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1.44% Rebirth of An Empire. / Chapter 2: The outcome of a wrong step (2)

Chapter 2: The outcome of a wrong step (2)

In the middle of the night ...

The whole palace was in a state of utter chaos, the piercing screams and strong stench of blood permeating the air as the sound of swords clashing each other. Most of the concubines had gathered in the emperor's throne room where security was the tightest in hope of survival as they heard guards fighting with each other. Different dead bodies were eventually scattered everywhere as the rebels continued to search the palace.

Zhan Yanhui was waken up by the fearful faces of her servants who wanted her to find a way to escape since they heard that the emperor had already taken the empress away. She wasn't bothered by the commotion in the slightest because she was sure that she would surely come out unharmed no matter what happened. With her here, she would be able to protect her own people in the palace so she warned all her servants. "You all are not allowed to leave this palace until I tell you otherwise. Do not blame me if you disobey my orders."

"Yes, Your Highness." They bowed and left her alone but stayed in the courtyard doing their duties with worried faces. Some of the maids couldn't hide the fear in their hearts and approached Xue Li who continued to pace about in a frenzied manner. She glared at them and managed to cause them away, holding a love token given to her tightly in her hands.

Some rebel guards arrived after a few minutes into the courtyard, marching in with their bloody swords drawn. The sight alone sent some maids fainting to their dear lives while some cowered and hid in order to hid their presence. A handsome man appeared after them, entering the inner palace where Zhan Yanhui was staying alone. He looked around the lavishly furnished room before he was able to locate her sleeping figure on the bed. He wondered if she knew what was happening outside and how brave she was to be able to see through all the commotion. With this thoughts in his mind, he woke her up.

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and saw his figure standing above her own. A small smile blossomed on her face as she stood up. "Ting'er, you are finally here. Has everything been finished?"

"Not yet. We still haven't found the Grand Empress Dowager and her seal. I heard she came to visit you yesterday. What did you two talk about?" He watched her closely to observe her reaction but all he saw was a relaxed expression on her face.

"Nothing important. She just came here to kill some time since she was locked up and had started feeling bored so I entertained her. If I had known that you were looking for her, I would sent someone to follow her." Zhan Yanhui forced herself to keep a confused expression because for some reason, she hesitated giving him the second seal. Internally, she was already rebuking herself for holding back the seal so she decided to speak up. "Actually, I-"

A guard immediately entered the room and whispered something into his ear, making him relax his tense figure. He responded. "Bring her in."

Zhan Yanhui watched them bring in the Grand Empress Dowager who was already looking pale. Her eyes widened in worry when she saw her. "Hui'er, what are you doing here?! Why didn't you escape like the rest of the consorts?"

Seeing the poor woman's worn out appearance, she turned to face her lover. "Is there really a need to do this? I am sure the emperor had already taken the second seal away, we should not bother with her."

He shook his head. "My source has already told me that the emperor is not with the seal so I am sure it is here. I don't care about the methods but that seal must be found at all cost. We cannot delay this any longer."

Zhan Yanhui wondered when he had planted a new spy near the emperor and why he didn't tell her all this while. She realized that he was indeed keeping things from her and it made her uncomfortable. Before she could express her displeasure, the Grand Empress Dowager who had been listening to them looked at her with horror and shock as she pointed at her. "You! You betrayed your husband and your king, ruining the country! How could you do this?!"

Zhan Yanhui watched the old woman slump to the ground out of despair as she glared at her and pointed at her. "I even placed my most prized possession in your hands! The seal is with her!"

She could feel the cold eyes of her lover swiftly turn to her. She clenched her fists in silence and avoided his stare as she raised her head. Seeing her reaction, the man in front of her angrily approached her and grabbed her neck. He said. "Very good, Hui'er. So now, you even dare to lie to me. Where is the seal?"

She wanted to tell him that she never meant to keep the seal from him. She was the one that got him the first seal, why would she hide the second one from him? She struggled to release herself and at the same time breathe when her eyes strayed to the scented pouch at his waist. Her mind blinked at the sight of the embroidered pattern of the Phoenix on the satchel. She imagined all kind of explanations and scenarios in her mind for what she was seeing but the only words she could utter was. "What connection do you have with the Empress? Why do you have her satchel with you?!"

Seeing his indifferent gaze avoiding her, it only confirmed her suspicions. She refused to believe it but how could she deny it seeing it on the most intimate part of his body. She felt like all her beliefs and knowledge about this man had been shattered. The pain from his tight grip on her neck was no longer worth it. She would never forgive him for his betrayal. "So it has always been like this. How long did you think you could hide this from me?"

The man in front didn't show an ounce of regret or guilt to her accusations but instead unconsciously tugged the satchel further into a safe place by his side. He tightened his grip in anger. "Do you really think I won't kill you? After you die, I will tear down this palace for that seal and all your servants will die! Is it truly worth it?"

