Despite Diwa's urgency, he could not reach the Dowager Taihou in time. He had known from the beginning it would not be simple, yet failing to deliver the message when needed weighed heavily upon him...it was negligence that could bring any punishment, with no excuse strong enough to shield him.
Just as Diwa struggled to find his way before the Dowager Taihou, her relatives had already set out toward Zhan's champer. They carried the ceremonial items traditionally prepared for a royal consort before the great gathering...a presentation in which every high-ranking figure of the Beiping Empire would be present, alongside the unveiling of the King's groom.
It was a rare honor. Among the late king's four consorts, only they had once received this privilege; now, it was Zhan's turn.
The attendants came in procession, accompanied by maids bearing a resplendent robe of flowing silk, tailored especially for this day. Its brilliance alone was enough to draw breath, meant to robe the royal consort in dignity before the empire. Alongside it came ornaments wrought of pure gold and glittering diamond, treasures that belonged only to the highest ranks.
Yet, to their surprise, when they arrived at Zhan's champer, they found no one waiting. This puzzled them, for earlier in the morning attendants had been dispatched to serve him. The spotless state of the quarters confirmed that the servants had been there. They wondered...had Zhan Ruilan dismissed them himself? Still, they set aside the thought and ordered one maid to seek the permission to enter.
The maid approached the chamber where Zhan had been taken the previous day. But as he neared, he froze in place. From behind the doors came a strange crashing sound, followed by the sharp shattering of objects.
Startled, the womalen men all turned their eyes toward the doorway. Another maid was quickly ordered to investigate.
Barely a minute passed before she reappeared, breathless, stumbling, her face pale with dread. She pointed back toward the room, her voice breaking.
"Th—the Royal Consort!…"
Together, they rushed inside. What they saw struck them with shock.
Zhan was staggering blindly, his right hand clutching his chest, his left hand outstretched as he groped for balance. In his frantic searching, he had knocked over ornaments and shattered decorations, scattering pieces across the chamber floor. His hand was bleeding from cuts, red streaks staining his pale skin.
One of the noblewomen dashed forward, seizing him in her arms as he swayed. His entire body was trembling, his face flushed with pain, his once-elegant robe now disheveled. The sight of his blood-soaked hand and his weakened state sent fear rushing through every heart in the room.
Zhan suddenly clutched the woman's hand, pressing it against his chest as he gasped in anguish.
"Mah, fire! My body is burning, Mah, please...put me in ice or I'll be consumed! I'll die, Babiy, the fire is eating me alive..."
His words sent them all into panic. Every one of them was shaken, confused, not knowing what to do for him. The woman holding him even felt the heat searing into her own skin.
The youngest among them, gathering her courage, darted out of the chamber, almost stumbling in her haste, heading straight for Dowager Taihou's quarters.
The moment she entered, Dowager Taihou lifted one slender, jeweled finger. At once, the attendants around her slipped away, leaving the chamber hushed. Rising gracefully, her eyes...sharp and commanding....fixed on her younger kin.
"Jasrah."
"Yes, Bari-Hamshira."
"What is happening? You burst in as if chased."
"Forgive me. But if you've ever seen a rat driven from fire, you know panic...yet what I've seen burns hotter than fire itself. Before our arrival, they had already delivered the ceremonial robe for the royal consort to wear, but now... there is a grave crisis, Bari-Hamshira. The boy is in dire straits."
"In what way?"
Dowager Taihou's voice sharpened as she leaned forward, her wide, regal eyes narrowing on Jasrah.
"This is no time to ask for details, Bari-Hamshira. It is time to save him. If not, they'll kill him too...just like the others before..."
At once, Dowager Taihou's eyes darkened, her face tightening in alarm. Trembling, she snatched up the intercom at her side, her jeweled hand quivering as she pressed several buttons before thrusting it into Jasrah's hands.
Jasrah seized it quickly, already knowing the name to call.
"Ghazi! Gather every healer in the Beiping empire and bring them at once to the third royal consort's quarters."
"It shall be done, Your Grace," came the reply, full of solemn deference.
- - - -
The sharp slap and its sting sent the attendant crashing to the floor, sprawled across the thick carpet of the grand hall. His whole body trembled like a leaf in a storm, tears already streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks. His head shook violently as he dropped back to his knees before her, bowing lower as though begging for his life.
"Forgive me, Great Lady. I swear I did everything possible to ensure the incense was prepared, but he refused to accept it. This one is not like the others before him...there is something frightening, a hidden fire, in his eyes and in the iron of his will…"
Another slap cut his words short, so powerful that he clutched both hands to his burning cheek. "I beg your forgiveness, Great Lady," he stammered quickly, trying hard to stifle the sobs rising in his throat, for the blow had shaken him deeply.
The woman reclined elegantly against the carved throne, plucking fruit from a golden dish with lazy grace. Her eyes, beautiful yet cold, shifted briefly to the attendant standing beside her, the very one who had delivered the slap, before sliding back as if she cared nothing for the scene unfolding before her.
With perfect deference, that loyal attendant bowed low. "It is done, Great Lady. Your command is our law." She herself showed no emotion, even as the punished servant wept at her feet. It was nothing unusual in her eyes. With a flick of her finger, she pointed toward the kneeling figure and spoke sharply:
"Our Great lady never forgives. A single mistake will ruin you, even after a thousand years of service. One error cannot be undone."
