Not even a single star was in the sky that night, the sky was covered in thick clouds, gust of strong wind blew over the roof of the imperial palace.
The tall armed men guarding the doors were looking very horrified as they have never experienced such a harsh weather, or could this be caused by the empress’s labor?
Despite the fact that it was dark, the inner palace was very bright that one could pick up a needle from the floor.
Clung to a pillar was a figure in red and golden colored robe, there was a look of worry on his face, his eyes were red and one could feel that the sweats dripping out of his head and neck were hot.
Emperor Cai Huateng paced around the throne room like a restless ghost, he was lost in deep thoughts as he wondered whether he will be losing his beloved wife after a year of getting married to her.
He closed his eyes as he prayed. “Ancestors, please save my wife, we just got married, she’s only twenty one years old”
The sinister scream of his wife pierced his heart, as it began to pound inside his chest.
‘Another scream, and I’ll barge in the room’ he swore.
But why can’t they both share the pain of having the baby? Why do they share the pleasure of making the baby?
Emperor Cai Huateng didn’t like nature for doing this. It should have been that way.
It appeared that the only thing he could do now was to pray until his wife delivers safely.
Emperor Cai Huateng jumped up in fear when he heard another shout. ‘What must be wrong in there? Isn’t the baby out yet? ‘ he quickly ran towards the direction of the delivery room.
But the two elderly women there stopped him abruptly. “Please be patient your majesty”
Emperor Cai Huateng clenched his fist in frustration. Why wouldn’t the midwives let him in? She’s his wife. What is it that they were trying to hide? Of course he had seen it so many times.
He was about to turn around when the door opened, he looked a little bit relieved as he never hesitated to push the sweating midwife out of the way and get in.
Seeing Yang Jiaying in such a state almost made him petrified.
Her beautiful face was covered in sweat as she panted heavily. She managed to raise her weak hand and motioned him to come.
“Her… n… name is Ruolan. P… please take care of her” she whispered weakly, her right hand holding his.
Emperor Cai Huateng never spared the baby a glance, he knelt beside his dying wife and held her tightly.
“We’ll raise the child together Yang Jiaying, please don’t leave me” tears had already clouded up in his eyes, both of his eyes were red that one wouldn’t be able to distinguish the sclera and the cornea.
The maid servants who were standing beside the dying empress were already shedding tears of pain, their beloved empress is leaving?
Watching the emperor wailing like a baby even made the scene more pathetic to watch, the emperor had always appeared very strong and courageous that one would think that they were no tears in his eyes, but they were all wrong. He indeed loved his wife so much.
Yang Jiaying smiled feebly, as she pressed his hand. “I’ll be with you both always. B.. But now I need to go because I got not much time left.”
Emperor Cai Huateng could feel his wife’s legs already icy cold, her waist was also as cold as the ocean that one wouldn’t believe that it was just now the life in her waist vanished.
“Please, don’t leave me and the child Jiaying, what do you expect me to do with her?” he expected a reply, but he never got one as they were no life in her neck any longer.
Was this a dream?
The empress was dying before him and there was nothing he can do?
He could easily notice the fact that she was dead when she exhaled and then her eyes were shut.
“Nooo!”his scream was more like a dragon’s roar, even people living at the other parts of the palace heard his scream.
He reached for her lifeless and cold hand. “Jiaying wake up. Jiaying please stand up!” he tapped her sweaty face.
But it wasn’t possible, she was dead.
He broke into another tears. “Somebody tell me it’s all a dream. Tell me this isn’t real”
Only when he heard the baby’s cry did he remembered that they was a baby beside her mother.
He glared at the ‘evil’ creature whose little head was lying on her mother’s lifeless left hand.
Though he could concede that it was the beautiful thing he ever saw, her eyes were grey in color, and she looked exactly like her mother, in fact the resemblance was more like how the shedded skin of a snake would be either long or short just like the creature, and her hair was white.
Isn’t this weird?
Both Yang Jiaying and emperor Cai Huateng got jet black hair, how come the baby was having a white hair?
As he saw the beautiful evil thing lying in front of him, he decided to scrutinize her thoroughly.
On her right shoulder was the symbol 花 [1]. Emperor Cai Huateng looked at it closely as he wondered what the birthmark meant.
'What a mysterious child' he wondered. What flower does the symbol actually meant? Was it orchid, chrysanthemum, rose or lotus?
He never cared, he only sees this child as an evil thing, a devil who had separated he and his wife with the worse thing ever.
Cai Huateng would take a look at Yang Jiaying’s corpse and then at the baby.
He felt nothing but hatred, disgust and angst. He felt like killing the baby. It would have been much better if the baby had died instead of Yang Jiaying.
“You’ve snatched my only happiness away from me! You’ve took her away from me!” he tore down the white curtains in anger, while the maids watched in disbelief.
‘What’s his majesty doing?’
“Only evil children would kill their mother during birth, and you shall never live a life of happiness or joy. Your life shall be inflicted with pains. Mark my words!” he cursed out loudly to the surprise of the maid servants.
He never cared if they were in the room, the only thing was that the newly born child irritates him like leprosy.
“You’ll never be happy, and any man who tries to help you out shall die tragically! “ he continued, he was unaware of the gust of wind and flash of lightning that had stamped his words. And the mysterious change in the baby was that
Her hair had turned black!
He cleaned his tears with the edge of his long sleeve, then looked at the maid servants who had their heads all lowered.
“Someone should take her out of here” he ordered.
The girls hesitated, and were reluctant to carry out his order. Didn’t he just mentioned in his curse that whoever helps the baby shall die tragically?
No one had the courage to step out, except the midwife who had helped the empress to deliver the baby.
And her name is Wang Eumeh she had been a close friend of the late empress and she wouldn’t mind taking care of the cursed child even if it could bring a tragic demise to her.
She boldly went to carry the baby from it’s mother’s hand, and as she did, she couldn’t hold her tears. “Your majesty, please don’t do this. She’s your daughter”
The emperor said nothing, he only looked back to see the corpse of his wife while he went out to begin the arrangement of her funeral.
Wang Eumeh looked at the little beautiful baby in her arms, and said to herself in determination. ‘I will raise you princess Cai Ruolan”
花 the symbol is pronounced as hua which means flower in Chinese.
A/N
Hello readers.
Welcome to my newest book, this story is gonna need your support, and I promise I’m gotta try my best to make it beautiful.
Before the next chapter, there are a few things I’d like to clarify.
1 this book is entirely fictional, names, places, characters portrayed here are all from my imagination, any resemblance of this book compared to any other is entirely coincidental. DON’T PLAGIARIZE!
2 the cover isn’t mine, credit to Pinterest. But if it’s been used then lemme know cuz I’ll gladly change it.
Please note that some characters in this novel shall be explained better as the story progress.
English is not my first language.
please don't expect top notch good grammars in this book like those in other books,because I'm still learning English. But I shall try my best. Please be kind.
You can also help by pointing out any errors that need correction, kindly. I'll be so grateful.
Would need your support since I’m still a newbie. And I’m a do my best to put a smile on your face.
Enjoy ^_^