Since the day that Li Cheng married Mei, their country has been prospering and thus she was looked at as someone who brought luck to their country. Mei was a kind crown princess, even though she came from a commoner background she was still loved by the people in the palace, including her father-in-law.
The king doted on the crown princess as if though she was his own daughter, the king often calls Mei to talk about state matters with Li Cheng. Prince Li often either sleep in the crown princess quarter or at the crown prince's quarter.
"Mei." Li Cheng called out to her as he walked into her quarter, she looked up at him from her seat.
"You're back." Mei said to him as she got up to welcome him at the door and he hugged her as he looked over towards the desk where she was just sitting.
"What were you up to?" Li Cheng asked her and she smiled.
"Painting, I was over at his majesty's palace, and he asked me to paint him something." Mei said to him and he smile.
"Father called for you again?" Li Cheng asked her and she nodded.
"Father has not been well for a while now, I often go to keep him company." Mei said to Li Cheng, and he smiled at her.
"You're so thoughtful, that's why father like you more than his biological son." Li Cheng said to her, and she chuckled.
"Then instead of state affair, you should visit his majesty often." Mei said to him, and he smile.
"Then I should do that, come let's go have a look at your painting." Prince Li said to her, and she smile as she led him towards her drawing.
The two of them had been married for over a year now but there was no heir, the king didn't pressure them to have children but told them that it will happen with time, but the king was ill.
The king didn't last long to his illness and passed away after half a year, leaving his queen and two concubines. There was no other heir other than the crown prince since the other siblings that the crown prince has are all sisters.
The royal family mourned the death of their father and husband while the country mourned for the loss of their wise ruler. The crown was naturally passed down to Prince Li and the position of queen became Mei's.
The two of them tried to handle the country together as well as they could with the help of his mother, yet as the year went by there was still no news of a child between them.
His mother called a doctor to examine her body to see if she could give birth or her son who was not able to but it turned out that it was her who was infertile. At first Prince Li wanted to just let one of his sister's children take over the throne but the ministers wanted that to be the last resort if his second wife could not have a child.
"If I take another wife and she cannot give birth as well, will you all drop this topic?" Prince Li asked them, and they all looked at each other and agreed that if he married another woman and she too, didn't become pregnant then, they would no longer urge him to have an heir of his own.
When Li Cheng talked to Mei, she also had no problem with him marrying another woman into the harem since it has been just her for a few years now and there has yet to be so few women in the royal harem since the royal family has been established. Plus she didn't want to be the reason that he wouldn't have an heir.
So, Li Cheng married another woman into the palace, and with a sense of duty he would go to her room every other night, but he would always return to Mei's quarter and spend the rest of the night there with Mei.
The second wife was the daughter of a minor minister, her name was Yi Ru. She was a free-spirited woman, and she knew the fact that she was only getting married to the new king as just a breeding mare and nothing more.
Yi Ru and Mei got along well since the two of them spent the days together more often than they spent with Li Cheng. The two of them were like sisters, Yi Ru had no ill intention towards Mei and Mei appreciated the fact that she was willing to bear a child for the royal family.
The three of them have a common understanding of the situation and reason for the king's second marriage, Li Cheng also made it clear to Yi Ru since the day that he married her as well.
After he became king and remarried, two years passed when news of Concubine Ru conceiving the firstborn of the king. Mei loved kids and was overjoyed by the news that she would get to mother a child, Yi Ru was willing to let Mei be the official mother of the child, but Mei was happy enough to be the child's godmother.
The three of them were happy that there would be an heir to the throne after so long and that the ministers will finally stop bossing the three of them around. To celebrate, Li Cheng threw a big party to celebrate the news of his child. Mei sat on his right side and Yi Ru sat on his left side.
There were many people gifting the concubine, even Mei had gifted her some jewelry and baby clothing for when the child was born.
"I do not feel too well tonight if Your Highness and sister Yi Ru will excuse me. I shall return to my room." Mei said to the two of them.
"Then I shall accompany you back to your room." Yi Ru said to her and the two of them looked at Li Cheng, the two of them; one was his queen while the other was his royal concubine. The two needed his permission before they can leave but he smile and turned his attention back to the banquet.
"Then you two have a good night." Li Cheng said to his wives and the two of them left hand in hand.
Once the two of them returned to Mei's quarter Yi Ru wanted to stay and keep her company but Mei asked that she head back to her own palace in case she has a cold and did not want to pass it to Yi Ru who is still in her early stages of pregnancy.
"Fine, Fine. Promise to take some medication and head to bed." Yi Ru said to her before she headed back to her own palace.
Mei went into bed, and asked the maids to bring her some cold medication as she changed out of her dress. After taking the medication, Mei climbed into bed and fell asleep.
She was sleeping so soundly that she didn't notice the maids by her bedside getting killed. In her sleep the killer was relentless, but she at least passed away without feeling the pain. Mei was stabbed in her chest; she didn't have the time to react, and just like that she was dead.
It was early morning when the guards were patrolling the area when they found the maid's body outside of her palace and rushed into her room, they were shocked to find their queen dead on her bed.
"GO INFORM HIS HIGHNESS!" one of the guards said, some of the guards rushed off to inform Li Cheng while the others stayed behind to help clean the maid's body out of the queen's palace and bring Mei's body outside. They covered her body up and laid her down outside.