The Empress

Chapter 14: Memories

Seeing that Emperor Long Feng has gone back together with 'Gentleman Hui' (along with his whole entourage of imperial guards) to the imperial palace made the others in the private room much more relaxed. They knew that the emperor will personally bring his empress back to the imperial palace sooner or later and, in this case, 'sooner'. He is worried about her, especially in her current condition. But the other gentlemen know that his worry is pointless anyway because Empress Huihuang will do whatever she wanted to do, and she will still be alright. This is the same woman who had gone to war even when she was pregnant with her first child. She fought and killed the enemies even with her enlarged belly which nearly caused the emperor to collapse due to severe stress. All they can think of is that Emperor Long Feng is a loving and strong man as well for accepting and tolerating Emperor Huihuang even after years of marriage. Such an enviable life indeed.

Madame Red smile as she looks at the leaving carriage. That life will never be hers in this lifetime. Emperor Leng Re Long never loved her. Due to his insecurities and suspicious nature, he treated her badly. She tried to accept that her marriage will never be the one build with love. When he married her, he was a young 10-year old boy who had to marry her as his main wife because her family will be able to give him the support that he needed so that he can be the next emperor. But, the late Emperor Leng Lei1 pressured her late father to let her be one of the imperial family. Her father repeatedly refused and sent her to the neighbouring kingdom so that she will live a peaceful life. But his mind was changed after the late emperor had been poisoned and was said to only have a short time to live due to the poisoning. The marriage had to happen. Being a filial daughter, she agreed to marry to the crown prince who is 5 years younger than her. Never even once did he tried to get to know to her or understood the kind intention of her late father, General Xue Hu. She had only seen him for four times during their short-lived marriage; the wedding night, the day of their marriage has been consummated, the day when she begged him to let her family live and, lastly, after she had given birth. And, they have met again today in a different kingdom but with a different identity. She is no longer his pitiable empress. She is now known as Madame Red, the ruler of the Kingdom of Xi. Her power and influence have long since overpowered his, so she no longer has to stay in the shadow because she is untouchable by him or by those who are responsible for the demised of the Xue family.

As she stared at the imperial palace in a distant, she thought to herself that she will have to start the intensive training for her son, First Prince Long Fenge. Lengjing2 who is one of her trusted Chancellor had been secretly sent to the Kingdom of Leng to protect him and become his mentor according to her instructions. All these years, another spy of hers has been secretly sending her news on what's what. She might no longer be a citizen of the Kingdom of Leng but she knew everything due to her loyal spy and Lengjing. She refrained herself to make any contact with the others including Imperial Noble Consort Wan who had raised her son as hers. Imperial Noble Consort Wan will be and remained to be the mother of her son. Her existence as Madame Red will only be one of those who will support his quest to be the future emperor. This will be her exact revenge for Emperor Leng Re Long. He did not want her child to be a boy because there will be a chance that the Xue family will be more powerful and influential if her child is a boy. Knowing his calculating mind, she planned beforehand. She even prepared a baby girl to be swapped with hers if it is indeed a boy.

But, never did she know that he had planned beforehand to execute her entire family including those who come from the branch family. In just a day, she is the only survivor of the Xue family who used to be the most prominent family in the Kingdom. She changed her entire plan then and conspired with Imperial Concubine Wan to take her son and raise it as her own while she left the kingdom without a single trace whatsoever. She took in a dead baby and claimed that he was his dead son. Why? He should live a life full of guilt for the rest of his pathetic life.

Before she left her once beloved Kingdom, she burnt down the Xue family estates and nothing had been left, all the memories and signs of the existence of Xue family had been destroyed. Her family ancestral tomb too has been destroyed by her. She wanted every single trace of her family existence is gone from the Kingdom of Leng. Finally, she instructed the Xue family's soldiers to eliminate those who personally responsible for the tragedy. When it was done, she left the forsaken kingdom together with her loyal servants and 1/2 of the Xue family's soldiers. 1/2 of them have stealthily joined the imperial guards and has remained to guard the imperial palace since then while a few have spread throughout the Kingdom of Leng whether on a disguise or joining the camps responsible for the security of the borders.

To prevent him from searching for her, she and her people have gone into those warring tribes' lands. She and her people stay hidden at first but soon discovered by one of the warring tribe, Yingli3 that is ruled by an interesting and enigmatic man, Yelu Dadan. He invited them to stay with his tribe upon realizing that she is looking frail due to her condition. It was there when Imperial Doctor Caoben confirmed that there is another baby inside her stomach. He has to stabilize her condition first before she can give birth to that child.

(Picture available on w*****d)

For one whole month, Yelu Dadan never fails to visit her and making sure that her every need have been taken care of. He was there for her during the lowest point in her life. He made her laughed. He hugged her when she cried. He was there next to her when she gave birth to that daughter of hers who did not even cry as her tiny face stared at hers whilst her tiny hands grabbed her finger with such a force that is uncommon for a baby.

Her daughter has been borne due to her determination to be borne into the world. Imperial Doctor Caoben said that the impossible has been made possible because her daughter refused to die even when her body has been giving up soon after she gave birth to her son. She is a fighter even before she was born into this cruel world. She never cries even as a baby. Her daughter only cried once when she saw her being stabbed by an enemy during one of the tribal wars, that was when her daughter first draw blood and took a life a grown-up man who happened to be the leader of the attacking tribe. That scene will forever be a legend in the foundation of her kingdom.

A 5-year old girl that murdered a grown man in cold blood. That small hand of hers stabbed that man directly into his beating heart before twisting the dagger and forcefully pulled the dagger out (along with the still-beating heart). That small hand calmly took the heart and threw it on the ground before stepping on it with her small feet. That scene alone made both tribes, Yingli and Kuang4 to stop their fightings. Even her people stopped fighting with Kuang tribesmen. Yelu Dadan immediately carried her injured body into his tent and called for Imperial Doctor Caoben to save her.

For Kuang tribe, they submitted their defeat with the cruel and sudden death of their leader and acknowledged a 5-year old girl as their next leader. Todate, the same tribe still loyally served under the kingdom with her daughter as their leader. They have nothing but respect towards her daughter who proven to be as worthy as any grown-ups as she never stops joining the wars. When the tribes have sworn their loyalties and submitted their supports to her mother, only then her bloodlust trails stopped.

It is not like her hands are clean either. For her to build the Kingdom of Xi, she has killed many to achieve what she has for today. There is no guilt on her part as she has seen a bigger picture, unite the warring tribes and rule a kingdom that will be acknowledged by other kingdoms. She did just that with the support of her people and those united tribes. Most of all, Yelu Dadan or Chancellor Yelu, the representative of the united tribes. All 19 tribes have sworn their allegiance towards her kingdom except for Edu5 tribe who had sworn their loyalties to Crown Princess Long Fenghuang of the Kingdom of Long.

Her only biggest regret is only what had tragically happened to her family members. She can only focus on the future now, but she will never forget how she came to this point in life. She will forever be a Xue that has been reborn to 'Madame Red'.

***

1. * Thunder

2. ** Calm, cool-headed

3. *********. * Mad, crazy, wild, violent, unrestrained

5. ** Malicious