The Tale of Empress Hua

十三 ~ thirteen (ending)

I held him close to my chest and let my tears fall. "I love you too"

I was on the way back to the palace. Tears wouldn't stop falling. I was thinking how unfair this world is. First it was my mother and brother and now it's the man that I love. "Your majesty, we're back" one of the guards opened the little door. He stretched out his hand to help me out. The emperor was standing a little further waiting for me.

I walked over and bowed. "Well my dear how was the visit?" He asked. I looked up at him and collapsed on the floor. "Jingfei, what's wrong" he knelt down. I hugged him and cried on his shoulder. "Hua- Huang" I stuttered. "He d- d- died" I finished the sentence.
"What!" He raised his voice. "Who did this" he looked at all the soldiers. "Your majesty, we don't know they were wearing face coverings" they replied. The emperor helped me up and brought me to my room. "Here lie down, I'll try my best to find them" he said and left the room.

Emperor Taiyang pov:

I walked backed to the big hall. I sat down on my throne and smirked. "Call in the head guard" I ordered. He walked in and bowed. "Your majesty, you called" he looked back up. I started laughing "you did it, how much gold do you want? I'm going to be very nice." "Your majesty, anything you give me will be enough" he bowed. I grabbed the bag of gold on the table and threw it at him. "Here, this will last you for more than 15 years" I smiled. "Your majesty your too generous" he bowed again. "Of course I should be generous, you killed Huang, the person who I hated most." "Thank you your majesty, I will forever be grateful" he bowed one more time and left.

One of my most trusted servants walked in. "Well your majesty, what are you planning on doing now?" He asked. "Jingfei will now be mine, she will not run away" I answered. "Was it necessary to kill him, your majesty?" He asked again. "Yes, crucial" I answered sternly.

End of pov

I was in my room lying in bed. Thinking of all the memories we had together. "Jingfei" someone knocked on the door. "Come in" I called. Sunyi came in. "I heard what happened, they said you can look at him once more before he is brought to his family" she sat down on the corner of my bed.

She helped me get up and together we walked outside. His body was put on a wooden cart and a hay sheet was put on top. "You can move the sheet" Sunyi said. They moved it and it revealed his face and then a little bit of his bloody clothes. This time I tried to keep in my tears as much as I could instead I felt numb. I walked over to him and touched his face once more. My eyes a little teary but no tears escaped. I then held his hand "I love you, I love you so much." Sunyi wrapped her arms around my shoulders and walked me back.

1 year later

"Your majesty, the emperor is drunk again" one of the maids rushed in. I quickly got up and walked to the big hall. After a year the emperor changed to the bad side he got too obsessive and started to drink too much. I pushed the doors open and saw him shattering glass plates. I raised my voice "your majesty, what's going on?" He looked at me and gave me the biggest smile. "My dear, you have arrived" he wobbled over to me and hugged me. "Your majesty, what are you doing this isn't the time" my eyes widened. "Can I not hug my wife" he said as he let go of me. "Your majesty, you're drunk let's go lie down" I lowered my voice. "My dear, what do you want? What's your biggest wish?" He asked me out of the blue. "Your majesty, this is not the time" I tried to take his hand but he walked away.

At the same time the old emperor came in. I bowed. "What's with all this noise" he looked around. "You" the emperor pointed. My eyes widened, that was very disrespectful I thought. The emperor grabbed a sword and put it against the old emperor's neck. "You gave my wife a hard life" he suddenly said. "Your majesty, what are you doing drop the sword" I ordered him. "No" he stabbed the old emperor in his chest. Everyone's jaw dropped. I froze. My revenge was done, he got what he deserved for killing my family. "My dear are you happy? Do you love me more?" He asked me. I was staring at the body that was lying on the floor covered in blood.

"Your majesty, that's enough, let's leave" I grabbed his arm and pulled him away. We were both silently walking. I held onto him stronger as he was wobbling down the corridors. We entered his room and he collapsed on his bed. He grabbed my dress and pulled me down with him. He hugged me by my waist. "Jingfei, I just want to say, I love you" he mumbled. My eyes widened. That was the first time he said 'I love you'. "You were the first woman I fell in love with and I knew I wanted to be with you fore-" his voice slowly got quieter and then his eyes closed.

I broke free from his hug and put the covers over him. I walked to the garden and sat down on the bench. I looked at the sun setting. "Huang, I hope you're doing well up there" I smiled at the sky. I turned my head and noticed the balcony that Huang said 'I love you' for the first time to me. I remembered our first kiss and how we ran away for a few hours. It got dark really quickly so I decided to head back to my room. I collapsed into my bed and fell asleep.

"Your majesty" I was woken up by one of the maids barging into my room. "His majesty is- " she didn't get to finish. I quickly jumped out of bed and ran to his room. I slammed the doors open and saw the emperor lying on bed. "Your majesty" I knelt down beside him. "My dear, don't worry, I'm going to be okay" he said in a raspy voice. "Your majesty, your coughing blood" I said as he started coughing again.

Day after day passed and I kept looking after him. It was morning and I made him porridge and brought it to him. I placed it on the table. I grabbed a cloth and dabbed his face with cold water. His eyes opened. "Your majesty, your awake" I stood up and took the bowl from the table. I knelt back down. "I made porridge, your majesty" I smiled. He slapped the bowl out of my hands. My eyes widened as I looked at him shocked.

He grabbed my hands. "Jingfei, I- I-" he paused. "I killed Huang." I froze, my eyes started to tear up. "I did it because I love you a lot and I couldn't let you run away" he held my hands stronger. Tears started rolling down my face. "Don't be angry at me" his grip started to loosen. "Please forgive me Jingfei" his grip loosened. The emperor slowly closed his eyes. "Your majesty" I shrieked. "Your majesty" I held his hand. "Don't leave me too" tears started flowing down my cheeks.

1 month later

"I ANNOUNCE HUA JINGFEI AS EMPRESS HUA" I turned to look at the people below me. The crown was placed on my head. "Long live the empress! Long live the empress!" Everyone kept repeating.

"Huang I will see you soon"