An Eight-year-old Princess

"Ah..." Surprised guests and military officials standing below the altar began murmuring. Gradually the whispers turned into a deafening roar that spread like the tide. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the Empress.

Emperor Ning was in the middle of the Ceremony. The astonished murmuring of the crowd caught his attention. He frowned at the disturbance. The Emperor turned and saw the crowd looking up to where he and the Empress stood. Some even began to raise their hands, as if pointing. Emperor Ning looked around and noticed that they were indeed pointing at someone. The Empress! Well, the Empress?

The Empress looked pale. Though it was winter, there were bean-size beads of sweat rolling down from her forehead. Aside from the sweat, she looked just fine. The Emperor frowned again. From such a distance, the officials would not be able to see the Empress sweating. So, what were they looking at?

Emperor Ning was about to proceed with the Ceremony when a civil official kneeled. Emperor Ning recognized him to be a bachelor of the Imperial Hanlin Academy. The Emperor heard him shouting anxiously, "It's a visitation from the Divine, Your Majesty! They are angry!"

Emperor Ning was so shocked that he rushed to the Empress. The back of her ceremonial robe was wet and covered in sweat stains. The stains seemed to form a Chinese character, Xiong, meaning inauspicious.

Seeing this, Emperor Ning stepped back. His face paled.

The Empress didn't realized what was happening. She only felt that the garment was too heavy. As per tradition, the garment was required to have eight layers of fabric sewn together. The weight of the fabric was making it hard for her to breathe. The Ceremony was really tiring as she was required to follow complicated routines. She also had to kneel frequently. In the past, she always asked the Shangyi Bureau to use the lightest fabric for the inner seven layers of the ceremonial garment. She also remembered instructing them to use floral brocade for the outermost layer. This year, Lady Shu must have forgotten to do that. The garment that the Empress was wearing seemed to be sewn with the heaviest fabric for each layer. She felt exhausted with every step. The Phoenix coronet weighed ten pounds and had been firmly attached to her head. The weight of the coronet didn't help either. Finishing the Ceremony seemed more demanding than usual.

"Your Majesty, what's the matter?" The Empress was puzzled upon seeing Emperor Ning's pale face. Then she found that everyone was pointing at her for no apparent reason.

In her confusion, the Empress turned to Xiu Xin, who was standing by the steps under the altar. The maid also looked anxious. When Xiu Xin saw the Empress looking at her, she pointed to her back. Only then did the Empress realize that something must have happened on her back, and it must be serious. Emperor Ning and the other officials wouldn't look so panicked and worried otherwise. The Empress couldn't wait for an answer. She hurriedly took off the outermost robe and saw the conspicuously large character, Xiong.

Struck with fear, the Empress threw the robe away. She took a few steps back, and accidentally touched the memorial tablets behind her. They fell like dominoes.

"Your Majesty..." The Empress was fearful. She tried her best to calm down and hurriedly grabbed the sleeve of Emperor Ning's robe. "Your Majesty, someone must have planned all this to set me up. Your Majesty, please uphold justice for me..."

Emperor Ning frowned and nodded at Master Zheng. Zheng understood and quickly waved at a few eunuchs who helped the Empress step down.

The Emperor's anxiety increased when he saw that the crowd was still talking about the incident. The commoners would most certainly panic if they heard of the incident. He could not allow that to happen. Emperor Ning turned to Master Zheng and whispered. Then Master Zheng hurried to one side of the altar and announced, "No one shall talk about today's matter. It is strictly prohibited. If anyone is found doing so, the death penalty will apply to the person and his or her family and friends as well."

The officials and concubines promptly shut their mouths and stood quietly. Then Master Zheng walked away from the altar. He whispered quickly to Ladu Shu who then nodded and instructed her maid. The maid rushed out and in a few moments, returned with a tray. Lady Shu took the black robe from the tray. It was a spare ceremonial robe. Lady Shu quickly put it on and followed Master Zheng to the altar.

