The dowager enters the tunnel with her eunuch keeping a watch outside her room. She is walking alone in her secret tunnel. It leads to another room in the vast connection in the palace. In her younger years, she explored the tunnels when she is pretending to be taking naps alone in her room. Since the building of the foundation of the palace, the ancestors had this ideal of having secret tunnels. The dowager is not sure what is the plan for it but it seems like it is big enough for at least two people to walk in it. She came across the floor map when she was bored with the emperor talking about current affairs so she read the old books hidden at the bottom shelves. It was then she found her joy and things to do. She even found away to walk out into the market without anyone knowing that she is missing in the palace. Today, she is walking to a place that seldom people would like to walk or visit. She have to visit the snake without her son knowing. Even if she have to be the villain, so be it.
She open and closed the secret door without a sound and slowly walk in the room without a sound. She see that the empress is comfortable on her couch reading her book. She look around and see that her son had order the room to be lighted up and decorated as per her living quarters.
"Aren't you having a good life in here."
The empress is surprise to see her mother-in-law standing there in her room. She put down the book. She stand up slowly and bow. However she did not say a word and continue to look at the dowager.
"My son have always been kind to you, isn't he?"
"Kind? Does he know what is kindness is?"
"You have lived with him longer than i do. So i don't doubt your words about him. However i am his mother. I have to protect my children no matter how bad they are. You don't have children, you won't understand."
The dowager adjust her skirt and sit on the chair. They continue to stare at each other. The empress sit down too. She pour two cups of tea. She pick up her tea and drink.
"You don't know your own son. That's why i am not allowing him to have children."
"What? What do you mean?"
"All those years, after the last woman in the county is pregnant, i secretly had to feed him a medicine that will not allow him to become a father. He is not suitable to be one!"
"Whether he is suitable or not, it is not for you to judge! The child will be the next ruler of this realm!"
"I cannot allow a person of this character to be sitting on the throne! Why can't woman be the ruler instead? You are a woman too! Don't you want to sit up there and look down at all those who bow before us?!"
"We are created by the heavens to maintain yin and yang. That is law of the nature. You have read so many books. You have learn and watch what women supposed to do. In this realm, if there is no balance what kind of chaos will happen."
"There won't be chaos. There is only unhappy men who don't accept that woman can be sitting higher than them!"
"Whatever it is. You are done. The end of the road is here. I will never forgive you for what you have done to my son. You twisted thinkings will end here with you. "
The dowager reach out her sleeves and pull out a long white scarf and throw it on the floor. The empress have tears in her eyes but she is trembling with anger.
"You have lived long enough. My son is too soft hearted to you. Go quietly, i will grant you a grand funeral. I will ask my son to reward your clan accordingly. If you don't, then i have to remind you. The disgrace and the family dirty secrets to be thrown at your clan to bare."
"You cannot do this to me to my clan! I have married since the age of fourteen! I never have a good life! Your son is a monster!"
"All i see is the kindest of my son to you. All these years, he keep covering up all the things you have done. However none of those escape from my eyes and ears. Yes he is unkind but that is a flaw but which man is kind? Even my Xuan Wen is cruel. He kills men on battlefield. Do you think he would live every battlefield for being a kind man?! Empress, you haven't seen the entire world how it works! You are not suitable! Pick it up and end your long tired life. May your next life, you will be born in a better family."
The empress stands where she is. The scarf remains on the floor, waiting. While the dowager sits on the chair and keep her eyes on the empress. For along time, none of them move. Finally the empress with a deep breath bend over and pick up the scarf. She looks up to the beam at the ceiling. She cry and her hands tremble. The dowager may look calm however her fingers are twisting the garment of skirt. The empress walks to fetch a chair she place it directly below the beam. She play with the scarf and walk around the room. The dowager is getting impatient with her. "Do it now! You are getting on ..."
The empress who suddenly turn around and place the scarf on the dowager 's neck and pull it tight. The dowager attempt to use the tea cup within her reach to knock the empress. Unfortunately she is not able to reach it. Her legs struggle to kick around. The empress use all her strength to struggle the hateful woman in front of her. The empress scream as she gather all her might to tighten the scarf. She doesn't care if the emperor is going to behead her for she have hated this life. This is her final act to take another life.