Hidden deep on a palace's grounds, away from prying eyes, there was a desolate and cold chamber. There sat a thin woman in her late thirties next to a circular window. An autumn breeze swayed her long black hair. She wore a plain dress without any embroidery and there were no ornaments that her status would normally require. A few years ago it'd be an unimaginable sight for anyone as the woman used to be the Emperor's beloved.
Except for a simple canopy bed, a chair and a wooden cabinet, one could hardly find anything else worth noting in the room since the woman has been stripped of most possessions.
In spite of the situation life put her in, her spine was straight like a pine tree, a reminiscence of the life she lead before. An air of elegance and peace surrounded her as she looked outside the window. Suddenly morning sun rays coming up from above the wall surrounding a small yard warmed her hollow cheeks.
The sight of the garden was the only joy left in her life. When she got closed in here, it used to be full of weeds, wildly growing plants and insects. Over the years, to keep sanity and not let her mind wander to the painful past and present, the woman turned the garden into a paradise.
After a while, she looked down at her hands. No longer fair, no longer smooth nor soft. They were rough, dirty and calloused. But she didn't hate them. Those hands helped her transform the garden into what it is today. Hard work was her only escape.
She brought her sight back up to look at the green grass, many butterflies dancing around flower buds, sparkling water in the pond and the trees which leaves started changing colors into yellows and reds. Sun rise was her favorite time of the day as it symbolized a new beginning. Each time it'd give her a tiny spark of hope which would disappear as the day would unfold.
If one were to look closely into the woman's eyes they'd see her story - full of pain, loss, betrayal, but most of all resignation to her fate.
Getting up, she was about to leave the room, but from the corner of her eyes she noticed a bamboo fan laying on a cabinet. It was covered in a layer of dust as it wasn't used in a long time.
"Oh fan of white silk, clear as frost on a grass bladeā¦ you are also laid asideā¦" the woman chuckled to herself but if someone listened closely, sadness could be heard in her voice. 'A woman fallen from her husband's grace.. or should I say "the Emperor's" grace'..?'
The woman reached her hand towards the fan. Just as she was about to pick it up, an abrupt noise of a heavy, always closed gate to her chamber opening startled her. She turned her head towards it. After she got imprisoned, it never bulged until today.
There she saw his majesty's personal eunuch with a few servants. Right behind him were the Noble Consort and her son - favorite child of the Emperor - the Crown Prince. The eunuch was leading the pair as to make sure the two behind him won't be attacked by the prisoner as per the guidelines given to him. Around them were guards who would make sure the Consort and the prince stay safe and sound.
'So my time has come, huh..' The woman's noticed a white silk cloth in the hands of one servant. Another held a flask with some liquid, and the last one held a pillow which had a dagger on top. She closed her eyes.
"Such a treat for my eyes to see you so miserable Fang AnXue. Haha look at yourself, you've fallen so low. You're worth less then dirt on the soles of my shoes" the Noble Consort in her full glory smirked looking condescendingly at her enemy.
"ā¦ you haven't changed Hong MeiLin. No wait. At least now you're not hiding behind your white lotus exterior. You're free to use your poisonous tongue to your heart content. Your disgusting, rottenā¦"
"ONE MORE WORD YOU WENCH!" As he wouldn't let her finish, the Crown Prince suddenly appeared in front of Fang AnXue holding a sword to her neck. "On your knees! Beg my mother for pardon, you lowlife!"
"Don't bother my son. You'll only dirty your sword with that woman's filthy blood." Hong MeiLin said to the Crown Prince and turned to AnXue. She took a step forward and as her son was about to reprimand her, not to get close as it's dangerous, she spoke again.
"Don't worry Prince, look at her. She barely has any meat left on her bones. She's weaker than a chicken" the Noble Consort pacified her son. And then turned to face Fang AnXue.
"Why are you saying such horrible things? I have always been so good to you. How can you pay me back this way. Don't you know I was the one who begged his majesty on my knees to let you live?! Despite his rage I still risked receiving his punishment for my imprudence. But I still preserved just so you could keep your life for longer. Don't you see that I saved you? Can't you see my mercy. Oh AnXue how can you be so ungrateful? I endured a week of his majesty not visiting me in my palace afterwards just because I spoke up for you. How dare you?!"
'Hong MeiLin, you're good! You're truly good!' Fang AnXue thought. She couldn't help but prise the consort's acting skills. She could even see tears gathering in the other's eyes. The performance for the eunuch as he will report everything that happens here to the Emperor. She wanted to laugh but she was too tired of everything, tired of court plays.
"But you just won't die on your own" after a while MeiLin whispered into her enemy's ear, as she got closer. "Oh my what is this stench?!"
The noble consort took a step back. Pinching her nose she started laughing again. Hong MeiLin made sure that all the necessities for the prisoner will be curbed.
