The Empress Wears Gucci

05

        When I tried to push myself up, the palm of her hand pressed against my chest. She lowered herself into a squat towards me until she was at eye level with me. Her eyes slightly narrowed and her lips parted, she wanted to say more than she intended to say. The Empress pulled her hand away from me. "You little temptress... You were supposed to be rejected like that lady-in-waiting you have."

        My heart was beating fast, but I tried to play it cool. The Empress doesn't scare me. No one does. I smirked. "Temptress? If I'm a temptress, you must be—"

        Before I could finish my sentence, the stinging pain from the hardest slap I've ever felt caused me to flinch. My fight or flight kicked in. Both of my hands made a fist but I held back. No one disrespected me like that. I would never let a woman nor man disrespect me, until now. I hate being the obedient concubine. I used all my strength to hold back from strangling the Empress in her own palace. Her eyes glared, hard at me. Her hair was well kept, beautifully done, and her lips bright red. Up close, her skin had a smooth, fair complexion without any small imperfections. How a woman can be so beautiful yet so envious of others? I wouldn't know.

        "You wench! You disrespected me, and His Majesty still picked you as a concubine? And you dare to go with him to the gardens?"

       There was no way I'd let her get the last laugh. The other concubines were swarming around to watch the action unfold. The maids stood back but paid close attention to every detail that was happening. It was a scene straight out of a movie. "I mean, he asked, what's it to you?" I retorted, trying to get up but the evil witch was in my way. I rubbed my sweaty hand on my cheek. It burned. Not the most painful thing that has ever happened to me, though. 

        "You're a mere Imperial Concubine... Do you enjoy thirty flogs? Because—" the Empress was fuming, I could see the imaginary smoke coming out of her ears and nose.

        "His Majesty arrives!"

        The scene now pauses and we all kowtow. "Greetings to the Emperor!" I silently thanked him for interrupting our little disagreement.

        "You may all rise."

        This is something that I'll have to get used to.

        "Your Majesty," the Empress cheerfully walked up to the Emperor. It was as if nothing had happened—as if she didn't slap me just a minute ago. "It's so pleasant to see you."

        "Likewise," he spoke gently, then turned to face me. "Thank you for helping Imperial Concubine Han with her hair. Her lady-in-waiting was occupied at the time. The Imperial Concubines still haven't been given maids yet."

        The Empress shook her head in denial, still with a big grin on her face. "Oh, no worries, Imperial Concubine Han and I are very good friends."

        I've never wanted to punch someone in the face this much in my life. The sleeves of my hanfu hid my fists that were balled up in frustration. It took me a lot of strength to not risk my life and end the Empress's life. I was already planning different scenarios on how I would get my revenge. If I befriended her and poisoned her tea one day, maybe that'd help me sleep at night. 

        "We'll be going now," the Emperor stated, then gripping my arm to lead us out.

        I would expect the Emperor to realise the redness of my cheek, but I remembered I had blush on. The Emperor is, and probably will be, oblivious to his insanely envious wife. I can't blame her too much. It's sexist for the Emperor to have concubines yet the Empress can't. Why does the Emperor need so many women to breed with anyway? To extend the Imperial family? And then what? Power can be exciting to have, but harmful in the long run. Maintaining power, strengthening power, doing things you may not want to do for power... Power is a drug. Power is a dangerous thing to fight for.