The kneeling man collapsed lower, trembling violently as he wept. He pressed his forehead to the carpet and begged for mercy again, but the Great Lady did not so much as glance his way. Instead, her trusted handmaid struck him once more and ordered him dragged from the chamber.
Meanwhile, chaos was spreading through Zhan's quarters. The strongest healers and apothecaries in the palace had been summoned, yet confusion only deepened. Zhan writhed in pain, clawing at his clothes as though trying to tear them from his body, desperate for relief from the torment searing through his flesh.
The younger women of Dowager Taihou's household, panicked, poured buckets of freezing water over him, their own tears streaming down their cheeks as they worked. But it was as if their efforts could not reach him. His skin flushed a furious, dangerous red, as though fire itself raged inside him.
His lips moved ceaselessly, but no prayers would form...his tongue refused him. In his agony, only two names escaped him: "Mah… Babiy… Help me, or I'll burn alive…"
DOWAGER TAIHOU
The courtier Diwa collapsed to his knees before Dowager Taihou, shivering as though his very bones rattled. He had been summoned before even learning why. With deep respect, he bowed low. But in the vast chamber, no one acknowledged him...not even Jasrah, who paced the hall restlessly, nor the Dowager herself, who sat in icy silence.
It was Jasrah who finally turned, her gaze piercing, and demanded sharply:
"Under whose orders did you act? Who are you working with?"
Diwa shook his head frantically, voice breaking. "Noble Lady, I know nothing of this. How could I conspire in such a crime? I swear I was not even present when they entered the Royal Consort's quarters. They forced their way inside before I could even announce them. I tried...truly I tried...to catch at least one of them, but I was alone, and my strength was split in two. I failed."
"You lie. Where were you when they slipped in?"
"I was collecting the meal that had been prepared but left untouched. That is the truth."
"Can you recognize the attendants?"
"Clearly. I will not forget their faces."
"Then within two hours, you will bring them here."
Diwa trembled as he rose, bowing again, and hurried from the hall, his knees still weak beneath him.
Since Diwa entered the chamber, Dowager Taihou had not stirred once. All the conversation had been between him and Jasrah.
"Bari-Hamshira! Do not let them take the boy's life as well. Last night I even began to feel joy, believing his arrival might bring us fortune, that perhaps he would become the light to pierce the darkness surrounding us. But now… I fear we may only be clinging to an illusion, just as the townspeople once suspected the King. Truly, at this moment, everything seems as though it is slipping from my grasp."
Dowager Taihou closed her eyes tightly, the expression revealing her pain. Yet in truth, her younger sister had spoken nothing but honesty. She could confide in Jasrah alone about such matters, and her heart always felt lighter afterwards. Jasrah was the youngest of their sisters, raised almost as her own child, so she knew the woman would never slander her only son for the sake of malice, as so many others had done.
Still, the question weighed heavily on her...was it really true? Was her son, difficult as he was, truly responsible for the suffering and deaths of his consorts? The matter was tangled and filled with contradictions, but today she hoped they might finally glimpse some clarity.
Meanwhile, one of the palace attendants led a servant toward their quarters. But just before they entered, she spotted Diwa along with a few influential guards gathering the other attendants.
Alarmed, she pulled the servant back and gripped his hand.
"Stop. I am certain you're the one of the two they are looking for?"
The servant trembled, his whole body shaking pitifully.
"Leader Azu, please… help me."
She gave him a chilling smile.
"If I save you, I'll be dishonored myself. But listen, Jaza...go on to them, and I will do what I must to see you escape. Just remember, you will owe me. You must give me a share of your wealth. Keep silent, let the blame fall upon you alone, and that is the only way to survive. But if you speak my name...or our mistress's...you are signing your own death."
"I agree," Jaza stammered. "I will give you everything I own, Leader Azu."
Her sharp teeth gleamed as she nodded, like a lizard spotting its prey.
"Good. Even before the Great Lady, you will survive. Now, tell me where you keep your treasure."
Jaza trusted her...she was one of the most reliable in the Great Ladi's inner circle. Every bit of foul work in the Beiping Empire's palace seemed to pass through her hands. Still, he knew there were many like her under her command, each as dangerous as the next.
"Here," Azu said slyly, pointing toward him, "that's the one."
Diwa had already noticed Jaza's hesitation. At once, the male attendants seized him while Diwa followed behind.
The others present, though unaware of the full story, could not help feeling pity for Jaza. It was clear to them he was already in deep trouble, and sorrow weighed in their hearts.
DOWAGER TAIHOU
After some minutes, though she showed no sign she had noticed Diwa's arrival, Dowager Taihou finally lifted her beautiful eyes. Concern shone deeply within them.
Diwa and the captive Jaza both bowed low, their bodies trembling.
The Dowager studied them as if searching for answers written in their very flesh. She let the silence hang for nearly a full minute before slowly turning to Jasrah. Then she shifted back to her trusted attendant, who awaited her command.
"In ten minutes, I expect the truth from their lips."
"It will be done, Dowager Taihou," the attendant replied with utmost respect, cracking the whip in their backs.
At once, Diwa and Jaza flinched, clutching their backs even before the blow fell, eyes brimming with tears. He drove them out roughly, Diwa crying out, swearing he knew nothing at all…
Zhanxianyibo💚❤️💛