Episode 2 - Empress Yun Yi

I can feel the cold breeze touching my skin but I can’t move. My sight is blurry. People are either running or shouting. But I can’t hear and comprehend properly. All I can see is a tree at front and a pool of water. Is it a river? No it’s not. A pond? Yes, a pond. But why here? I remember that I… oh… it’s a dream… I think I jump from another dream again… my throat is dry…

“Water…” I whispered. They can’t hear. Why is…black….

At the Red Phoenix Manor…

“How is she?” the woman with her hair tied-up with a lot of accessories on her head and body asked. She wears a blue beautiful flower design, a traditional Chinese dress. If sophisticated is a person, then she could be it. She is standing beside her, who is lying in the bed.

“I’m sorry Empress Yun, but this time the poison that she swallowed is too strong. I already did my best. But I think my knowledge is not enough to treat the Red

Princess” an old man responded with his head down on the floor apologizing and explaining to the empress of the empire.

Empress Yun, felt the rage that is going to erupt any minute. She stayed to be well composed in-front of everyone everyday despite the fact that her only child is being poisoned by someone still unknown. Though this is not the first time that this happened, but this still make her nervous and scared. His husband, the emperor, is still the same, not even minding and don’t have any care if the Red Princess will die because of those people who wants power. She knelt beside her daughter who looks like sleeping comfortably not knowing what to do at that moment.

“Yurin!” she called trying to stabilize her voice from all the building emotions.

“Yes, Empress Yun.” The head servant of the Empress answered with her both hands clasped together traditional way with her head bowed. She was dressed simple but elegantly.

“Have you found them?” the empress asked again still on her knees trying to aid her daughter, wiping its sweats from the towel that is being handed to her after she waved her hand to a maid servant near her that is holding the basin with warm water

inside.

“No, my empress,” she paused for a moment, “they’re well-hidden for centuries; I don’t think they will show up just because we needed them in time of emergency. But I already stationed 100 of our men to find them.”

She sighed as she realized that she needed to ready herself on the death of her only child. Tears flows on her eyes as she remembers that the princess just turned 14 last week. She never thought that this will be the end of her ambitions. She knows it already that it is very hard to let a girl get a throne and become an emperor itself. That is why, 17 years ago, she claimed a son from an emperor’s concubine to become hers after

that concubine died. But that adopted son of her began to rebel on her and openly showed its interest on becoming a soldier to be sent to the borders.

That is the reason why the crown prince title was given to the 12th son of the emperor, son of Concubine Ma of Red Valley. They have a very strong backing from the very start. That Red Valley has the strongest families that have a big position in the empire. Though her family and her being an empress is not to be taken lightly also, since she is from the clan of White Dragon Valley, her, not having a son from blood is the very reason why her clan is not fully standing on her side. Since a son being born in a phoenix is impossible, especially if the phoenix came from the White Dragon Valley. A curse given by the old goddess of War, Nemphina for the betrayal the clan made to her thousands of years ago.

And now that her daughter is also dying, what else can she do? She will become an empty empress at the age of 30 and later on be disposed in the cold palace for not having a heir for the heavenly throne.

“Let me in!!!”

“I said, let me in!!! Mother!!! It’s me, the 18th prince, Man!”

“What’s the commotion?” head servant, Yurin, yelled. The empress stands and turned looking to the entrance after reminiscing the past and the situation.

“Let him in.” the empress said with composure.

A young man, aging 16 appeared. Though with its playful and handsome face looking so worried that even his eyebrows curled and with heavy breath, he turned his head outside and is looking to a young man on his 20’s. He gestured on him telling him to get inside and he did.

The empress and the people inside was confused on what the 18th prince is thinking also stared to the young man who made an entrance with his black faded clothes with its tied long hair flowing freely. At one glance you can already say that the one the prince brought is a peasant but to why he brought him is a big

question for everyone especially the empress.

“Mother, this is Ching-an, and…he know how to cure the Red Princess!” Prince Man declared with eyes that give assurance.

“Why would I trust my only child to that peasant?”

“When I was small, I know someone from Snow Valley.” The peasant answered with his head down. (let’s make it clear people, not looking or not leveling eye to eye or having eye contact into the emperor or empress or any big status personality in the past is a sign of respect. That is why many of them low status is either bowing or lowering of their heads looking below whenever they are answering to those high status people)

“Everyone, get out! Yurin, and you, young man, stay!” the empress yelled turning her body to her daughter’s. As everyone leaves, only quietness echoed in the big space of the room. A minute passed and the empress still standing and not talking, alongside with the two who have been left inside.

“Come up, and save the Red Princess.” The empress instructed after a few minutes. The man slowly

walks and sits beside the princess; he takes-out things from his bag. Dextrose like things was there, with a bottle of medicine. He hung the glass type clear bottle that really looks like dextrose from some world that is not theirs. He checked her pulse before injecting the medicine through the things he take-out

from his bag.

After an hour….

The empress is sitting in the middle place of the room, waiting for the young man to sit also, after he was done curing the princess. She’s taking a sip of her chamomile tea with her head servant on her side.

“Why?” she asked the young man.

“She’s the Red Princess. Though the clan don’t want to recognize her, we also don’t want her to die. The elder knows that she’s weak and that is the primary reason why the clan is not approving on her becoming our new master. If only you are the chosen phoenix, then we will also follow your chosen emperor.” He answered while standing. He’s belittling the empress who is in-front of him still head held down, not meeting her gaze.

“How ironic! She’s the chosen phoenix but because she’s weak you don’t want to support her and because I’m not the chosen phoenix you also don’t want to support me. But just because she’s the chosen phoenix you are here trying to save her useless life but still don’t want to support her. Have you already chosen a dragon instead? In this world that only the chosen phoenix will be the way to knowing the door to heaven? You won’t know those medicine and medicinal procedure without the help of the previous chosen phoenix!” she shouted, furious. At the day she was born, those red phoenix followers all turn their back to them, the descendants of the red phoenix.

He only stared on her for seconds after hearing what the empress stated, then bowed his head and leaves.

The quietness is now lingering with the noise of the opening of the door and a person getting inside.

“Mother?” Prince Man asked slowly, tilting his head trying to sense the situation that his witnessing at the moment.

“Comeback after 5 days. You can meet her on that day Man’er” (‘er is being used when you want to call your child in a sweet way. Though he is not her child. He’s one of the emperor’s child anyway.)

“Yes, mother” he answered politely while peeking into the princess bedroom.

As accustomed, no one can enter the princess bed (there’s a thick veil covering the bed to prevent other people to peek inside the bed) single or married. The only people who can peek and get inside the bed is the personal servant, princess head servant, princess doctor (emergency), mother of the empress and the princess’s future husband. Even the emperor is prohibited on entering unless there is an emergency. They always thought that a princess is a phoenix and any time they can become a queen, an empress or even an emperor. Which all emperor (men) really hates. But there is no written history that said that a girl became an emperor in the past since the world that they have is a man domineering, a phoenix will always become an empress. And a phoenix will always be the one to choose, guide and support the dragon.

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