"Go on with the Ceremony, " said Master Zheng. Then Emperor Ning and Lady Shu completed the remaining procedures as though nothing had happened.

After the Ceremony, Yun Shang followed the concubines toward their Palaces. Just when they entered the Imperial Garden, they were greeted with the sight of an enraged Empress. Her glare could have withered every concubine. The Empress fixed her eyes on Lady Shu. Before anyone realized what had happened, the Empress rushed forward and pushed Lady Shu to the ground.

"Shen Shuyun, I have never done anything wrong to you. Even though you were so deeply loved and spoiled by His Majesty, I still left you alone. Now, I've handed the Empress's seal to you. Why are you still scheming against me? How dare you be so cruel and mean and set me up like this?" Although the Empress was extremely angry, she spoke with the grace required of a person in her position.

The others stepped back to avoid getting dragged into this quarrel. Seeing this, Yun Shang shouted, "What are you waiting for? Separate them..."

But no one dared to go near the Empress and Lady Shu.

As everyone stood watching two of the most powerful women in the imperial household fighting with each other, Yun Shang waited for the secret signal. Not long after, she heard a cuckoo sing and smiled. She replaced her smile with worry and shouted, "Seriously, what are you waiting for? The Empress is pregnant. If anything happens to the imperial heir, no one will be spared."

They moved forward to separate the Empress and Lady Shu,

voice. "What is

quickly grabbed Lady Shu in her arms and pretended to fall. She angled herself such that she landed on the ground while Lady Shu landed on the

Shu became angrier and wrapped her fingers around the Empress's neck.

choke her. Though Emperor Ning was furious with the Empress over what had happened during the Ceremony, he couldn't allow Lady Shu to hurt her like this. He rebuked Lady Shu. "What do you think

could explain

small blood stain

cried out. Emperor Ning rushed forward and lifted the Empress in his arms. He nudged the

as if in great pain. "Your Majesty, the baby,

he paced back and forth in the Palace as he waited. "Where's the imperial physician? Why is he still

time, he escorted an old man with

widened sharply. She looked for Xiu Xin in the crowd, and saw her in a corner, shaking

I don't want to be examined. My baby

his head and snapped. "What's wrong with you? Stop being a

shook her head. "I have always been examined by physician Chen. He knew my

frown deepened. Seeing the Empress acting so odd displeased him. Emperor Ning turned to the servants behind him. "Hold down

his hand on her wrist. After a

been drained of energy. She stopped struggling and lay quietly on the bed. Emperor Ning did not understand

aged physician shook his head. "No. Her Majesty's pulse shows that she wasn't pregnant at all. There wasn't a baby, and so she couldn't have

understood what the physician said. "You mean, the

answer, the Empress harshly stopped him. "Nonsense. Physician Chen diagnosed that I am pregnant. Recently, I have had cravings for sour food. I'm definitely pregnant, and it must be

your turn to give orders. Bring all the

him who told me that I was pregnant. Bring him here and we'll see who is talking nonsense

closed her eyes as she tried to think. Her mind was completely blank.

Then the curtain was lifted and several eunuchs entered. One of them went to Emperor Ning and said, "Your

that she was being set up. Whoever it was, he or she had been wise

you, take turns to measure the Empress's pulse one

order before. They all looked at each other before cautiously approaching the bed. After feeling the Empress's pulse, they stepped aside silently and waited for the next person. It took a quarter of

the results?" asked Emperor Ning.

"Your Majesty, forgive us if we are all wrong, but we couldn't find any sign of Her Majesty's pregnancy, nor

a long time, and then, he stopped. He snorted at the Empress coldly. "It seems that I have ignored this place for too long. So

stay. Yun Shang stood and followed the Emperor as he stormed out of the Hall. As soon as they had crossed the threshold, they saw

Lady Jin to come closer. Having gone through a

inner hall with concern. Then she answered softly. "I felt unwell at the Temple of Heaven, so I left early. I just heard that something has happened to

he said, "It was nothing. Now you're pregnant with a baby. Don't just step out so inappropriately dressed. Catching a cold does