MY EMPEROR

Chapter 17

Zhen Zhen

It was the Empresses birthday and everyone was dressed to impress even the King was wearing the finest clothes, I was the only one wearing clothes that were almost plain.

The Empress smiled when she saw me. "Zhen Zhen come here my dear." She called softly and I went to kneel in front of her. "I knew you wouldn't wear anything fancy today, I have a robe prepared for you." She said lovingly. "Cha Cha please help her change." Cha Cha grabbed my hand and took me to a private room.

A beautiful peach robe with golden dragons was laid out for me. "This is the Empress's favourite robe but she saved it especially for you, it's seems that the Empress like you." She helped me get dressed and when we went back outside everyone gasped.

I went to kneel in front of the Emperor and Empress. "Oh my dear stand up." Cha Cha helped me up. "Now that you're looking beautiful my birthday banquet may start." His Majesty was watching me.

The dancers came out and started dancing for Her Majesty. "I want to dance for you too." I whispered softly. "Oh you can dance?" The Empress said sounding impressed. "Dance for me then." The dancers left the stage and I went to dance for  the Empress.

When I was finished everyone clapped for me, as I went to sit next to the Empress the Queen Dowager came and bowed in front of the Empress. "I think it's time for the gifts, Zhen Zhen would you like to give the Empress your gift first." She was up to something.

I nodded my head. "However there's something I would like you to explain in front of everyone, about you and Wu Tianjiao I mean where there's smoke, there's fire." She said softly. "What about him?" I asked softly.

She pulled out a sword tassel that almost looked like Wu Tianjiao's . "Why would the trusted woman of the King have a tassel of his most trusted soldier?" I grabbed the tassel. "Whatever made you think that this was his tassel and where did you get it?" She smirked at me. "Your room of course." I nodded my head.

I turned to look at the Empress. "Well is it true?" She asked gently. "I don't know who's tassel is that." I whispered softly. "There's even a guard to prove it." She called the guard and it was the same guard that Wu Tianjiao had assigned to me.

He couldn't look me in the eyes. "Tell them what you saw." He whispered softly. "I saw them talking intimately and Wu Tianjiao even gave her this tassel and they kissed each other." He whispered softly. "How dare you!" The King yelled and the guard quickly kneeled. "I am only telling you the truth." He said sternly. "Somebody bring the gift that Zhen Zhen bought for the Empress." She said softly.

A maid brought a bright pink box and handed it to the Empress. "Mother please open it." She said softly, the Empress opened the box but suddenly threw it, and a black dead snake with an arrow through its head was on the floor.

With a note that said "I will take over the throne and the first one to take out will be the Empress."  When I looked at the Empress she was looking at me with fear and pity. "This is what we get for bringing an outsider with no background into the palace." The Queen Dowager said softly. "This is treason though." One of the elders said, and the people started murmuring amongst themselves.

I see what the Empress did I couldn't defend Wu Tianjiao in public because that would cause more conflict, If I say that isn't his sword tassel they will ask how do I know. "Zhen Zhen what is this? Do you have something to say?" The Empress asked softly.

This time the Queen stood up. "Mother you're still asking her, she should be arrested and questioned about everything we heard today, the  King be humiliated like this." The King was looking at me with urging eyes, for me to stand up for myself.