His words reminded her of Xue Li who had just secretly confided in her about her pregnancy and her hopes that the father of the baby would marry her soon. She naturally had to take a step back when she thought of the promise she made to protect her people. " Do you....promise that you will spare all of them if I give you that seal?"

"Of course. Their deaths will give me no satisfaction." He released her and watched her retrieve the seal. He didn't need to doubt her since he knew he had the upper hand here. She placed it gingerly in his hands, glaring at him with all the hatred she could muster but that was none of his concern. He gave the signal to the guards to start leaving but he stopped feeling the deadly intent coming from behind him and the small whiff of air that grazed through his skin indicating the danger coming at him. He swiftly caught the knife and pulled out his own sword, running it through his attacker.

Zhan Yanhui spat out blood immediately the sword stabbed her stomach but all she felt at the moment was regret and anger that she had somehow failed to kill this treacherous man. But how could her puny self defense skills be compared to a seasoned general from the battlefield? She laughed widely, showing her bloody teeth. "Ah, I missed!"

"Stupid woman!" His eyes flashed with anger as he pulled back his sword, letting some of the blood splash on his face. "You brought this on yourself!"

She had indeed brought this upon herself, letting herself to be used and toyed with. She had married another man and still fought to keep her chastity for the man she had loved! She had even handed the throne and the country to his very own hands! How did things end up like this?

She fell to the ground weakly but felt nothing when she saw him turn away and leave without a second glance. She watched the guards behind him slaughter all her maids not even sparing the Grand Empress Dowager and finally lighting a fire to erase all evidence. She laid there for an indefinite amount of time, feeling her life slowly drain away from her until a pair of arms picked her up, hugging her closely to his chest. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly. "Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"

The emperor's face was stricken with tears running down his cheeks as he hugged her tightly. "I am sorry I came late. This is all my fault."

She wondered what she had done to deserve his tears after what she had done but the pain racking her body made it impossible for her to convey her thoughts. "You don't hate me....after everything I have done?"

He used his sleeve to clean the corner of her mouth as he rocked her slowly in silence for a while before he replied. "Silly woman. Everything you have wanted, I have always given it to you. The throne is meaningless without you."

Tears fell out of her eyes.

He saw it and wiped them away, gently closing her eyes as he whispered. "Sleep now. In the next life, we will surely a carefree couple sharing joy and pain together without any regrets. How nice would that be?"

She smiled faintly with the scene in her mind as she slowly drifted away. If the heavens will be truly merciful to her, she would be a good wife to him in the next life. She won't make the same mistakes again.


Chapter 3: First change after rebirth

Zhan Yanhui furrowed her eyebrows at the sound of the early bell ringing across the palace. She was slightly irritated about the noise so she opened her mouth to complain when her mind suddenly clicked. She opened her eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling, gripping the sheets tightly with her fingers. Soon tears began to flow out of her eyes and this woman who had always been one of the most feared women in the palace cried like a child, sobbing and wailing.

"Mistress, what's wrong?" Xue Li's rushed in with a worried expression seeing her mistress distressed state."Did you have a bad dream? Why are you crying?"

Zhan Yanhui wished that all the pain she had gone through was nothing but a bad dream but she knew that wasn't the case. She had see the evil nature of people and experienced the worst event one can go through during their lives; the pain of being betrayed. She was full of different emotions at the moment but the feeling of relief coursed through her veins. She was allowed to reincarnate and undo her past mistakes. She could finally save herself this time.

"What's going on? What's wrong with Hui'er?" A male figure approached her entering the room, leaving his entourage of palace maids and eunuchs by the doorstep. He easily passed the screen and curtains and raised his black and golden dragon embroidered robe before he sat down on the bed with a concerned face as he lifted his hand to touch her cheek. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Your Majesty...." Zhan Yanhui had forgotten his normal routine was to stop at her Palace of Unparalleled Glory before he attended court each morning. Tears glistened in her eyes from crying earlier and her voice was a little hoarse but that didn't stop her from touching this imposing handsome man in front of her. She also raised her hand to touch his thick eyebrows and trailed her fingertips around his smooth skin feeling his distinct features until she reached his red lips. She tried to stop herself from crying again when she confirmed that he was also alive and well.

"Hui'er, what's wrong with you?" Yi Wenkui was getting agitated seeing her so upset he pulled her into his arms and ordered Xue Li to call the imperial doctor, leaving them alone. "Are you hurt? Did someone bully you?"

