23 The Commoner
The carriage that was carrying Concubine Rong and her entourage wheeled swiftly on the road.
The emperor had approved her journey of going back to her brother's favourite place in this world. Concubine Rong intended to climbed onto the popular mountain behind their village to spread her brother's ashes from a high spot.
She did not bring many people with her. She did not even brought Xiao Er with her. There were only several bodyguard and Meng who was assigned by the emperor to looked after her well being throughout the trip.
The most surprising thing about the whole trip was that the emperor allowed her to bring their daughter with her together!
Royal children had never been allowed to be brought outside of the palace at this very young age. She was already accepted the fact that she had to leave her daughter behind when she determined to go to the Poeny town.
She was grateful that he allowed her tor bring her daughter on this important journey. But she could not help but to think that he probably thought nothing of their daughter.
He could at least show to be a little bit reluctant to separate for a while with his only child right?
She let out a heavy sigh. This attracted Meng's attention.
"Is there anything amiss My Lady?"
"No. Nothing " she shook her head politely.
Now that she had recovered her past memories, she still had not have any lengthy conversation with one of the Princess Liu Shi's closest companion .
It was funny how Meng was the loyal servant for both Princess Liu Shi and Concubine Rong yet she was most reluctant to have heart to heart conversation with her.
For this trip, Concubine Rong was instructed to dress simple to camouflage her identity as Royal concubine. Hence, she was wearing the identical dress with Meng, they looked like a pair of sister.
"Sister Meng" Concubine Rong tried to break the deafening silence between them.
"Hmmm?"
"I…. am sorry. Even though I don't have the empress' full memories, but I saw how she had inflicted too many unnecessary pain to you. ….and the fact that I burdened you with my personal revenge, apologizing is not enough for the many years you sacrificed your life to served the other me"
"....."
"Can you please forgive her? Or forgive me?"
"I…. " Meng gather her entire energy to pour her heartfelt replied. "Your Highness do not have to apologize. I was your servant. It was my duty to do your bidding"
"No. That was not right"
Meng felt a surge of overwhelming warmth conquering her chest. Indeed , the emperor was right. The concubine and the empress were two different persons.
"It was bold for a servant to say this to a royalty but if Your Highness insist, yes, I forgive you" she said with affectionate smile on her smile.
"Ouhh thank you sister Meng" Concubine Rong reached for the woman who was sitting in font of her. They were both drowning in a heartfelt embrace for quite a some time.
The warmth and fuzzy moment did not stayed long. The carriage suddenly jolted violently as if it was moving through rough terrain.
Dushh!
The sound of a heavy thing fell on the ground shocked the concubine. She tightened her grip onto her sleeping daughter in her hands.
"what was that?" Concubine Rong tried to inquire.
Sister Meng however, swiftly peeked through the door to see what has transpired.
"My Lady we were attack!" she shouted at the concubine.
"By whom?"
"I don't know, it might be bandits! The driver was shoot by an arrow, I will move to the front to steer the horse. Stay quietly inside!" She immediately moved to take over the driver's place to control carriage.
The sounds of swords clacking and men shouting made her heart thumped loudly. She reached for her small sacks that contained her brother's ashes.
Her baby and the sack were the two important things that she would clung to her death today.
Not long after that, Meng reappeared and began to bundled the baby up against Concubine Rong's front body.
"Now listen, the last of our men was defeated a while ago. They were not many of them to began with. Now, I will jump off this carriage to buy some time for you. Take control of the this carriage. Get to a safer place" she instructed while tying the clothes at the back of her neck.
"How, I don't know…Meng please don't go" she pleading to the woman,
"No. I can't. I have to go or none of us will survive today!"
"But…"
"No buts! Listen to me. I'm glad that we patched things up at the end of our journey. I would always treasure your humility. Be safe" she then jumped out of the carriage.
Concubine Rong was struggling to grasp the rope to control the erratic horse. She tried to steer the horse to go hiding into the forest but the horse was to wild for her to control. She did not even know where they were heading to.
After struggling for a while, she saw the incoming horror that was spreading in front of her. They were heading off straight to a cliff!
She could see the most bluest ocean she had ever seen waiting for her!
She looked back and saw several bandits was still tailing their carriage. She could not stop right now or they would be killed by the bandits.
She had only two options and both seemed bleak for her. While she didn't mind being captured and killed by the bandits, she would not let her child being treated that way too.
There's only one option!
She closed her way and shouted her lungs out when the horse made the fateful leap over the cliff.
*********
Once again, a gloomy cloud covering the palace. Another horrible news came uninvited when it was informed that a royal concubine lost her life in an unprecedented incident involving bandit attack while she was on her way to he hometown.
There were no survivor found at the site.
The saddest part was the emperor also lost his first and only child in the grueling incident.
He went for mourning for a few weeks.
After that, the taciturn emperor bounced back to his real self like nothing had happened.
This lead to a new rumour about the emperor that the incident did not really affect him emotionally.
