"How foolish that woman!" Hua Er exclaimed, hugging the pillow in frustration.
"Agreed. She had the audacity to ask you a second time! Who does she think she is?" Su Yin scoffed. She crossed her arms aggressively while she gently sat on the chair behind her.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. "I have a bad feeling about this."
I selfishly feared for my life. If the Empress wasn't going to frame Guan Shu, she might resort to framing me. Call me selfish, but I would sleep better at night knowing that I wasn't going to be framed. But looking at Guan Shu, I knew she would sacrifice her life for me. Guan Shu would be executed. I would be executed. It was either one of us, and I couldn't let the Empress win. I'd have to stay alive to bring the Empress down if anything happens.
I am selfish. When I started living in the harem for months, I started to adapt to survival instincts; it was every woman for herself. While I could sacrifice Guan Shu, I still had a heart. It was like I'd rather her get blamed instead of me...but I couldn't let that happen.
My heart was too warm.
"Guan Shu," I called out. Guan Shu turned to look at me. I noticed her wet eyelashes. "I'm not going to let Her Majesty hurt you, do you understand?"
Guan Shu shook her head as she craned her neck to stare at the ground. "No, milady... I am willing—"
"No." I pushed myself up so I was sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Emptiness. I was so tired of this mess that I almost felt empty. I wanted so badly to gather the ingredients for the recipe to get Jaxon and me out. I haven't communicated with him as the days go by. The situation was getting more out of hand that I couldn't tell Jaxon what had happened in case he does anything reckless. I wanted this to be over and done with.
Of course, it wasn't that easy.
"I am not letting you go." I strictly wagged a finger at her. "The Empress will fight for this, but I will make sure she goes down if she ever tries—"
There was an immediate burst of movement into my chamber. It happened so fast that I didn't have an instant reaction to what was going on. Two guards swept Guan Shu off her feet—not in a positive way—and aggressively attempted to drag her out. Her screaming, yelling, and punching did not help her. I was still in my headspace before I noticed.
I jumped to my feet but was bombarded by more eunuchs and guards ushering all of us out of the chamber. I kept my mouth shut but followed along. The guards were not friendly, I've learned that from my first arrest.
My heart was beating so fast, that I could hear it as we followed the two main guards to the large courtroom. As Hua Er, Su Yin, Fen Ai, and I made our way to the hall, Jaxon leaned close to me, close enough that I could smell the fresh jasmine from his body.
Jaxon lowered his body and neck and whispered, "What the hell did you do?"
"Nothing," I whispered while I kept my eyes in front of me. "Jaxon, I'm scared."
There was no tough girl act. My heart was beating so fast that I had to catch my breath because I kept thinking it skipped a beat. As I swallowed, the big lump in my throat created enough noise for Jaxon to reassure me by squeezing my shoulder softly.
"Bring in Guan Shu!" a eunuch yelled while all of us settled down.
Guan Shu was thrown into the spotlight. Her body hit the floor with a big thud and I almost cringed. I balled the fabric of my hanfu up in a fist. There were so many people, so many of them were watching this. Why? Why would they want to watch this horrific display of sabotage?
The Empress looked at me in such a despicable way that I almost wanted to yell. I wanted to yell at her. I wanted to scream and yell but I kept myself sane by rocking myself back and forth.
This was not what I wanted. We were all happy. We were all getting along. All of us. Guan Shu will not go down without a fight. Su Yin tried to hold my hand but I swiftly brushed her hand off and shook my head. I didn't want to watch this. The swirl of rage and fear was widening. Soon enough, it would engulf my flesh and bones.
I should've been screaming and yelling at the Emperor.
Why was I so timid? Why am I not talking? What has happened to me?
"Great blessings to Your Majesty. Happiness and peace to the Empress." Guan Shu kowtowed before shakingly speaking once again. "Your Majesty, please! I wasn't involved in anything! Ask anyone, they'll believe me. I have served you for how many years? I've been loyal! I've stayed out of trouble!"
The Emperor paid no attention to her and gestured his eunuch to speak.
"The last thing Rong Er ate was one rose-petaled pastry from his mother, Guan Shu. Please provide the details of the remains of the container!" the eunuch called out and soon, a physician bowed with the container in his hand.
"The plate of the pastry... has poison remains. It is confirmed." The physician handed the container to the eunuch with two hands. "The confirmed result of Rong Er's death is that he has been poisoned."
No.
No, no, no.
This cannot be happening.
