Chapter 7.
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In the afternoon, when the wind blows the dried leaves on the ground gently causing musical rustling sound, the chirping sound of birds could be heard though they are nowhere to be seen. The atmosphere is torn apart just like how the middle-aged man, well-known in the palace to be Eunuch Fan, pierces through the almost eternally closed gates of Crown Prince' graveyard-like palace.
Like being struck by lightning, Eunuch Fan and the palace guards he brought barbarically barge into Crown Prince's main palace which is linked directly to his sleeping chamber. Inside, they find him with slightly flushed cheeks, messy hair and untidy clothes and a bottle of wine in his hand.
"Eunuch Fan? Long time no see." He chuckles, hiding the painful emotions rolling in back for the thousand times. Like old good friends, Eunuch Fan bows down to him as if delivering a calm before a storm. Indeed, it's a storm.
"Consort Shine right? What else did I do now?" A smirk is existent on his face, intended to hide his actual emotions like how he hides behind the walls of his isolated palace, indulging in god-knows-how-many bottles of wine.
"Your Highness will know once you've met His Majesty."
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Author's POV:
As footsteps are heard from behind the Dragon Throne, guards surrounding a kneeling man-whose face again wears despair-tense up. His eyes are shut tighter than a lock as the first cold sweat break out, rolling down his smooth jawline. His fists are clenched yet trembling, slightly uncontrollable.
When the sound of footsteps draw near, another crystal clear sweat drips on the floor from his jawline. His life could end anytime soon with unjustified accusations, or more accurately, intentional.
"Crown Prince Leon." His voice easily echoes throughout the room without himself having to raise his volume, as if his voice has been accustomed to create this kind of aura that physically and mentally suffocates everyone who kneels before him, even the Empress.
"Yes, Father Emperor." He hesitatingly replies, suppressing his nervousness strenuously.
"How will you explain yourself?!" Crown Prince could sense the agitation in his voice which is full of hatred, disappointment, anger but also hope. Hope that perhaps, it's all just a misunderstanding.
"Your Son does not understand what Father Emperor means."
"You're still trying to deny?! A eunuch saw you threatening Consort Shine's palace servant to mix poison into her food! If not for his honesty, what could've happened and how would you take responsibility?!" As if his world's suddenly being struck by lightning, Crown Prince lifts his eyes up to meet his father's, hoping that he could see through the reality behind those eyes.
However, don't know since when, their relationship between a father and son has deteriorated so much that the light of trust seems to be flickering so violently that it almost extinguishes. A little more blow would complete put it out.
"Your Son is framed, Father Emperor! Please don't believe those unjustified allegations!"
"Bring everyone from the Crown Prince's palace here. Dispatch the Department of Justice to investigate this case." The Emperor commands his trusted eunuch of twenty years, Eunuch Fan, with a brush of his hand. As the latter hurries his way to the department, the Emperor eyes Crown Prince with the stare intensifying as moments pass by.
His Crown Prince scheming to poison his most beloved Consort Shine to death is something that he would never have thought of even with the former's tainted reputation. However, seeing his first son begging for justice comforts him slightly. All this might have been a misunderstanding, and he himself is sure that he's never educated a monster, worse still, kept the monster at his bay.
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Author's POV:
"What did you say?!"
"I... Um... Crown Prince is being suspected for scheming to poison Consort Shine and is now kneeling at Emperor's Grand Hall." Her lady-in-waiting, Lis, timidly reports the nightmarish news to her, not daring to raise her head. Though she can't see them, she's sure that her master is currently gritting her teeth and clenching her fists as venomous aura is being emitted profusely within her.
"Go to Grand Hall!" She rises up without warning and paces her way as quick as possible towards Emperor's Grand Hall, located not too far away from her own palace. Her heartbeat picks up its rate simultaneously as she pictures the worst.
She can't let the Crown Prince fall just like that. His fall means her fall as well. They are both on the same boat now, trying their best holding on to their lives. Ironically, they often curse their own lives, wanting to end their existence within the walls of the palace. They were once the happiest pair of mother and son though palace rules separate them since birth.
"Follow the Empress!" Lis gathers several palace servants, eunuchs and guards to follow the Empress towards the Grand Hall.
