When Chonglin's two-month punishment was due, she had completed 20 copies of the Womanly Virtues and she immediately went to Queen Iwa.
This time when Queen Iwa went into her receiving room, Chonglin gave her a perfectly deep bow in respect for her.
Quirra just sat down on her throne and let the woman bow for her. -Why did she come here the moment her punishment was lifted? Does she want to meet me that badly? Or has she heard about her 'beloved's' nightly escapades into her room? Did she come here to confront her, and perhaps make trouble??-
"Stand." Quirra commanded. "Please have a seat, Noble Consort Chonglin Mei. You must be tired from your reflection period."
Chonglin couldn't hold her sneer back as it showed, her face and demeanor changed for an instant before reverting back to her innocent and cute look.
"Noble consort Chonglin understands the msitakes I made and the laws I broke. The punishment given to this noble consort was justified. I had the time to reflect on my ways and came here to apologize to Queen Iwa."
Q: "That is good, Noble consort Chonglin has reflected and understood why you were punished. The punishment must have been hard on you, but I humbly ask of you not to hold a grudge against this Queen nor the King. The laws and it's punishment are something that is already established even before we became King and Queen. It is something neither both of us can change. This Queen hopes Noble Consort Chonglin understands this."
Chonglin smiled. But her smile wasn't right. It looked like she was grinding her teeth angrily instead.
"This Noble consort understands, your highness."
"Alright. Now that Noble consort Chonglin is no longer under punishment, you must take good care of yourself and pay more attention to King Liwei. He has had a hard time in court during your punishment period, and it is in our best interest not to create more issues for our King and add up to our King's troubles."
Chonglin could not stand the way Iwa talked down to her, as if they were not equals! Ever since she was born, she hated how noble women looked down to commoners like her. As if them commoners were stupid and insignificant.
As Queen Iwa kept talking about her punishment period, she couldn't help but be reminded of how Liwei stayed away from her for two months. Only to find out from her servants that their King had been frequenting the Queen's courtyard.
Her heart had gone more hateful towards Iwa as her jealousy towards her grew thicker and thicker.
She wants nothing in this world but to scratch Iwa's face and gouge her eyes out, in that moment.. She wants to ruin Iwa's beautiful face that charmed her beloved, and burn her hands that dared to touch her man. She wants to gut Iwa's body and pull all of her organs out, so Iwa would be nothing but an empty husk. And afterwards she would throw Iwa's body into the forest, so the wild animals will feed on her body and her carcasses, leaving nothing of her behind. Completely erased from her and her beloved's world.
Oblivious to the woman's murderous thoughts, Quirra continued speaking; "This Queen also hopes that you have successfully become like a noble woman. How we behave and how we act towards others is a direct reflection to King Feng and we must refrain ourselves from making him lose face. Now that your punishm----"
"YOU!" Chonglin yelled as she stood up from her seat and pointed at Quirra. She could no longer hold herself back, and exploded in anger. She hated the word 'punishment' for it reminded her of the sadness and loneliness she felt during the period of her so-called 'punishment'. And this woman keep reminding her of that. It was all because of this bitch Queen Iwa who punished her!
"YOU! SHUT UP! You do not know anything about Liwei! You know nothing about his love for me nor about my love for him! If you think that he has loved you just because he went to your bed every night during these past two months, you are mistaken!! He can never love you because he loves me! LIWEI CAN ONLY LOVE ME! He told me how much he hated you! In fact, he only made you Queen because of your family! If not for my commoner background, he would have made me Queen instead! Do not even think that you can replace me in Liwei's heart! You are NOTHING to him! And will ALWAYS BE NOTHING TO HIM!!!"
By this time, Chonglin was clenching her fists in anger as she yelled at the Queen.
But little did she know.....
"CHONGLIN MEI!!!!"
Liwei roared from the entrance as he burst inside the door.
As today's court session ended well and early, he decided to go visit her straight from there. He could not wait to be with his Queen wife any longer. It had already become a habit for him to eat lunch with his Queen wife and spend the whole of his afternoon with her.
But on his way to her courtyard, he saw his beloved Mei heading straight for the Queen's receiving room. Worried and confused as to why she was here, he followed her and waited outside the entrance door.
Who would have thought he would hear Chonglin and his Queen wife's whole conversation?
His queen wife who was always so thoughtful of him. She was so considerate to him that she endured his beloved's insolence for the past two years.
And now that she is trying to teach his beloved some manners, his beloved easily threw his Queen wife's consideration back at her face. He had thought Chonglin had somehow learned from her mistakes and gained some manners, given the updates he received from his servant during her punishment period,however, it was all a lie. It turned out she was still the same spoiled, selfish woman he now hated. Once upon a time, her actions was cute for him, but now, it annoyed him greatly.
"Liwei!" Chonglin gasped in shock and horror as she froze in surprise of her beloved's sudden appearance.
Quirra stood up slowly and bowed gracefully to the King, as his beloved called out his name without his title and didn't even bow to him. -Another two marks for Chonglin- she thought as she hid her smirk.
Liwei's eyes looked from the frozen woman and to the other who was still in a graceful bow, he could see the difference like night and day.
The woman he used to love and held in the palm of his hand, no longer exist. She have become someone he now disdain and could no longer tolerate. While the other woman, he placed at the highest seat. Next to him.
At first she came off cold, silent and boring. However he lately realized it was he who had his eyes covered with his hands. His Queen wife is everything a Queen should be and also everything a Husband could ask for a Wife. She had tenderly planted her love inside of his heart, and as time passes by it slowly took root until it stood firm. It could no longer leave him, and it could not be pulled out either. Not by anyone. Not even by himself...