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Cold Palace: The New Empress
墨書 Inktalez
In the first year of Tianwu, on the fifteenth day of the first month.
That night, the full moon hung high in the sky.
Inside the resplendent Purple Dawn Palace of the Great Qin Empire, lanterns were lit, and laughter and singing filled the air. The sounds of music and festivities echoed continuously, while brilliant fireworks illuminated the sky above the palace, making the vast palace appear as bright as day.
Yet, in a corner of the southwest part of the palace, there was a profound silence.
The cold moonlight streamed through a gap in the roof, illuminating the small space inside.
A thinly clad woman in white lay quietly on the ground, her long black hair scattered around her like a dark halo. Beneath the disheveled strands was a small face no larger than a palm.
Her fair and delicate skin contrasted with her tightly closed eyes beneath elegantly arched brows. A petite nose tipped slightly upward, and her rose-like lips, though alluring, appeared as if they had lost their moisture. The moonlight cast upon her face made her complexion look as pale as snow.
Suddenly, the light from the broken window dimmed, as if something had blocked it.
A pair of sharp eyes peered through the gap, listening intently for a moment before pulling out a small porcelain bottle from within their clothing. They accurately dripped a few drops onto her pale lips that were slightly parted.
Before long, the woman's brows furrowed slightly, and her eyelids fluttered...
Amidst the continuous booming of fireworks, finally, the woman on the ground groggily opened her eyes.
Her head throbbed, her chest hurt, and her entire body ached—she felt as if she might die from the pain.
When she awoke, Mei Shuang could think of nothing else but this single thought.
She weakly shook her head, as if that could dispel the thick darkness and the heavy dizziness before her.
Above her, the small skylight flickered intermittently, making Mei Shuang feel that the light filtering through that palm-sized opening was painfully bright.
She squinted her eyes. Where was she? Had she died?
At that moment, her hand rested on her chest, and the heartbeat from within her chest slowly brought her back to consciousness. She was still alive.
Suddenly, with the sharp whistle unique to fireworks piercing through the sky once more, amidst the massive explosion sounds, the palm-sized skylight above began to flicker even more intensely, becoming even more blinding.
Mei Shuang closed her eyes again.
In that instant, she could imagine how lively and bustling this night in Purple Dawn City must be. In the pitch-black night sky like a curtain, when the fireworks bloomed across the sky, it must have been dazzlingly beautiful...
Hah...
Today, the new emperor of the Great Qin Empire ascended to the throne, and with the grand ceremony following his coronation, there was a nationwide amnesty! The whole country rejoiced!
Mei Shuang couldn't help but laugh heartily in her heart.
A nationwide amnesty...
But where was she, just after being crowned as the Empress of the Great Qin Empire, admired by all?
In the cramped space, dust accumulated on the beams, and spider webs hung heavily.
Under the illumination of the recent fireworks, she could even see a corner of the wall where the wind blew through, occasionally revealing a mouse scurrying by. Below her, the rotten straw and a bedspread that had lost all color emitted a nauseating odor...
Mei Shuang shivered involuntarily.
However, more chilling than the filth before her was the scene that had just unfolded—the sudden upheaval in Weiyang Palace, and the merciless slap bestowed upon her by her emperor husband...
A cold wind blew in from the gaps in the walls, causing her to tremble all over. She looked down at herself; the heavy and ornate phoenix crown and luxurious garments had been violently stripped away by a group of fierce-looking maids, leaving her in thin, filthy clothing.
She self-deprecatingly curled her lips into a smile but winced in pain, unable to suppress a hiss.
Recalling the glory she had before entering the palace, she began to doubt whether she was truly the daughter of the Left Chancellor.
Mei Shuang, the legitimate daughter of the Left Chancellor, cherished like a treasure, was recently conferred as Empress by the new emperor of Great Qin, Iron Book of Dan. After wearing her phoenix crown and splendid attire and receiving bows from all officials alongside the most powerful man in the world, she suddenly found herself transformed into a pariah, trapped in this dark and narrow prison...
