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COPYRIGHT © A. D. Torres

Date Published: March 28, 2020

Chapter Title: The Visitation to the Empress' Palace (1)

Chapter no. 24

(Qin Zetian's POV)

There are times when I ask myself why I feel alone even when I have everything that I wished for in this second-chanced life? But I don't know the answer, it feels like there are gaps in between my memories that makes me so vulnerable. And it feels like there are so many secrets that I need to discover on my own. The manor is so wide, it has passages I've never been to and I've only explored 10% of it.

I walked out of the library with a questioning mind. I continued walking till I stopped on a nearby window. That tree, made me question how hard this body fell from the highest branch and why? How come I stayed dormant and got the chance to wake up without serious injuries? Why did I inhibit a sharp vision and an incredible strength? And why does everyone smell like blood at night?

Those unnoticeable facts are very interesting to me. I smiled and think about something that I can do today. Then I went to the kitchen.

Since I am feeling well I decided to prepare different kinds of food for the empress and visit her palace. I think she has been hoping to meet me and the princess never failed to remind me to pay them a visit. I do not know what her highness like or doesn't like, I was only informed that she doesn't have allergies.

\"Did you prepare everything?\"

\"Yes young miss, everything is according to your instructions. Shall we depart now?\"

\"En. Let's go to the palace\"

The ride approximately took fifty minutes before we reached the front gates of the imperial palace. An eunuch was waiting for our arrival, then Han Yuomei and Han Wan accompanied me to the empress' palace. I saw Roushi along the way, and she was running while waving at us. And I waved back, then she hugged me, so tight that I thought my bones might broke.

\"I've missed you, I'm glad you're finally here. My mother has been sick lately and she hasn't been eating well. She lacked the appetite to eat or drink something and father emperor even fired some of the imperial chefs. I do not know what I'll do with her.\"

\"Did the imperial doctors check your mother's condition?\"

\"Yes they did, but they also found nothing\"

\"I brought some detoxification tea, prepare some for her princess and do not let other servants do it\"

\"Ze'er, do you suspect someone might have poisoned my mother?\"

I nodded. Then we walk to Green Ice Palace. There are ponds and bridges on both sides of the path we're walking on. But the water on the pond looks rather unhealthy and dead? What's unusual is that there are little yellowish flowers blooming at the bottom of the pond. Not that I have seen something similar before, but growing flowers at the bottom of a pond is rather odd. Though I have read once that poisonous weeds grow at the bottom of ponds with dead looking waters. Is it possible to link the two?

\"Rou'er, does the empress plant flowers at the bottom of the pond?\"

\"No, it's usually concubine Wu who volunteers to plant the flowers if I remember correctly.\"

\"Are there any fishes living underwater?\"

\"None, every time we try to nurture them, they all die a day after\"

I nodded, if that's the case maybe the water is poisoned. When water evaporates a good amount of poison will mix through the air and eventually harm the living organisms present in the area. The flowers at the bottom are in full bloom, so it might have affected the empress.

\"Is there a chance that I can invite the empress to the manor? My mom is very lonely, and I think they will have a good time together\"

\"Sure! That sounds great. I'll ask imperial father about that\"

\"Okay, I will arrange everything for you and the queen\"

Everything in her palace is strange. There are even bad luck charms and poisonous grass.

\"Does your mom propagate different types of poisons and does she love bad luck charms?\"

\"What do you mean?\"

I closed the distance between us and whispered.

\"The grass at the front porch is highly toxic. The figurines are bad luck charms and the pond might be poisonous. Be careful, tell no one. Just arrange for the empress to leave this palace for a while and investigate later\"

She nodded, but the shock in her eyes is visible.

\"We must hurry\"

I nodded and silently followed behind her.

And when we entered the palace I sniffed something that made me cover my face entirely, and even tightening the veil on my face. The burning incense is too strong. How can they live in a place that exudes toxicity?