Love In The Palace

Destiny

Here comes chapter 13!

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Author's POV:

"Why did Mother Dowager not tell me?" On a chair smoothly carved out of red wood he sits, his eyebrows are frowned deeply as he asks impatiently.

"I am already old. Death is inevitable. What for bother the Son of Heaven with such a trivial matter? You need to focus on the Court." Her voice is coarse and weak, so much different from what he last heard. How long has it been since he last visited her? He has never even counted.

"How is this a trivial matter?"

"It is fine, Emperor. Rather...." She eyes all the imperial physicians and servants as the colours of her face change. It has served as a signal between them for years, longer than they can ever remembered.

"All of you, go down." The Emperor commands instantly. All servants, imperial physicians leave the room and wait outside, while guards closely watch over the closed doors from the outside.

"Now, Mother Dowager, what do you want to tell me?"

"Emperor..."

"..."

"Never make Third Prince, the Crown Prince."

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"Are you sure?" Her normally high-pitched voice is now unusually low, clearly showing how anger is building up rapidly within her. Her eyes are sharper than a sword and deadlier than poison. It is as if death is circling her itself.

"Yes, Your Highness. Your servant will never make a mistake. I hid in her palace and eavesdropped her conversation with the Emperor." He lowers his head even further, his fists firm and remain on the floor. The sudden spike in the tension of the spacious though heavily decorated room seems to be pressuring his heart, making him sweat profusely and his breathing hard. Then, he hears a chuckle, filled with evil. As he picks up his courage to peek, Consort Shine turns her back on him, her hands are gently brushing the silky surface of the leaves of the plant which was a gift from the Emperor.

"Already old, she is. If she has not died, what for she is living? She should just succumb to her death!" She pulls out one of the leaves, crushing it mercilessly in her palms all, then letting the completely crumpled leaves fall on the floor, helplessly, pitifully. Physician Zhang who shivers at the sight of the leaf. Though it might just be a leaf, the sight is horrifying enough for him, for he understands how cruel can an angered Consort Shine be.

"You may leave now, Physician Zhang."

"Your servant will take my leave now."

"Wait. I want you to make more of the poison I asked you to prepare."

"....I understand."

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The palace used to be filled with flowers to lighten up the atmosphere. Pink and yellow have never failed to decorate the palace as desired by its owner. Specially-mixed fragrance would seeps throughout the entire palace, catching the breath of everyone in it, even those passing by. Now, though the servants of the palace have put in more effort to brighten up the atmosphere for their master, nothing seems to be able to ward off the gloominess that has been taking over for some time. No one dares to play in the palace. No one dares to leisurely chit-chat publicly. Not that their master would behead them unreasonably, but the servants just know their place, that when their master is undergoing hardships, the servants should accompany their master too, through storm and drought.

When a figure is seen standing before the gates, everyone is apparently taken aback, and so shocked that they have forgotten to greet, all until one particular servant, dressed in a uniform way more elaborate notices the man in his broken white robe silently standing outside the gates, hesitating.