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Author's POV:
The three little weak bodies are being thrown like trash on the carpeted floor as if they are even lower than animals. The two, whose faces resemble each other's, curl up between themselves with teary eyes full of fear as they are aware of the person before them. Another expressionless girl is left alone though her turning-pale face clearly implies how scared and oblivious she is. No one tends to her, no one cares for her, not even the two siblings. Again she's left alone to fend for herself like how life used to be for her in the Leanne household, though now the intensity isn't even comparable.
Obviously this little girl, with ankle-length charcoal-black hair which is rolled up and secured with her old rusted green pin, is oblivious of the disaster befalling her master. Obviously this little girl, who hasn't fully witnessed the cruel and merciless life of the harem, isn't prepared to witness how the harem is transformed into a battlefield by the women. Obviously this little girl, whose life is almost completely limited to the gate of the Crown Prince's palace, has to prepare for the worst regardless of her being guilty or guiltless. Department of Justice has sometimes been corrupted and innocent lives are often lost behind the Emperor, ironically with his permission or command. It is even questionable how people outside actually envy the life within the walls and wish to enter it. What they've seen is actually only a grain of rice in a bucket sand.
"These are all?" Asks the Emperor in disbelief. His eyes squint, however suspicions are not present. Deep down inside, his heart clenches painfully at the sight. No matter what, he's still Leon, the highly-respected and talented Crown Prince of his empire, his own son. Seeing him so neglected, when even his lowly government officials receive more attention and have more servants, makes him feel disgraced for having pushing his own blood and flesh down the hole.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The immediate agreement of the palace guards causes him to question his decisions to put Crown Prince under house-arrest. Abandoning him like discarding his trash, he chooses to strengthen the ties between him and his government officials with amiable achievements.
"Your Majesty!" Again another familiar face barges into the Grand Hall without permission despite the guards' prevention.
"Did you receive any summon from me, Empress?"
"Your Majesty! Don't be taken in by lies! It's not Leon! This matter is unrelated to Crown Prince!" She drops her body into a kneel, frantically begging for justice and mercy from the one she's been loyal to for more than two decades, though most of the loyalty is merely facade.
"How could you be so sure?"
"Because... Because I'm his Mother Empress!" She answers with hesitation for a few moments. Her answer triggers a loud and thunderous slam on the table.
"And you think that I'm not his Father Emperor?!" Startled, her eyes widen in fear, for having chosen the wrong words.
"That's not what I mean, Your Majesty! You Majesty, you do know that Leon will never commit any crime. You've witnessed his process of growing up, he's a very honest and great Crown Prince!"
"Then, what about the corruption he did?"
"That was all schemed by someone who wishes for Leon's fall!"
He diverts his gaze from the beautiful woman who has been with him for years, from even when he was not the merciless Emperor he is now yet. To his own son he looks, his eyes discerning sharply like eagle, hoping to be able to perceive right through his heart, to be enlightened of the truths. He's long hated the fact that human's heart can never be read.
"I wonder who may that person be?" From the main entrance enters a woman standing with self-proclaimed glory shining brightly, reflected in her own eyes. She paces her way slowly and gracefully towards the man on the dragon throne. As she passes by the Empress, she looks down at her, the edge of her lips lift slightly, smirking.
"Consort Shine?"
"I greet You Majesty." As she proceeds to bow, the Emperor immediately rises from his seat, approaching her side, lifting her up.
"My beloved consort, there's no need to greet. You must still be in shock from the incident."
"Your Majesty! This incident really has nothing to do with Crown Prince!" Empress interrupts the scene before her that stirs disgust and jealousy in her. However, she knows that the jealousy, isn't the romance-related type. It's power-related.
"Empress, how could you be so sure? Do you have any proof?" The tone in the Emperor's voice is rising, signalling his increasing displeasure and erupting anger.
"You may ask the servants in his palace!" Consort Shine lifts her palm, covering her lips and coughing gently, smiling in victory in between. As she looks up, she showers the servants in the Crown Prince's palace with her signature overpowering glare. Cherry and Mal, who have long lived in the palace and have been exposed to Consort Shine's bewitched acts, tense up, scared. As she turns to another kneeling girl, she squints her eyes, unable to recognise the new face. Her heartbeat picks up its speed as she recalls her as the servant she's purposely assigned at the Crown Prince's palace to further gain the Emperor's love. She's the only chess piece that she's forgotten to keep at bay.
"Speak up, three of you."
