of tea. But who was to tell it was actually him who poisoned her, while the only witness was already breathing her last.
That was the end of Tang Man Rong, one of Shi Kuo Mao's concubine. He, whose military exploits awed the great nation of Qin silently killed his wife with poison. Could he not bear to see her murdered with his sword, or was there a conspiracy that required her death?
Only, Tang Man Rong would never know in this life as her life was slipping away fast, sadly and surely. There was no more words that could describe the heartbreak she was going through as she lied on the ground.
A tear slid down to her ears as she took her last breath. There really was nothing to be said.
