Chapter 9
Public outrage boiled over. The ministers jointly petitioned to strip Queen Jinsheng of her rank, and even the king had to take it seriously.
I didn’t want to watch everyone abandon her all over again, but I could think of nothing to do.
Dejected, I asked my brother when we could leave. He patted my head and said this trial wasn’t over yet.
Heavens above.
When was this show ever going to end?
On the day Queen Jinsheng was stripped of her rank, public anger did not subside. It grew fiercer.
Her very existence constantly reminded them of their helplessness, stamping the humiliation deeper into every heart, again and again.
Pricking like a needle.
They wanted to pull the needle out.
I dragged my brother along to find her. “Your Majesty, let me take you away. Leave this place. Live a good life.”
Queen Jinsheng looked at me for a long time. Her gaze was calm and peaceful, though her eyes reddened. In the end, she only shook her head. “Thank you.
“But there’s no need.
“I’ll write my own ending.”
Yet the king, so cowardly until now, withstood all the pressure this time. No matter how his subjects clamored, he would not budge.
Hanging from a beam above Queen Jinsheng’s room, I saw him come to visit her.
He hesitated outside the door over and over, lifting his hand to knock and lowering it again. Finally, he stayed outside and spoke through the thick door. “My queen, rest easy. Don’t be afraid. I will… I will protect you.”
He sounded so certain, as though even heaven and earth overturning could not change his promise.
But a man’s vows could never be trusted.
Half a month after Queen Jinsheng returned to the palace,
she was found to be pregnant.
When the king forced an abortifacient brew into Queen Jinsheng’s mouth, I saw tears glimmer in his eyes.
“My queen, drink it. From now on, we’ll make a good life together.
“We’ll make a good life together.”
Her hair came loose in the struggle. Looking like a vengeful ghost, she gave a desolate laugh. “You think we still have a future?!
“It’s gone! It’s been gone for years!”
The king started in fright. The bowl fell to the floor with a sharp sound that echoed through the vast hall.
He suddenly burst out laughing, then howled in pain, and finally turned and fled.
Queen Jinsheng looked dazed for a moment. Then she bent down, picked up the bowl, and slowly drained it.
Neither parting nor reunion decides our sorrow and joy.
On the night the child was lost, the Golden-Furred Hou broke into the palace.
He stood beside Queen Jinsheng’s bed, his eyes stretched wide with fury. “My wife, is this what you wanted?
“Did it have to be this?”
Suddenly, he sank to his knees beside her. “You said you wanted to return and take revenge on every one of them.
“So ‘every one’ included me, didn’t it?
“You said you’d come back afterward and live with me.
“You never meant to come back at all.”
He sprang to his feet. “My wife, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. Tell me what you want. I’ll do it all for you.”
His whole bearing changed. He took out the Purple-Gold Bells, ready to slaughter everyone in the palace.
Eldest Brother, who had been lying in ambush, leaped out and met him in battle.
I helped the queen away. Second Brother protected Master while the others evacuated the palace.
But the Golden-Furred Hou had come prepared too. Every demon under his command poured out, and the palace guards were no match for them.
For a time, blood ran in rivers throughout Zijin Kingdom.
Eldest Brother frowned slightly. He plucked a few hairs and turned them into countless monkeys, finally stemming the slaughter.
Within a few exchanges, the Golden-Furred Hou was already losing. He laughed coldly and gave the Purple-Gold Bells a gentle shake. Flames sprang up everywhere. Even Eldest Brother had to retreat for the moment.
Just then, the king came running toward us against the fleeing crowd. “My queen! My queen!”
Seeing her unharmed, he wept with joy. “You’re safe. Thank goodness you’re safe.”
She looked momentarily stunned.
At the sight, the Golden-Furred Hou threw back his head and roared. Another shake of the bells sent sand and stones flying.
The king grew more frantic and reached for the queen. She stared for a long time, then slowly lifted her hand. Joy rose in his eyes. But just before their fingertips touched, a huge rock struck him in the back.
She stared blankly as he fell, vomited blood, and died.
I heard his last words. “My queen, I was wrong.
“My queen, I’m sorry…”
I didn’t know whether she heard him.
Her face was terrifyingly cold.
The next moment, she suddenly ran toward a dry well nearby.
Without hesitation.
With absolute resolve.
She jumped.
Your Majesty.
Was this the ending you wanted to write for yourself?
It wasn’t a good one at all.