The palace

Chapter 15.

The ministry of rites and festivals were truly working up to their name. The banquet held to celebrate the the empress's pregnancy remained the talk of town for weeks. The early pregnancy in its third month, made the empress snobbish and rather more rude to almost everybody, including te dowager herself.

The emperor forgot everything else and even granted emperial pardon to light offenses criminals. He visited the empress always, treating her like a precious gem. She responded to his care with love, finally crying to give up all bitterness, anger and ambition in her heart, all for the sake of her baby.

The empress dowager chambers.

Lord Zhang sat still and perplexed. His whole body felt numb and paralysed as he stared at the empress dowager, so many thoughts racing through his mind. His eyes were cloudy and he felt the stinging sensation of tears as he fought them back. He remembered the shy and gentle girl she used to be, the lady who wanted to be different from all other court ladies. How it's possible that this very same woman is planning the death of an unborn child, worse even her first grandchild. His heart hurt for her, for the girl she used to be, for the heart she used to have, for the woman he used to love.

The dowager looked away, she could no longer bear lord Zhang's stare. His eyes made her remember her past, when she used to be that very gentle and kind woman. But now, things are not the same as before. She hardened her eyes, forcing every emotion out of her face, then she spoke in a cold distant voice 'I'm already determined lord Zhang. I know of the threats concerning him, i know already of the rebellion, i know of his bastard half brother, i know of woodalchi. I know everything. But i regret to say, this child must be sacrificed for his father to survive, for the empire to remain firm, for this nation to stay balanced." She ranted all too quickly, in a bid to hide her emotions.

Lord Zhang remained calm and quiet. He allowed her to end er words and catch her breathe. He allowed her to calm down and her words to sink into him. "Is.....is this the only way?" He asked gently, not bothering to hide the concern and care in his voice. He looked path the dowager and she looked away. Again, he felt the pain surging through his heart. He blamed himself for not being able to protect her, to keep her safe from the maladies of the palace, to prevent her from falling into a victim of the cold and evil ways of the palace.

The dowager sighed inwardly, wondering when she had become the woman she is now. She remembered the very day she joined the fight for survival and power in the palace. The day she had lost her own unborn child, to the cold hands of death caused by her own mother in law, the late great empress. The physician told her everything in secret, when she threatened to kill his family.
He had been ordered to add some spoons of the bitter leaf juice to her tonic everyday.

The bitter leaf juice slowly killed the child in her, making it seem like a common miscarriage. Then she gave the first order that changed her completely. The order that began her transformation into the scheming woman she is now. The order she gave, to kill him!

"It is the only way. Nothing else can be done, and it will be soon " she assured lord Zhang. He straightened up, believing since it's all his fault for failing to protect her like he promised her brother, might as well carry it to the end together. "But how will you do it? Who will take the blame?" He asked feigning seriousness despite how nervous his heart felt. This is an issue of high treason, punishable by death. He knows that too well, not forgetting the fact that your whole family would become national property and government slaves given to high lords or to the nobles or even sent to yuan.

The dowager smiled, she has finally gotten him back on her side. She sighed of relief knowing and truly trusting the fact that lord Zhang would never abandon her, no matter what happens in the future for as long as his hidden feelings for her remain. "You seem to have forgotten a card we have lord Zhang, the blame will be taken by consort park of course. Her father is the chief of woodalchi. We'll make it seem she did it, destroying her family too and getting rid of woodalchi. It's so easy you know" she said with such ease as though she had won a prize.

Lord Zhang shrank lower in his seated position. Now, he truly know how heartless this woman has become, to first make an ally, then stab her at the back. He nodded, his face pale as though blood had been drained from it. Hot beads of sweat rolled down his neck and back as he watched the dowager flashing a triumphant smile, a greedy look in her eyes and for the first time since he met her,he felt afraid of her.

TWO DAYS LATER

Pavilion of women, consort park's chambers.....

She couldn't sit still and paced to and fro, her brown skirt swaying from side to side, the silver patterns at its end dazzling. She bit her lips and sat down again. Her worried face looked tired and veins too out on her forehead, she had been thinking too much. Ever since her father told her about the rebellion and warned her to be careful, she has had no peace of mind since then.

She sent for him twice but he refused to honor her calls which had got her more worried. But what scared her most is the reformation and regrouping of the woodalchi. The woodalchi is originally, a fraternity force by her father's pledged older brother, uncle Sam Young Do, to protect the interest of the lowborn and sworn to protect the royal family while the nation was facing a whole lot of crisis. Things went well, until a murder was committed, the woodalchi was accused and framed of killing the yuan ambassador who came to sign the peace treaty on behalf of the emperor of yuan.

The members caught were brutally killed and their families made government slaves. Other members escaped and fled into hiding and since then, woodalchi has been branded as a traitors group and anyone related to them would be instantly killed, on grounds of high treason. Nyang sighed and buried her head in her palms. Quick footsteps made her raise her worried face to look at the owner. She saw Hyun soh, looking really freaked out and worried.

She opened her lips to question what problem is but Hyun soh's interruption made the words get stuck in her throat. " The palace is in chaos!The empress just had a miscarriage, the physician said its poison. All consorts are to gather in the inner hall, your grace" Nyang could only gasp, her brain in a turmoil. What could probably be the cause, perhaps one of them is behind it? She questioned herself as she walked almost running to the hall.

I'm sorry for the last chapter which was Nyangless. Haha my new word. I hope you've enjoyed so far and oh! I did not forget yuan as some are wondering if i did. Just not much to say about there now but dont worry, soon the main focus will return to yuan. Until then, thank you for returning to read every day. Until the next update then.......

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