Chapter 197: The Crescent Moon Symbol
Next morning, Xing and the Emperor were training in the small area they had prepared for training purposes inside her courtyard. In the past few days it has become a habit of the Emperor to train in her courtyard in the morning and then cleanup and get ready for court from there and that had created various murmurs in the inner palace that the Empress is keeping the Emperor by herself.
Xing actually felt her mind relieved after she had started using the sword. Practicing sword has always been like meditation for her as
Xing never cared how the Emperor spent his nights as she knew he’d be asked to flip a plaquette containing the name of all concubines and he’ll be spending the night with the Concubine whose plaquette he chose. Xing had asked the head Eunuch to remove her plaquette from the lot so to give others a chance to get to know the Emperor. What she didn’t know is that the Emperor is not spending the night with any of his Concubines.
As the Emperor was changing an Eunuch came and announced him the news of the passing away of Lord Zhong. The Emperor waved his hand and sent away everyone attending him.
It really happened! And that too this soon! This surely is a loss for the entire kingdom!
Xing was standing inside her bedchambers separated from where the Emperor was by beautifully carved wooden screen and heard everything the Eunuch said and she dropped the milk cup she was holding in her hands to the floor and it fell on the floor with a thunk and rolled away.
This can’t have happened, Xing felt her heart clench, he clearly had time... At least a week! How could this have happened this early?
Just like that I’ve lost another one who I loved dearly!
Xing felt her eyes were burning trying to hold her tears and she pushed the breakfast served on the table in front of her to the floor with a noisy clatter and stood bent with her hands supporting on the table. Her tears fell on the table as she could not hold it.
The Emperor knew she would be devastated and came it her side and he wanted to give her a hug seeing her lonely back and he got startled when she threw everything to the ground.