He saw her gently shake her head and relax in his embrace. He wondered what could have made her so upset but before he could confirm his thoughts, he saw her wrap her arms around his waist making him stiffen for a moment. He could see that she was acting spoiled but her current behavior made him perplexed even more. She had never responded to his intimate physical contact before, no matter the occasion. They stayed like this until the imperial doctor arrived with his box. He felt her pulse and prescribed some calming medicine for her before he left with Xue Li accompanying him.

Yi Wenkui saw his eunuch's signal for him to attend the morning royal court and stood up to leave but he was stopped by a small tug of his royal robe. He turned to hear her softly say. "Your Majesty, I know you have important things to do at court this morning but...can you please stay with me today? I still feel unwell."

He opened his mouth to convince her to let him go but the plea and dependence in her pheonix watery eyes made his heart soften even more as he subconsciously sat down by her side and called out. "Zhu Bo."

A short and plump man quicklycame in dressed in eunuch's clothes and bowed. "Please give your command, Your Majesty."

The emperor didn't spare him a glance as he quietly pulled his consort into his arms once again and said. "Go and inform the ministers that court today is postponed. I won't be able to come due to personal reasons. Any problems they have should be passed to me in form of memorials and petitions. I won't receive any visitors today."

The eunuch raised his head in surprise but didn't dare comment on the romantic scenery in front of him. He felt that today was the first time he had seen the emperor so happy and peaceful in a long time so he quickly obeyed. "I will relay your orders, Your Majesty. Please excuse me."

Zhan Yanhui almost deflated out of relief seeing the eunuch leave with the emperor's orders. She had successfully diverted a great disaster from befalling the emperor and the opportunity had come at a perfect time. She could almost remember what happened today in her past life.

It was the return of her ex-lover, the Great General of War from the battle of Xuanyan in triumph to the capital. The problem was, he didn't come alone. He purposely led the remaining rebels in secret to the palace where they had attempted to kill the emperor during the morning court session when he was about to reward him. The poisoned arrow managed to miss his vital organs but it had scratched his face in a long line, leaving an ugly and disgusting scar in its trail. All the doctors had tried their best to cure the scar but they had failed, forcing the emperor to wear a mask for the rest of his life. Most of his subjects and concubine had expressed their remorse over the unfortunate incident but they secretly sneered behind his back calling him The Masked King.

She glanced at him once again, happy with herself. Now, she preferred him with or without the mask but thinking back, she knew just how much self confidence he had lost wearing that mask and she didn't want that to happen again. She just didn't know what would happen now that she had changed her past decision of keeping quiet and doing nothing.

"What are you thinking about?" Yi Wenkui gently flicked her forehead, watching her recollect herself after she furrowed her eyebrows in pain. He had been watching her for some while on silence, getting more convinced that something bad had indeed happened to her. "Are you now feeling better?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." She felt a little shy when she sensed his gaze upon her but she controlled her expression. To be honest, she was also feeling a little bit nervous about her new path, the one that she had chosen with this man with her. She wondered if she would be truly be able to protect him like she had vowed in her past life. The road....was truly filled with dangerous uncertainties this time, she pondered.

Meanwhile, in the palace of Virtuous Grace....

A teacup had just passed Zhu Bo's head, the contents spilling everywhere on the rug as a woman dressed in a phoenix embroidered golden gown. Her black eyelined eyes narrowed at the eunuch who knelt down, shivering like a cold fish. "What did you just say?"

"H-His Majesty said that the Noble Consort is not feeling well today so she would be unable to give you her morning greetings. He asked you not to blame her for his sake." Zhu Bo brought out a handkerchief to wipe his sweaty face as he repeated himself. He had faced so many difficulties in the palace but this was the one place he was truly afraid of going since he had become a eunuch.

The empress, Han Yaling clenched and unclenched her fists as she stared at the eunuch. She was surprised when she noticed that the Noble Consort was absent today from morning greetings but she hadn't expected her to be with the emperor. She was sure that he was just finding an excuse to cover for her so that she wouldn't leave his bed!

Her personal maid who stood by her side couldn't conceal her dissatisfaction about the matter and frowned. "Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty didn't attend court meeting this morning. Is the Noble Consort so sick she needs the emperor to attend to her personally?!"

Her words only fueled the anger burning in the empress's heart but she merely smiled in response. She was the phoenix in the sky, only equal to the dragon which was the king. She wasn't allowed to get emotional over these small petty issues neither was she supposed to lose her composure over his concubines. But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't control herself when she heard that woman's name.

Zhan Yanhui....

Not only were their families political enemies, they were even rivals in love, fighting for the emperor's favour! From childhood, she was also the one falling behind that wrench. Now that her opponent was down, how could she miss such a great opportunity?

She stood up with the help of her personal maid and looked down on the eunuch who was still on his knees. "Zhu Bo, this empress is greatly worried about her junior sister's health now that you have told me this news. Since it's like this, why don't I pay her visit to make sure that she recuperates well?"


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