ARC 2.15: The Queen's Speech

"Kneel." Liwei ordered, as he walked passed Chonglin and went towards Iwa.

His tone sound so cold that it made Chonglin fear him. She have not seen this side of Liwei before. It was another side of him that she did not recognize. -Why did her Liwei changed so much in just a short period of time? -

Her eyes went to look at Queen Iwa, and she instantly knew it was Iwa's fault. Her beloved Liwei changed and treated her this way because of this wench Iwa.

"You!" she pointed at Iwa "It was all your fault!" she yelled as she lunged at Iwa, her hands already aiming for her face.

"GUARDS!!" Liwei shouted out of instinct. Before Chonglin coud even reach Iwa, two hidden guards showed up from behind Iwa and went to her front as they prevented her from getting closer to their Queen. "Kiyaaa!" Chonglin screamed as she was then subdued as the two guards held her to the ground. "Let go of me! Let go!! Liwei! Tell them to let me go! Where is the justice in this!?"

As Chonglin struggled, Liwei closed his eyes and rubbed his temples in frustration. What is he going to do now? One was his Queen and the other was his Noble Consort. One was his beloved while the other is someone he needed, and have started to care for.

"Let her go." Quirra ordered the two guards holding down Chonglin. "Sit down noble consort Chonglin, and stay calm. There is no need for us to be violent. Let her go."

This took Liwei by surprise. Before he himself could even think of a decision, his Queen wife has decided for him. It made his appreciation for her swell even more.

Once the guards let Chonglin go, they didn't go back to their place. Instead, they remained standing beside Chonglin with their position ready to subdue her should they need to, in case she decided to go violent again against their Queen.

Liwei watched both of the women as he mulled over his innerl struggle, while Quirra sighed heavily.

"Consort Chonglin," Quirra called her, devoid of any formalities, and as she spoke it was with an authoritative voice "We are both women of his Highness' back palace, not women from a brothel! Please act with decorum and grace. As a Noble Consort, you should at least know how to behave like a noble lady."

C: "Well I did not grow up from a Noble household, so I do not know how to act like one!" Chonglin shrieked in response.

Q: "That is why you should have taken your lessons to heart during your punsihment period. Do not keep blaming your fate as a commoner-born, as an excuse not to have manners! You are now a noble consort to a King, you have changed your fate as a commoner and your children will no longer have the same fate as a commoner! I have just told you that, we, as women living in the back palace and women of the King, cannot make trouble for him. Being a King is a difficult position that requires hard work, King Feng is already facing so much scrutiny from all sides that the only place he can relax is here, the back palace. That is why I asked you to pay more attention to him and also take more care of him." she patiently told her as she paused to take a breath and continued; "You have greatly disappointed me and my expectations of you. . . ." she shook her head in clear disappointment, then continued; "As Queen, it is my duty and my responsibility to uphold the laws and it's punishment of the back palace." pause, deep breath and in a loud voice she declared;

"For your crimes against me, you will be demoted in your position as Noble consort. From this day forth, you will now be ranked down into 2nd Concubine. And so, you will be moving out of Orchid Courtyard to live with the other concubines at the Pebble courtyard. You will also need to reflect on your words and actions, for real this time, as well as have a personal palace teacher by your side to ensure you will learn all about being a noble lady and everything about the back palace. Should you fail to meet the expectations during your learning period, the palace teacher will enforce the proper punishment according to the teaching laws."

To end her speech, Quirra looked at Chonglin intently, making sure she gets the message through her eyes. "This Queen hereby confine 2nd Concubine Chonglin Mei for 185 days, to your new courtyard. In which during this confinement period, you ate not allowed to take one step out of the courtyard nor are you allowed to invite any guests in, without my permission. Should you break this rule, you will face a more harsher punishment."

Chonglin's jaw dropped at her words. Clearly this is Iwa's declaration of war to her. She couldn't help but look at Liwei, expecting him to reprimand the wench and make her take back Iwa's words against her. However, to her disappointment again, Liwei remained silent as he stood beside Iwa letting her punishment happen.

Chonglin was enraged by this and she tried to attack Iwa again as she lunged at her while shrieking. However the two guards immediately noticed her and quickly held her back as she kicked and screamed against their hold.

"YOU! YOU WENCH! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!! What makes you think you can do anything to me!? Liwei and I were fine with our lives before you came!! You changed him!!! You cannot do anything to me!! I will do whatever I want!!! You cannot take Liwei away from me!!! HE LOVES ME! You cannot hurt me!!!"

Chonglin's crazy antics caused Liwei to fall out of love for Chonglin even more, he became distant with her. Both literally and figuratively. What is it about Chonglin that he loved so much? Thinking about it now, he could not seem to remember.

"Take her away." Liwei ordered the guards, followed by a dismissal motion of his hand. He was starting to get irritated by the screaming and shrieking of the mad woman. He was already annoyed with her from the start but after this episode, he really could not stand her silliness anymore. He wants nothing to do with the woman.

"Liwei!!" Chonglin desperately called out to him as she was being dragged out of the Queen's receiving room.

"Liwei! Do not ignore me! Please!! I LOVE YOU!!! Do not let that woman drive a wedge between us! Do not let her do this!!! I love you!! Liwei!!!!"

Liwei didn't even glance her way. He just blatantly ignored her desperate cries.

As the back door of the receiving room closes, so does the door of his heart and mind for his feelings towards Chonglin.

The last thing Chonglin saw before she was totally dragged out of the Golden Lotus Courtyard, (the Queen's courtyard) was the slow closing of a door followed by her beloved's back slowly turning against her. Her beloved Liwei was turning away from her sight, and maybe even away from her life.