Chapter Text
Two little girls were in a flower garden in the rear palace, anshi was wearing a yellow outfit as two eunuchs were near the two girls, anshi was pregnant, so they were to ensure that she was safe, another girl was with her and didn’t seem to be a threat, most of them didn’t even know what was going on.
Anshi: thank you for joining me in the garden, jia.
Jia: You're welcome, Anshi.
Anshi: I'm so glad that we can spend some time together.
Jia: Me too.
Anshi’s friend, jia, was the same age as anshi, she wore a similar outfit to anshi with a few different details on her outfit, which was dark purple, with a light purple sash, jia looks at her, her hair was a dark shade of red, her eyes blue, and unlike others, her hair was down with a small ribbon at the back of it, light pink with a small flower attached to it.
Anshi: The flowers are beautiful.
Jia: Indeed.
Then she stands up and gently brushes her skirt.
Jia: I should go, my cousin is expecting a visit from the emperor, I must ensure that she looks perfect for him.
Anshi: oh………..
Jia: what’s wrong, anshi?
Anshi: oh, nothing, I'm just………
Jia: You've been feeling sick lately, huh?
Anshi: Yes.
Jia: I hope you feel better soon.
Anshi: thank you, jia……..
Jia:’smiles’bye anshi, i promise to try to get more snacks for you, of course, once i find a food taster to make sure the snacks are safe’walks away’
Eunuch 1: she’s so nice.
Eunuch 2: and she’s very young, no wonder she’s already a lady in waiting for her cousin, and she knows what to do to remain safe, speaking of, we should be going now since it’s going to be dinner soon.
Anshi: I see…….
Then they walk away as Jia looks at them.
Jia:’smiles and walks off’
Her ribbon carefully blew in the wind.
Later………….
Jia:’humming as he cleaned up’
The shadow of a figure appears.
Figure: little girl, can you come here for a moment?
Jia:’quickly bows’hello, my emperor.
Figure:’walks towards her’
Jia: Is something wrong?
Figure: nothing is wrong, don’t worry, you’re not in trouble at all.
Jia:’looks at him’
Their shadows are only shown as her ribbon falls to the ground, it slowly lands on the ground, hitting the moonlight.
Jia: huh?
Months later………
Suiren: Anshi, how are you?
Anshi: a bit better…….i feel so tired though.
Suiren: Don't worry, your son has already been fed.
Anshi: And your daughter?
Suiren: fed as well, but don’t worry, rest, it’s been 2 months and you must ensure you have all the energy you can get while you’re on bed rest, speaking of……….i’m afraid i have some terrible news to share with you.
Anshi: What is it?
Suiren: Well………another girl with an early monogamy was pregnant and gave birth 2 days ago, but she sadly passed away…….
Anshi: what?
Suiren: She was around the same age as you, actually, her name was Jia……….i already got a black ribbon for you.
Anshi’s eyes widened, an image of jia appeared for a moment.
Anshi: jia?
Suiren: yes-
Then she freezes when she sees tears streaming down anshi’s face, she panics and gets a cloth to wipe the tears away.
Suiren: anshi, what-
Anshi: no…….it can’t be.
Suiren: Did you know her?
Anshi: yes, she was………she was one of my friends, but i had to stop seeing her when i got far along in my pregnancy, but i never noticed how quiet she became……..i guess she wasn’t lucky enough.
Suiren: yes, she apparently bled too much…….
Anshi:........i wish someone could have helped her.
Suiren: yes……….but she did give birth to a son, however, the empress hasn’t recognized him yet as her grandchild, so i doubt the baby will be able to stay, but we will have to wait and see what happens, let me tie the ribbon to your wrist, you two must have been very close to each other.
Anshi: She was someone I could trust.
Suiren: Really?
Anshi: her cousin was a middle rank concubine, and she was her lady in waiting, she was good at her job so………
Suiren: she would have been a wonderful wife……..
Anshi: I will honor her memory.
Suiren: a funeral will be held, probably by then, the empress will make her decision on what to do with the baby, depending on whether or not the baby will survive, that is, but for now, you must rest.
Anshi: ok………
Months later………
Anshi: so…....I heard about her decision.
Suiren: yes, she says she knows the baby is her son’s, but she will let Jia's family take care of the baby.
Anshi: I heard they are very wealthy.
Suiren: yes, and close to the empress, so she has let them raise the boy, and one day she will help with the family in case something happens to your son, and he will ensure jia’s son is given a good future.
Anshi: please, and i will also ensure that.
Suiren:’smiles at her’
Then anshi stood up and walked to a window.
Anshi:.........what did they name her son?
Suiren: I'm not sure, they never made it public, and I guess they want to keep things on the down low, but I'm sure that one day, you will see him again, I will let you know if I ever run into him.
Anshi: I just hope he’ll be ok……….
Meanwhile……….
Jia:’walking around, she was narrating’it’s been a few months since i died, I cannot leave the rear palace, due to my body being buried here, i've seen many more young girls become victims, i do not even know where my son went, i just hope that he's okay and will live a normal life.
Then she looked at her outfit, which was just white.
Jia: I had to wear this when I had to give birth to my son, and since I died in it, I'm stuck in it, I miss my bow and flower accessory though………….
Then she sits down and looks at the sky.
Jia: I wonder how long I'll be here…………..
Then she carefully walks around the rear palace.
Jia: I wish I could play outside…….or with the others.
Then she continues to walk around the area, walking through walls, her hair blowing in the wind as she sits down on the ground, watching people work, her blue eyes stare at the people who walked past her, or through her.
Jia: so boring……….
Then she lays on the ground and touches the floor.
Jia: I can't do anything here, I don't know if I can ever leave this place……..I wonder where my bow is, I miss it…………..I miss my pretty bow.
Then she touches her hair and looks around.
Jia: my poor bow………i wish i had it on me.
Then she curls up as people stepped on her.
Jia: so boring……..i wish someone was here to entertain me, i’m so bored……..i don’t even know what to do anymore, ugh……….
Then she stands up and walks away.
Jia: I wonder if I'll ever get a new friend……I am so bored.
If only she knew what was at stake.