Clenching her fists, Jade secretly steal a glance at Cherry and Mal who are putting on a mask of pure fear and trembling. Their teeth are chattering slightly as they keep their eyes settled on the floor.
"Why are you not speaking up?! Quick!" The Empress turns around to push the two back, forcing them to voice up.
"We...we don't know anything!" Mal casts a sorry look at Crown Prince who's looking at them, with hope clearly evident in his eyes. Upon Mal's words, he shuts his eyes in defeat, expecting his future life in the palace to crumble and collapse, like avalanche.
"The...the Crown Prince has always been in his palace. No one has ever entered the palace these past few days." Jade finds her own tongue moves on its own, unknowingly. She knows not the consequences for speaking the truth, nor for speaking the lies.
"You... Who are you?" The man in golden robe releases his consort's hand, strolling towards the delicate kneeling young girl.
"I... I am a servant in Crown Prince's palace."
"She's the new servant whom Consort Shine personally picked and assigned to Crown Prince. She's probably the one with the best performance." Empress emphasises her tone on every single word as she peers at Consort Shine, who's gritting her teeth, cunningly.
"Really? Then...she should be telling the truth." The words coming out of the Emperor have Consort Shine startled as she slides her fingers past his arm.
"But, Your Majesty. She might be lying as well, we don't know."
"You're saying that the servant you've personally assigned to the Crown Prince is lying?" His Majesty stares at Consort Shine from the corner of his eyes, full of suspicions. Cold sweat is starting to break out for Consort Shine. She could listen to her own rapidly increasing heartbeat.
"No..."
"The Department of Justice should look further into this matter. For now, all of you, return to your palaces!"
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"How do you think, Mother Empress?" The old woman in her dark blue dresses gazes at a point, before slowly pulling the edges of her lips up. As she stands and strolls towards the vase of chrysanthemums she personally arranged, her golden hair ornaments dangle, forming jingling sounds. Her son too, rises, following her from behind.
"You're the Son of Heaven. All the answers are already before your eyes."
"Mother, you mean..."
"The eyes of your heart. As an Emperor, you should know that the harem and the court bear no difference. What you believe is what's going on. What makes a difference is your words."
"So, I can assume that we have the same thoughts?"
"All for the well-being of your empire." A smile is formed on her face, carrying both positive and negative notions. Nobody can interpret that smile of her, no one but the Emperor, her son, who's her ally. It's as if blood ties no longer exist in the palace. As if it's been replaced by the word 'alliance'.
But the Emperor flinches at her words, not because he can't believe that his imperial mother can utter those words, but because those words bring back memories. The memories of him finally realising the true meaning of being an Emperor. Those memories are filled with knives stabbing at his heart, deep, that leave ugly scars permanently. It's also the first memories where he actually wished that he wasn't born in the imperial family.
When he was still a prince, he thought that an Emperor could have everything. But no. The contentment shown in the late Emperor was all facade to prove his mentality. An Emperor is nothing more than a mere puppet of the government officials. Defying them would mean endangering his throne. No one knows how much he wanted to defy them then to save her. However, apparently it's almost impossible to go against all officials kneeling before him. Though he hates them to the core for scheming the death of his love, he can't help but put her and her entire family down. That's why, he hates himself most, for not being able to save her, for being such a weak and powerless Emperor.
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Translation:
Leon: Liú Zhōng
Crown Prince Leon: Tài Zî Liú Zhōng
I have something to say to you guys for now. :)
If you ask me whose story I like most, I like every single one of the story regardless. I love Third Prince's story very much(though I have yet to hint it). Crown Prince faces his own problem and (sorry) will face more in the future, as everyone does. Empress' story with General Wales is very heart-clenching. Emperor's story is really heart-shattering and a source of tears. Consort Shine is an extremely pitiful woman and you'll be able to sympathize with her once it's revealed. Consort Lana holds countless heartbreaks and regrets in her heart. Empress Dowager may be old, but her story carries on forever, despite the death of the late Emperor. Last but not least, Jade was sold by her parents as slave. However, her story doesn't end there, not so simple. You'll find out why.
Sometimes I feel like a villain for casting upon such sad storylines for them. -cries-.
I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. As you can see, this is titled 'Beginning' which means, all the drama ONLY begins here. It's ONLY STARTED.
Wait for more! :)