The palace

Chapter 20.

Large drops of rain hit the roofs and loud sounds of thunder echoed over and over again. The entire country of Yuan is currently being subject to a heavy rainfall, but instead of having empty streets and quiet houses, the people are running in the rain, drinking houses filled to the brim and homes loud and noisy. All celebrating, the rainfall. Drought had plagued yuan for 4 months. The fields dried up, the animals were dying and famine,was fast encroaching upon them.

Inside the palace, Sungnyang sat outside, her legs stretched out,dripping drops from the rain that hit them. In her eyes, a dreamy look and a faraway gaze. She still remembers.

Memories of her family are still fresh in her mind.  A small laugh found its way out her throat. She was laughing at destiny, yes she is mocking fate. Perhaps she had been a traitor in her past life to be punished like this.

Cries of her name made her get up quickly, straightening her dress and fidgeting before the caller, the chief madam.

"Ah! My lady, you were calling me"

She bowed. The older woman looked at her for a moment,her eyes lingering at the dripping ends of Sungnyang's dress.

"Have you been playing around in the rain?"

"No my lady. I was only....only"

Was only what? Sungnyang raked her brain for a good excuse.

"Save me the excuse, go to your post of duty immediately. It's time for her majesty, the empress dowager, to take her medicine and they need all hands possible. I shall be leaving. Do not let me catch you slacking off your duty again"

She bowed and made way for her superior to pass, then set off to the cold palace. Right from the entrance, a deserting and abandoned sight welcomed her.

This kind of place, has the effect to dampen your spirit and make you feel sad and unhappy. She hurriedly entered the room and narrowly missed a vase thrown out. The empress dowager is throwing a tantrum again.

"Have you come to poison me more? Leave here i tell you. I shall not drink this"

She was struggling strongly, determined not to swallow a drop from the bowl held in front of her. Sungnyang walked in slowly then bent in front of the dowager. She gently looked at the physician and asked

"My lord, allow me please"

They all looked at her, unsure of what to do. She nodded encouraging them to trust her. She collected the bowl and turned to face the empress.

" Your majesty, please drink this. Remember the emperor, your son, he needs you to get well soon. I promise you,if you drink this i will not allow them to give it to you today or tomorrow too"

At the mention of the emperor, her eyes settled and she ceased struggling, then dutifully opened her mouth like a good child and  swallowed half of the medicine in the bowl, then pushed the rest away.

The physician and the head maid in charge of serving the dowager looked at each other, and sungnyang noticed a very tiny signal exchange between the two. So tiny and quick that it might have gone unnoticed had it not been for her own sharp eyes.

Something is definitely going on between them, she thought and whatever it is has to do with the dowager.

She would investigate that later. She picked the tray of the tonic and exited the room. The dowager was sleeping. While taking the tray back to the kitchen, she noticed something strange at the bottom of the remnants.

The tonic itself, is dark brown in colour, almost like reddish black. But surprisingly, at the bottom, some white substances lay low. It seemed something had been slipped into the tonic. Something which was supposed to have been dissolved but didn't.