-Three Years Later-
-Wang Shu POV-
"Mommy, I want to play!"
I chuckled and lifted Chaiya up on my shoulder.
Chaiya is the emperor and my child he's a little over two years old and he's already so smart.
"Let's go get Lalisa first." I said.
Lalisa is now five years old. She doesn't know that I'm her mother, but I treat her just like Chaiya and so does the emperor.
When I got both of the kids we ran outside. Lalisa grabbed and ball and we tossed it to each other.
Suddenly Chaiya yelled, "Daddy! Play with us, please."
He smiled and ran over, "Okay, but not for too long. Both of you have school."
Both kids groaned and Lalisa spoke, "Why do I have to? I don't know any other girls that go to school."
"That's what is going to make you special. If you study you'll have a really important job and people will look up to you. Don't you want that?"
She quickly nodded, "Yes!"
"Then when we're done, both of you get to studying."
They both nodded and continued to play. I smiled to myself, I'm glad the emperor treats her so nicely. When I brought her back I was worried he wouldn't like her.
After about half an hour later the emperor clapped his hands together. "Time for studying."
The kids smiled and ran over to the teachers building.
I chuckled to myself, "I'm glad they seem so happy to learn things."
As we headed back into the palace someone knocked on the door before we could even get settled, "Who could that be?" I asked.
He shrugged, "Come in."
I guard slipped inside and he appeared to be almost nervous.
The emperor looked confused, "Is something wrong?"
"Your majesty... it's been five years."
"Five years from what?"
"Five years since your first empress was arrested. She's being released as we speak."
The emperor slammed his fist on the table, "Dammit!"
I quickly ran to his side and tried to comfort him, "Please don't get worked up. What can she possibly do to hurt us now?"
"Anything, she is persistent, if she wants something done, it will be done. I just worry about our child, I'd hate to know how shes going to react to this."
I gasped, "No, please don't let her hurt our child."
"I promise I won't. If shes caught doing anything remotely suspicious she is going to be publicly hanged. I won't let her hurt anyone else."
-Zhao Ren POV-
A guard walked up to my cell and scoffed, "I can't believe I have to do this."
He pulled out a key and my eyes went wide. Am I being released? How long has it been?
When the door was open he stepped in and jerked me onto my feet. And dragged me outside causing me to fall on the ground. But at this point it didn't really bother me, I've had to sleep in the dirt for years now.
Another guard picked me up and took me to the palace of women. I was met by a group of angry looking maids and court ladies.
One of them sighed, "We'll take her from here."
They took me inside and a court lady walked up, "The Empress is busy so she can't assign your duties. But they filled me in on who you are, and what your job will be. You will be assigned to be a palace maid with no chance of promotion and you'll have to take on more duties than the other girls."
I could hear the other ladies laughing and it just made me more angry. How dare they laugh at me, do they not know who I am?
I quickly turned around and glared at them, "If you know what's good for you I'd stop that right now!"
One of the girls gasped, "Oh no, we better be careful or she might kill us like that consort."
I rolled my eyes and looked back, but the court lady was now looking at me with a deadly stare, "I would put a hold on those threats. I was told if you make any false move that you are to be publicly hanged."
"Fine. What's my job?"
She hummed in thought, "Today you have to clean all the clothes and set them out to dry, sweep and mop all floors in the palace of women, and clean the dishes in the kitchen here."
"That unfair."
She scoffed, "No, I'll tell you what's unfair. You killing Hayoon, was unfair. You killing her child before it even had a chance to live, was unfair. So I think you can handle a few chores."
She turned around and left. I sighed and went to the laundry room. The pile of clothes was almost as tall as me. I quickly filled a basket with some clothes and started to go to the river, but a group of other maids stopped me.
"Hey, killer. What you doing?"
"What does it look like, the laundry. Now please let me go."
They chuckled, "Oh, well I was hoping you were planning on hurting someone so that they can hurry up and kill you."
"Move, now."
They finally moved out of the way, "Fine, but if it hurt the empress or her kid, I'll kill you myself."
"Wait- her kid?"
She nodded, "Yes, it's the emperors and hers. His name is Chaiya and he's the crown prince."
When they walked away I dropped the basket. The emperor... had a kid. That's all I ever wanted. Was just a kid. But he wouldn't give it to me.
I then thought back to that one kid she brought with her. Lalisa was her name, I think.
I remember thinking... what if, that's actually her child. If it is her kid, Wang Shu would probably be kicked out of the palace.
It can't hurt to look into. Besides I won't get in trouble because I won't be hurting anyone.
-Minjun POV-
As I sat at my desk someone knocked on the door and slipped inside, "I have a letter for you, your majesty."
"Let me see."
The man handed it to me and slipped back outside.
The outside was addressed from the emperor in China. I quickly opened it up and read it's contents.
Dear Minjun,
I feel as if I should inform you to this horrible news. Zhao Ren has been released from prison. I pray she doesn't start any trouble, but I just wanted to let you know.
Also, you're always welcome back at the palace for a visit.
Sincerely, Emperor Kang Xi
I sighed as I finished reading. I personally don't feel like she got enough punishment, but as long as she doesn't hurt anyone else I won't try to interfere.
But perhaps I will go back for a visit. I heard the emperors kid is two years old now. And I thought back to the other kid Lalisa, she was really a sweet kid. There was something about her that made me wish I was a father. Maybe one day I'll be a dad and raise a kid.
-Wang Shu POV-
As I brought the kids inside to lay them down for bed, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
I know Zhao Ren served her time, but I don't feel like she's the type to learn from her mistakes, if anything I fear she's going to be worse than before.
But I can't be negative all the time. Its unhealthy.
-Zhao Ren POV-
Marriage, death, and birth certificates are all public records so when I was finished with all my work I went to the city hall where they were all kept.
It was pretty difficult to search through every birth but eventually I found a birth five years ago to a girl named Lalisa. It says she was born in the doctors office on the border of China and Korea. She was seven pounds and eighteen inches long.
But where's the parents? Ah there... wait, oh dear god.
Not only is Wang Shu the mother, but the father is blank. She didn't even know who the father was, that's disgraceful.
I then decided to keep looking, maybe Wang Shu has been married before or maybe her parents are bad people and that's why no one knows who they are.
The marriage certificates were a dead end so I quickly search the birth certificates. When I found her birth certificate I got confused. It says here that Wang Shu is a boy.
That's impossible, she has children. I blew it off, maybe someone just wrote it down wrong.
When I kept reading I nearly choked.
Her parents... I've never heard of hear mother but... her father... was the former Emperor of Japan, Go Komyo.
No no no, this can't be. Why would she keep this secret?
I must expose the truth about Lalisa but can't let anyone find out about Wang Shu's parents.