I hated watching from afar. Guan Shu's eyes widened, tears flowing out of her eyes immediately after the statement was announced. Rong Er was dead. But what was the relevancy? What was going on?
Rong Er was dead. Guan Shu's son was dead. The child that I was going to protect if anything went wrong. I failed Guan Shu and I failed Rong Er.
"My Rong Er is dead!" Guan Shu shrieked.
The Emperor cocked an eyebrow. "You had no idea that your son is dead?"
"This is great acting." The Empress shook her head in disappointment. "Clearly, Guan Shu is not in the mental state to function. It makes perfect sense as to why she could've murdered Imperial Noble Consort Yang, resulting in the death of her son as well."
All of us. Su Yin, Hua Er, and I both looked at each other in dismay. The Empress was smart but insane. The fact that the Empress can stoop that low shows her dedication to her schemes. There is no reason she would have to go that far, there should be no reason. I felt like crying but nothing came out. It was like someone stabbed me in the chest.
Now, I was frightened. I wiped my clammy hands on my hanfu but there was a never-ending soak of sweat leaving my hands. I only talked to Rong Er several times. Guan Shu will never watch him grow up—will never see what Rong Er will be like when he reaches his teen years.
Rong Er would never have the life he wanted... because Rong Er was dead.
The words of the physician continued racing in my head. I couldn't believe this was what it came to.
My favourite maid's son was dead.
And it might have been because of me.
"Your Majesty." I angrily ran next to Guan Shu. I kneeled and bowed lousily. "The Empress is the one who made Madame Dong Mei's medicine in the morning! She has a motive to murder Madame Dong Mei, not Guan Shu!"
The eunuch next to the Emperor approached me. "It was gradual poisoning. Before Imperial Noble Consort Yang's death, she had heavier doses of poison before she died."
"Then I rest my case," I cried before looking towards the group of girls, who were sitting together. They were the girls who were there when the Empress accidentally slipped up and exposed herself. "Didn't Her Majesty say that she had to prepare Madame Dong Mei's medicine? You heard her! When Imperial Concubine Lee was—"
They all shook their heads.
Those scums. They're lying. For what reason? The Empress will eventually dispose of them once they get pregnant!
"No, Your Majesty! You have to believe me, they're lying!" I sobbed.
Tears were running down my cheeks and my throat burned. I was angry. So angry. There was a burst of emotions in my system and I continuously wept. My throat hurt so much; I had saliva building up in my mouth but I kept going. All my repressed emotions found their surface and flowed out of my small body.
"Her Majesty—" I pointed my finger at her but the eunuch stood his ground.
The Empress shot up from her throne, inevitably causing my downfall. "Don't you dare put my name in this! You and your maid are close! It makes sense for you to be involved in the crime."
I turned to look for Chang Ying, in hopes she'll rescue me like last time. She was gone. Chang Ying went to visit her family.
And then I realized.
Guan Shu and I both turned to look at each other. I gaped.
The Empress made Chang Ying leave. She urged the Emperor to let her leave. It was as if she wanted to portray herself as this virtuous empress but there was always something sinister behind her actions.
"To be fair," two maids interjected. "Lady Ying Yue has been acting very weird lately."
"Lady Ying Yue has been acting very suspicious, she's been very paranoid and eyes everyone—" another eunuch chimed in.
I narrowed my eyes. I didn't even know these people! I have no idea who they were. I observed the two maids and realised who was in front of them.
Niu Lin.
I wanted to vomit.
"No, I haven't been! I've barely left my chamber! I don't even know them!" I was choking back on my tears.
The Emperor sharply exhaled and looked at the eunuch. "Search her chamber."
"Your Majesty! You're not going to find anything!" I screamed.
"Shut up!" The Empress banged her fist on the table. "I don't want to hear anything coming from your mouth until they come back!"
Niu Lin cleared her throat before she spoke, "Noble Consort Han even told me she was envious and wanted to poison Madame Dong Mei, but I thought she was just joking but she laughed and shook her head!"
I jerked my head to face Niu Lin.
"That is untrue! If anything, you could've poisoned Madame Dong Mei! You asked if the 'Imperial Noble Consort' title' title was—"
"Han Ying Yue!" the Emperor yelled.
I immediately shut my mouth and looked at him with shock written all over my face. He looked like he hasn't slept for days. He looked as if he's been through so much and I knew he took me off of the favourites list. I looked at him like he was a parent, and that he was scolding me for my bad behaviour.
But in this case, my bad behaviour could mean a punishment of death.
Will I die?
