Chapter 16 The Empress
Concubine Su leaned back against the edge of the tub, steam rising around her as she lifted a cloth to gently scrub the grime from her arms. Her muscles ached pleasantly; she had spent the day with little Li An, washing the little girl's hands and face after another adventurous trip into the dense woods behind the cold palace. Li An's penchant for exploring the rugged terrain was nothing short of wild. Every time she returned, her hands were caked in dirt, and her small cheeks streaked with mud, and Concubine Su would smile at her as if she were gazing at her own daughter.
But tonight, the cold palace was quiet. Li An was off on another hunt, off to practice her skills as a hunter and warrior, as she called it with innocent pride. Concubine Su would not disturb her. For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to relax, feeling the tension drain from her shoulders as she closed her eyes and let herself sink into the warmth of the bath.
The moon hung low in the sky over the darkened palace, a cold, silver disc casting its glow over the decrepit walls of the Cold Palace, an abandoned wing of the royal residence that had once held grandeur. Now, it stood silent, a place of faded memories and fallen grace. Inside, Concubine Su, dressed in a worn, but still beautiful silk robe, sat by the single flickering candle in her chambers. She traced a finger along the rough wooden table, her once-delicate hands now marked by the toil of days spent in forced solitude.
Suddenly, the faint shuffle of footsteps echoed from the hall. Concubine Su's heart tensed sensing a foreboding feeling. She saw her maidservant Alu rushing inside the main room where she was resting.
"Mistress… We have a visitor." Alu said in a low voice laced with fear.
No one visited the Cold Palace. No one dared. But tonight, it seems that the tranquility of this place will be disturbed.
Then came the soft rustle of silk, and the quiet patter of footsteps came closer, more deliberate.
She stiffened as the heavy, carved wooden door opened, groaning on its ancient hinges. A figure, draped in crimson robes embroidered with silver phoenixes, stepped into her chamber, the dim light catching on the intricate golden ornaments that adorned her hair. It was the empress, Su Mu Fang. Her cousin. Her enemy.
Concubine Su stood slowly, her expression composed, but her heart pounding with a dangerous mixture of fear and bitterness. She watched as the empress took her time entering, her eyes glancing disdainfully over the dusty furniture, the cracked walls, and the thin bedding. She turned toward Concubine Su with a smile, a glint of malice in her eyes.
"Concubine Su," the empress greeted, her voice laced with mock warmth. "How... humble your quarters have become. I almost didn't recognize the cousin I once shared childhood memories with."
Concubine Su met her gaze evenly, refusing to let her show of power unsettle her. "Empress," she replied, a trace of steel in her voice, "to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
"Oh, no need for formality," Su Mu Fang replied, waving a manicured hand dismissively. "It's not like you have many visitors these days, dear cousin."
The empress took a step closer, her eyes scanning the room again with barely concealed contempt. "I thought I'd pay you a little visit. After all, family must stay close, don't you think?"
Concubine Su knew better than to respond. In the empire, family was nothing more than a word, a convenient cover for ambition and betrayal. She had once thought Su Mu Fang to be her closest ally. But she had been wrong. Horribly, dangerously wrong.
"I have little to offer you," Concubine Su said, keeping her voice calm. "So, what is it that you want?"
The empress chuckled softly, a sound that echoed ominously in the quiet room. "Oh, I'm here for... unfinished business, shall we say." She held up a gloved hand, and her retinue stepped forward — two maidservants and a eunuch, each carrying a small object wrapped in silk cloths. As they drew closer, Concubine Su noticed the subtle gleam of steel beneath the wrappings.
"What is the meaning of this?" Concubine Su demanded, though her voice betrayed none of the fear that simmered beneath her composure.
Su Mu Fang tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Come now, cousin. Don't you think it's odd that you're still breathing after all the emperor's wrath? After all, you were one of his favorites — until your... scandalous fall from grace, that is."
Concubine Su's hands clenched into fists. The empress's words dripped with venom, each one a calculated strike at her pride. But she wouldn't give her cousin the satisfaction of reacting.
"You thought your end would be swift and unnoticed," Su Mu Fang continued, pacing slowly. "But I arranged for something far more fitting. A group of men, highly trained and well-paid, to ensure you disappeared quietly into the night. But for some reason, they never returned. Isn't that strange?"
At last, Concubine Su understood. Su Mu Fang had sent assassins after her — assassins who had failed. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction knowing that her cousin's carefully laid plans had been thwarted by Li An.
"Perhaps they found their humanity," Concubine Su replied, her tone as cutting as she could muster. "Or perhaps heaven intervened."
The empress's face darkened. She waved her hand, and her retinue sprang into action. In a matter of seconds, the eunuch had taken hold of Concubine Su's arms, while the maidservants surrounded her on either side, their expressions blank as though they were acting on nothing more than command. Alu and Misha were also restrained.
"Enough of your insolence," Su Mu Fang spat, stepping forward until she was mere inches from Concubine Su's face. "You think you're so clever, hiding here in your pathetic little prison. But there are consequences for defying me, consequences that even you cannot escape."
She snapped her fingers, and one of the maidservants stepped forward, holding a porcelain cup of wine that shimmered under the candlelight. The liquid inside was a clear, deceptively pure color, though Concubine Su had no doubt of its contents.
"You may have escaped my men," the empress said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But you won't escape me."
Concubine Su glared defiantly, her mouth set in a determined line. She was not naive; she knew the empress intended for her to drink the poisoned wine and die here, out of sight, far from the palace's splendor. But if this was to be her end, she would face it with dignity. She would not bow to Su Mu Fang's cruelty.
"Hold her still," the empress commanded.
The eunuch tightened his grip, while the maidservants grabbed Concubine Su's shoulders, forcing her to face the cup as it was brought closer to her lips. The scent of the wine was sweet, masking the bitterness of the poison within.
"Drink it," the empress hissed, her eyes alight with cruel satisfaction.
But Concubine Su resisted as she forcefully tilted her head to the side.
The reason why she wanted to resist this time is because she noticed a small figure hiding in the shadows. At first, she thought it was just her imagination but as she focused, she could see the silhouette of that familiar child.
She thought that Li An was away during one of her night huntings. She clearly said that she wanted to hunt an animal that would only go out at night. It was a bit fierce but according to her, the meat of that creature is something to look forward to.
The little girl has boasted that she would let her taste the best meat ever. Because of that, Concubine Su also somewhat expected something.
The little girl has been exceptional in her studies and her strength. She was a miracle and unexplainable. If others outside would discover the little girl, they might treat her as a monster. However, for Concubine Su, she is something very precious in her heart.
And so, while watching the small figure hiding in the shadows, her eyes were showing and telling her not to expose herself.
If the empress discovers Li An, then Concubine Su knows that something bad will happen to the little girl.
No matter how strong or powerful she might be, she is still a little girl after all. So she did not want to involve the innocent in her battle with the empress.
But when their eyes met, she knew that the little girl had another idea. Her gaze has some hint of killing intent in them which made the heart of Concubine Su shiver in fear.
She knew that if Li An made a move at this time, the empress would surely die.
However, if that happens, then a huge commotion will occur and Li An's existence will be exposed. This is something that Concubine Su did not want to happen. She would do anything and even if she sacrificed herself, she would as long as Li An's existence would not be exposed.
That is why she wanted to struggle while throwing signaling glances at Li An's figure in the shadows.
But it seems that her wishes will not come true today. Her heart fell when she saw the shadowy figure make her move.