' he had a lot of other concubines in the palace'
' He was still young he could have another child with his other concubine'
'It was a daughter anyway'
Hence , slowly, people in the empire began to forget about the existence of Concubine Rong and her baby daughter.
*****
Five years later
The people in capital was waiting for the armies who had just coming back from war with their closest neighbour.
Despite winning the war, it was the saddest day for the people in Tang empire as they had just lost a wonderful emperor.
He lost his life trying to protect their country and resulted with the entire people in the empire coming together to mourn their lost.
He left no children thus making his younger brother to ascend the throne afterward.
A group of children around the age of five till seven was squeezing between the people who was swarming the main road.
These kids who know nothing about death and war were seemingly happy to be part of the crowd.
They were gasping and pointed out at the grand horse and the serious looking generals and soldiers that were straddling the equally grim looking horses.
For children who lived outside of the capital, it was a feast for them to be able to watch something as grand as that.
Not long after that, the children decided to go back to their houses which was located far near the forest.
One by one, the children began to disperse and little Rong hua was left alone trading the forest to get back to her house that was located at the most obscured place in the forest.
Suddenly, she saw the silhouette of a man clad in white who was standing by the bamboo.
The friendly Rong Hua immediately ran toward the stranger.
**********
At her house, Rong Hua's mother was anxiously waiting for her daughter who she never saw since this morning. She swear that she would punish her cheeky little girl for not letting her know where she went.
Rong Hua's mother saw the other children walked by a few hours ago and her little girl was still nowhere to be seen.
"Mother" a loud shrieking voice of a little girl calling her from afar made her felt so relief
Rong Hua's mother ran toward her daughter who was holding two Tanghulu's sticks in her hands.
"Where have you been? What's that in your hands? Who gave that to you?" she began to bombarded her daughter with endless questions.
"This? Father gave this to me" the little girl exclaimed loudly.
"Father?" her mother let out an exasperated sigh. " Honey, we have talked about this before right? You don't have father"
"No, I have one. We went for lunch just now and he bought us this" she shoved one of the Tanghulu to her mother.
Ignoring the Tanghulu which was practically stuck to her hair now, she focused her attention to her daughter.
"Who is this man? What did he do to you?"
"Mother, I said just now that we went for a lunch. If you don't believe me. You can ask him" she pointed her grubby fingers at the man clad in white robe who was standing not far from them.
Rong Hua's mother was surprised that she did not realized the man's presence at her own yard. She was too preoccupied with her daughter and the suspicious Tanghulu.
She lifted her head and looked at the direction of the man who had just treated her daughter with lunch and snacks.
Rong Hua watched as her mother gasped as soon as she saw her father that she just encountered this afternoon.
"See mom. Father is coming back to us" she jumped excitedly.
"I'm home, Mo Chou"
*******
Back in the Zhan's family mansion, the second Dr.Zhan was busy experimenting a new drug in his working room.
A lot of people had already dubbed him as heartland friend as he refused to join the welcoming parade at the capital's gate to welcomed his best friend's body back to the empire.
Why would he do that? He got no time to pretend that he was sad thinking about his best friend's fake death.
The man had been waiting for five years just for this day to come. Once he knew that his wife and daughter survived the incident years ago, he had been planning to fake his death and handed over the throne to his younger brother.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew and flap open the front door.
"You look so busy Dr Zhan" the sound of an old woman disturbed his concentration.
"What do you want from me, Oracle from the North" He said nonchalantly.
"Nothing. I am just visiting an old friend." the Oracle who had suddenly appeared in the room walked slowly toward the only chair available in the space.
"Quite a scattered place you have here" she commented.
"You are not my friend and this is our first time meeting" he said flat out refusing any association with the oracle.
"Of course. I am the legendary immortal oracle while you are the descended of spirit who blended it well with the human" she chided loudly.
Putting down the jar that contained his new drugs, he turned around and faced the old woman.
"What is your intention of coming to my house today?"
"Nothing. I just want to warn you to stay away from interfering with the heaven's job"
"....."
"Ahhh…you don't have to pretend to be innocent. We've been knowing that you help the your best friend and his wife to cheat on fate right? Aren't you the one who voluntarily become the spy for that Gao Wang guy? The one who had arranged for their first meeting in the tea house? Also the one who gave the guard the idea about the erasing memories drug? Sending the bandits so that she could start a new life was also your idea right? Without your intervention, their fate would ended worsts than now. No one is intrepid as you to go against the heaven's will"
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Aren't you the one who warned Xiao Song about their bleak future before he got married? And you visited him once again and advice him about they would never be together with their then identity in the palace?" His words smashed her smug expression .
"Well then, we are even now . There's nothing to talk about" he turned around from her.
"You are just like your father" he could hear disappointment in her words.
"If you need anything, you just need to summon me. You know that I will always be there for you" the old woman said grumpily. She then exited the room and disappeared right way.
"I will great- grandma" Dr Zhan mumbled quietly under his breath.
The End