There was no way I could die in this era! Absolutely no way! If I die, hopefully, this can transfer me back to my own universe and I can live peacefully with a story that I will never tell anyone. I could die, and I was still cracking jokes!
The room was silent while the Emperor and I had a staring contest. As I looked at his hot-tempered face, my heart was already shattering and the tears started to stream down my cheeks again. I hated when people raised their voice at me. And I especially disliked the Emperor at this moment. I can't believe he would believe all those people. Why couldn't he believe me? I knew all the women in the harem, were in shock and probably glad that I was being yelled at by the Emperor.
I wept, even more, knowing that this would be the last time I'll ever exist on Earth, living and breathing. All my accomplishments, all the hard work I've dedicated myself to, I even tried hard in high school! I couldn't let all of that go to waste! "Why don't you believe me, Your Majesty? I fought for you, I fought for the Empress, I risked my life and..." I cried in the palms of my hands, it was so embarrassing. My cheeks were so hot and my hands were so cold. I felt Guan Shu's shaky hand rub my back to reassure me but I was quite mad at her for letting me talk the most.
Guan Shu sniffled. "Your Majesty, please spare Lady Ying Yue, please take me instead!"
"So you are admitting that both of you have been involved in the murder of Imperial Noble Consort Yang?" The Empress raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips almost lifting up in joy.
"That's not what I was trying to say!" Guan Shu gritted her teeth.
"Your Majesty..." The eunuch and three other eunuchs followed quickly behind him. One of them handed him a small vase gently. The eunuch sped-walked to the Emperor and bowed before giving him the small vase. "If you look inside, there is poison. There is indeed a small vase of poison hidden in Lady Ying Yue's chamber."
I noticed Hua Er covering her mouth in shock.
We both thought that we hid that vase strategically! How in the world could they have found it?
"This is a big misunderstanding, Your Majesty! Please realize that my maid and I have been framed! I have no motive, we both have no motive! I don't care about rankings, I love you regardless!" I begged. I've never begged this much in my life. I had my head touching the ground and my palms faced flat on the ground in a deep kowtow.
"I will further investigate this but I have no choice but to strip away your title and send you to the Cold Palace," the Emperor solemnly said, making strict eye contact with me. There was no glisten nor joy in his eyes at all.
I continued to look straight at him, pleading with my eyes.
He turned to look at his trusted eunuch beside him and nodded. "Strip her of the title 'Noble Consort!' She must leave to the Cold Palace."
As the guards pulled Guan Shu and me up, I swallowed. "What about Guan Shu? My lady-in-waiting? My maids?"
"They will live alongside you," the Emperor said. "You are lucky I have not chosen to execute you. Your three maids are sent to work in the harem elsewhere. You and Guan Shu can live in isolation together."
The Cold Palace, as I've heard, was somewhere you did not want to be in. It was an empty palace, dusty and dirty and not taken care of at all. You were treated as a prisoner, but a prisoner that held better privileges than the ones in the small dungeon-like cells. It was better to be in the Cold Palace, isolated from everyone and everything, even the Emperor.
I struggled against their grip. "Your Majesty, you have to believe me!"
A guard attempted to push me down but I wiggled my arm out and landed a nasty punch to the side of his face.
"Another strike and I will have you exiled far away from here!" the Emperor jolted up.
In my chamber, I was forced to pack a small bag. It wasn't enough to fulfil me but I kept a few pins. I had to get out. It was a mission. There was no way the 'heavens' or 'gods' would let me falter in the Cold Palace. They had a plan, and I was willing to follow through with it.
There were hurried footsteps down the hall, and then it stopped. After a few seconds, it began to become closer behind me.
"I know you didn't do it... You didn't tell me what you did but..." Jaxon was bending over, his body behind me as his lips were next to my ear. "We're going to get out of here... We will get you out of there, I—"
"Jaxon... I am scared." I sniffled and attempted to wipe my eyes with the back of my sleeve. I can't believe I cried in front of so many people. I showed my vulnerability, I felt so vulnerable. I hated it.
"Well, at least you got his spit...right?" Jaxon asked, holding me by the waist as I got up.
I shook my head, slowly resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm a failure..."
"Oh... I asked that way too early, it was a little bit insensitive," Jaxon whispered as he embraced me. I smelled the scent of jasmine tea. It was calming. I dug my face in his chest as he rubbed circles on my back. "You're going to get out of there. You're strong. We're both in this together."
And weirdly enough, although there was chaos and destruction around me that I was concerned about, my heart was fluttering against his warmth.