Though this process seemed dreamlike when recounted, it was ultimately just an illusion...
Mei Shuang sighed sadly as she struggled to raise her hand to touch her swollen and numb jaw, tasting bitterness in her mouth.
Indeed, while that slap stung painfully, it was nothing compared to her younger sister's actions; it was far lighter by comparison.
The knife wound under her rib was inflicted by none other than her sister, Mei Ru.
At that moment, her beautiful half-sister Mei Ru arrived at the Heavenly Prison, a beacon of light in the darkness for her. Just as Mei Shuang's eyes brimmed with tears, Mei Ru's sweet words plunged her into despair.
"Sister, there's no need to be sad. The position of Empress was never meant for you. After such a disgraceful incident, you have lost all face. Even if the Empress Dowager dotes on you, she cannot protect you from the whispers of the crowd. Besides, the Emperor never liked you; it was just your one-sided affection. Moreover, in your quest to become Empress, you have committed terrible deeds, and now Miss Chu cannot even enter the palace gates. So even without this scandal, the Emperor would never forgive you... Alas, your existence only brings trouble to the Mei Family. From now on, I will serve the Emperor in your stead. You can rest easy..."
Then, a glint of cold light from her sleeve reflected Mei Shuang's terrified face.
Mei Ru stepped closer, looking at the already stunned Mei Shuang with a satisfied smile curling at her lips. "Sister, don't be afraid. I must thank you for bringing me this Consort. As sisters, I won’t let your years of bullying go unpunished. I will make sure your departure is less painful..."
Mei Shuang was left speechless, unable to cry out for help before a wave of excruciating pain coursed through her body. Then, it seemed as if Mei Ru's anxious and tearful voice echoed from a distance. "Someone come quickly! My sister—she's lost her mind!"
...
Mei Shuang lowered her gaze to her side and gently touched the wound beneath her ribs. Even through her clothing, she could feel the hastily wrapped bandage, bloodstains stark against the white fabric.
Staring blankly at the moonlight above her, she realized that living was still better; at least she didn’t want to die without understanding why.
Now that she calmed down and thought about it, the root of this tragedy lay in the discovery by a palace maid of letters revealing her secret affair hidden in her cosmetics box.
If this were true, as the daughter of the Left Chancellor, she was not only morally corrupt but shockingly foolish as well. She recalled how her maid Sugar had shaken her in panic back then. "Miss, speak! You and Zhao Prince—how is that possible!"
She wanted to defend herself but found herself at a loss for words in her confusion. The Emperor had arrived hastily and without explanation slapped her with a punishment that sent her straight to the Heavenly Prison. To make matters worse, with that thick red veil obscuring everything, she hadn’t even caught a glimpse of what her legendary husband looked like...
Now, reflecting on what Mei Ru had said before stabbing her, it became clear that there was much more to uncover. To be honest, she preferred to believe her maid Sugar; since it was impossible for such a thing to happen, someone must have framed her.
After thinking for a long time, she could only sigh. Even if it was just a fleeting dream, it ended far too quickly!
Just like the fireworks that filled the sky moments ago, dazzling and brilliant when they bloomed, but ultimately just a fleeting moment...
But at least she was still alive. Even if she had become a despised prisoner, she was still alive.
Mei Shuang laughed self-deprecatingly.
Looking through history, was there anyone more unfortunate than her as an Empress? From being crowned to being exiled, it had only taken a few short hours, making her the first in history with the shortest reign as an Empress.
The cold wind continued to blow in from the broken corner of the wall, causing Mei Shuang to shiver and her mind to clear up considerably.
She looked up at the small skylight; she didn't know when the fireworks had stopped. The hazy moonlight flowed down, clear and bright, and the air was filled with a faint scent of gunpowder from the fireworks.
To her surprise, there was a little flutter of joy in her heart; she had finally not died.
Indeed, what could be better than being alive?
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