AnXue for all these years had only 5 changes of clothes which by now turned into rags. She could only wash them as well as herself in the outdoor pond. Food was also scarce. The only thing she got to eat was a porridge from the outside, and then some vegetables, berries and roots from her garden. Her previously luscious hair which reached her ankles were now damaged, hay-like and graying at the top because of malnourishment. The current Fang AnXue was but a shadow of her former self.
"Don't worry. I understood not too long ago that the life in the Cold Palace isn't doing you any good. That's why to free you from further misery, I decided to gift you something. Here" the Noble Consort pointed at the things which servants came closer to present to the imprisoned woman.
"Just look. You can choose which way you'd like to die. Isn't it great? I personally chose those 3 methods. But if you don't like any of them I can quickly think of a few more. It's just you know, those are classics. Although you can run into a wall and hit your head or maybeā¦"
Excited Hong MeiLin stopped talking as she heard the woman opposite of her laughing. It was a kind of laugh that made her a bit nervous. Despite that she didn't want to show it. She took a step closer and took a hold of AnXue's neck choking her.
"Ugh!"
"Maybe I should choose for you, hmmm?" The Noble Consort asked. "I think poison would work just right, don't you agree..?" A servant with a poison gave the bottle to the consort.
"Now, this reminds me of somethingā¦ didn't your child die because you poisoned him? So vicious! Just because you wanted to blame it on Concubine Shu and make his majest pay attention to you again. My my, we're doing a full circle here" Hong MeiLin continued.
At that moment, Fang AnXue understood. Her eyes went wide and the pain of the time she lost her child hit her again after so many years. Memories flashed in her mind as if she was relieving the tragedy again. Then it hit her.
"It was.. it was YOU!!! YOU MONSTER! I'm going to KILL YOU! AGHHHH!!" A sudden wave of rage she never felt before hit AnXue, a fallen empress. She started struggling and caught the hand that was holding her neck pushing fingernails into the delicate, jade skin.
"AHHH!"
"Mother!" The Crown Prince pushed the crazy woman away. She hit a wall hard. Despite that she didn't feel any pain. Numbness spread throughout her body. Her hair were covering her face but one could see blood dripping down her temple. She was muttering something under her breath. Slowly she got up from the floor.
"Guards hold her!" The Noble Consort ordered. They immediately took hold of AnXue's arms and held her still. She didn't struggle this time. But everyone got an ominous feeling.
"Let's finish this farce" the prince took the flask with poison and closed the distance between him and the captive woman.
"Stop! I want to do it!" His mother stopped him in the last moment as he was about to pour the deadly poison into the woman's throat. The consort received the poison as her son held Fang AnXue by her hair. "Die for me, AnXue. Now I'll be the Empress of Great Yuan!"
The poison burned it's way down her mouth. Servants let her go as she fell weakly on the cold floor. Everyone was looking down on the soon to be corpse of a fallen empress. A woman who used to be loved by all, dying just like that. Nobody will care, nobody will notice, nobody will grieveā¦
Her eyes were heavy. The poison hurt her insides without mercy but she didn't make any sounds. She was tired, numb and done.
Then she noticed the dagger which probably has been dropped by one of the servants when they rushed to keep her still. 'Plot armorā¦ is that you..? It's close enough. Just reach out your hand. You can do it. Last effort. Luck seems to be smiling at me for the last time. But I can choose only one target..' AnXue thought, but then she made up her mind as he looked up. Adrenaline started pumping in her veins.
"Don't worry, the poison is a slow acting one but gives you immense pain with every minute. You know, it is a gift from the Emperor. He sends his regards" the Noble Consort spoke. "Dear AnXue, he hates you to the bone. He wouldn't even want to come here and see you for this last time before you die. Oh poor youā¦"
But then Hong MeiLin felt something in her chest, then pain assaulted her senses. She looked down. Only a dagger's handle was visible. She coughed blood and dropped to the floor. The Crown Prince finally reacted and dropped to his knees, catching his mother's head just before it hit the floor. It all happened too fast.
"N-no.. no, no, NO!! NOOO!! Mother! MOTHER PLEASE!! Everything is going to be alright, just stay with me?!" The Crown Prince started panicking and he was stroking his mother's cheek. Blood was running down her chin as she was coughing it, not being able to breathe.
"HURRY AND GO FOR THE IMPERIAL PHYSICIAN!" The eunuch shouted to one of the guards. "We're doomed.." the blood left his visage. He was pale as a ghost since he knew very well no servant will live past today. Even if he was the Emperor's personal eunuch for multiple years now, he wouldn't be spared. He just wished for a quick death.
Nobody noticed leaving Fang AnXue. She was stumbling towards her garden. Each step took a humongous effort. Slowly loosing consciousness and the last bits of her strength she fell into the pond.
'Ahh so sereneā¦ maybe it was all a dreamā¦ I just want to return to my normal lifeā¦" she thought and as the water embraced her, everything went black and the fallen empress lost her life.