Chasing the Fleeting Flower

38: Jealousy, a fatal poison.

Outside one of the manors, birds sung to each other. Their flirting whispers to one another could make listeners blush, but it was quickly interrupted by the sound of a tea cup shattering against the tiled floor. In fright, the love birds scattered, leaving only behind the feathers of the lost intimacy.

A beautiful, slender hand gripped the wooden arm of the chair until the knuckles turned white. The Crown Princess was visibly shaking as her eyes stared darkly at the ground where the remnants of the cup rest.

"Your highness, be careful. . ." Mingyi kneeled down in front of her mistress, in fear and worry.

Just a while ago, an eunuch came with an imperial decree, stating that the Crown Princess had frightened Xin Rui who was pregnant with Song Yu Jian's child, thus, is punished to write a day's worth of scriptures in the temple.

Colors of red and green alternated in the flawless face of Ai Lan. Why, she wondered, why does the heavens hate her so much? She lost her baby, the key to winning her husband's heart. After she suffered a miscarriage, the Crown Prince spent more time in the Royal Study halls and away from her. She was not blind— she knew that he was also spending his nights at his concubines' rooms. Her heart, freshly shattered and healing from a deep wound, was torn apart once more. She lost her child, her husband has eyes for other women, and a married woman who caught his attention is now pregnant. It was like the heavens had stolen her baby to give to this damned woman.

Crystal tears rolled from her jewel-like eyes. She had done everything for Jin Hai, for his love, his heart. She yelled out with pain in her voice, "She stole my baby! Xin Rui, you damn witch, give me my baby back!"

Mingyi gently touched her mistress' trembling hands, "Your highness, it is this lowly servant's fault. Please rest instead and let this servant take your punishment. No one will know. . ."

After Ai Lan slowly calmed down from her eruption, she nodded slightly and she sucked in a deep breath before wiping her tears away. Mingyi had learned to read and write for moments like these. She spent her entire life serving Ai Lan: her loyalty to the princess was unwavering.

In another courtyard, the Empress was eerily calm after receiving such news. Her niece, Fang Ai Lan, lost her baby while a simple, nobody who wedded a bastard is now pregnant.

"Your Majesty. . ." the middle-aged woman besides the Empress called out in worry. The obvious fear is that Xin Rui will give birth to a boy. If the boy manages to survive til the age of five, then he would be granted the title "First Little Prince" and the favor would shift towards the Seventh Prince. Although Yu Jian was born from a mere servant, the Emperor pardoned her out of love and bestowed the boy the title of a prince, which allowed him into the palace. Yu Jian has little to no power within the palace but if he were to have a child. . . that changes the whole story.

For some unknown reason, the WuJin Palace is cursed with infertility. The royal bloodline and high status family struggles to produce healthy, pureblood children. Children from maids and other unworthy women had little to no value.

"No worries," the Empress calmly replied, "Chen will just take care of it, like we did to the other girls.

That's right. The Empress had dipped her hand in poison in order to give her son the title of Crowned Prince. With the marriage to her niece, it secured his position. She will not let the other princes have their child before her son. But unbeknownst to her, the queen's evil habits had angered the Gods from above. Fate smiled wickedly as she began to recklessly cut the red threads connecting to the lineage of the Royal Family. Karma has her ways. Since the Empress liked to interfere with the circle of life so much, why not let Fate do it for her? She'll just snip, snip, and snip until the kingdom begs for heaven to give mercy.