Chapter 6 A Haunting Dream


    Qingxin Hall turned out to be everything that Yun Shang had hoped it would be. Happy and content she


    had evenmanded her servants to build a swing on the tallest tree in the courtyard. In her free time,


    the little girl would swing leisurely under the towering tree.


    "Your Highness.." Yun Shang, asleep on the swing, were awoken by Qin Yi''s voice. Covering a yawn


    with her hand, Yun Shang addressed Qin Yi sleepily, "Why did fetching some embroideries take you so


    long?"


    Qin Yi carefully nced around the courtyard be walking behind Yun Shang. Pretending to push the


    swing, she stooped to the little girl''s ear and whispered, "On my way there, I met with Xiu Xin. She took


    me to see the empress."


    "Oh." Yun Shang seemed unaffected by the news. She lifted her eye brows slightly and repeated, "The


    empress… Is she trying to buy your loyalty?"


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    Qin Yi nodded gravely, surprised at how perceptive the young Yun Shang could be. "The empress has


    done her research. She seems to know the whole story of my life. She even knows that my uncle is my


    only living rtive,. Though she doesn''t know that we don''t get along. After all, it was my uncle who


    sold me to the pce when I was a little girl. The empress'' servants seem to have made a mistake.


    They lured my Uncle''s family to the pce by saying I had done well as a servant. Foolishly, my uncle''s


    family fell for the trick. The empress is trying to use my uncle to threaten me. Though, to be honest with


    you, I couldn''t care less what happens to them. I''ve always thought about getting back at them anyway.


    Yun Shang remained silent, listening. Qin Yi continued, "The Empress promised me great wealth and a


    high position in her assembly if I work for her. She promised to give me ''everything I''ve always


    wanted''… So I promised to help her." Both Qin Yi and Yun Shang broke intoughter.


    Through herugher Yun Shang remarked, "In this case, maybe you should serve her."


    Having served Yun Shang for a few days, Qin Yi was already beginning to enjoy the girl''s dark-


    humored disposition. Contrary to the rumors, Qin Yi found the little girl to posses a razor-sharp intellect


    and a mature soul, well beyond her years. Qin Yi knew that Yun Shang already knew what she would


    do. "The empress must really hate you. There doesn''t seem to be anything she won''t do to. Luckily, this


    time she just tried to bribe me. Who knows what murderous treachery she has in store for us." Qin Yi


    leaned closer before telling Yun Shang''s the details of the empress'' n.


    Yun Shang frowned and said indifferently, "It''s a good n, really. But it is only going to work if there is


    someone helping on the inside. The empress must have bribed someone else. She must think it''s so


    easy to control me and buy my people. I need you to watch the other attendants closely in the following


    days. If you hear anything at alle to me immediately. I''m not going to roll over for her anymore;


    we''ll make sure she know''s she can''t control everything in the imperium."


    After an afternoon enjoying the courtyard swing, Yun Shang enjoyed avish dinner. Just as she was


    preparing to sleep, her attendant Lin appeared and asked to speak with her privately. "Your Highness,


    can I please talk to you privately? …With out the other attendants around"


    "What is it, Lin Yun Shang stopped and turned around to address the attendant. Lin was a talkative,


    straightforward man, and had made a good impression earlier with the young princess.


    nce him over again quickly, Yun Shang ordered the other maids to make her bed in the inner


    sanctuary before sitting in a chair and the end of the room. Lin seemed nervous and hesitant to speak.


    Yun Shang chuckled and asked him, "Lin, why so quiet? This isn''t like you."


    Yun Shang puzzled at the man in front of her. With Lin, she still needed to act like a child. She could


    only be herself with Qin Yi.


    After a long silence, Lin suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, the empress is plotting to murder you."


    Yun Shang was shocked to hear the same thing from Lin''s. She quickly calmed herself before replying


    to Lin. She shook her head, trying to sound childish and naive. "That''s impossible! You could get


    beheaded for saying something silly like that. I don''t believe you. The empress is like my mother and


    has always been so nice to me. She has always sent me the most wonderful food and has never made


    me study poems or the lyre like the mean attendants back home."


    Lin, clearly ufortable, hurriedly replied, "Please, your Highness, you are my master. You have to


    trust me. The reason I say this is because,st night I was captured by bandits. But just as I thought


    they were going to beat me to death, I was throw in front of the empress. She promised to save me if I


    put something in your meals. She wants to send Taoist priests to perform an exorcism."


    "Put something in my food?" What could it be? The empress loves me. I know it must be a big


    surprise." Yun Shang further concealed her feelings behind an ear-to-ear smile.


    "Oh… my princess.. Fearing the other attendants might be working for the empress, I have only told


    you. I also fed what the empress gave me to a few chickens.." Lin looked ufortable, his brow was


    glistening with sweat as he spoke.


    Eyes wise, Yun Shang looked at him and asked, "What.. What happened?"


    "They were fine at first. Then, after about three days, something changed. The chickens began to run


    madly around their pen. They would attack and peck at each other''s eyes!" The poison will not


    immediately cause madness. It is slow-acting. The empress is sending the Taoist priests in just two


    days. Just enough time for the medicine to show effect." Lin looked down and frowned.


    After a few long moments of silence, Yun Shang spoke, "Thank you, I understand. Please give me the


    poison. Oh, and did the empress threaten you? How did she n to make you poison me?"


    Li took out a small bag and handed it to Yun Shang. Heughed as he spoke, "I''m an orphan, I have


    little to be threaten. The empress promised to give me gold and other riches, of which I have no need. I


    thought everything through carefully on the way back from the empress'' pce. I have made my


    decision to help you."


    Moved at his show of loyalty, Yun Shang smiled, "I know you enjoy working with food and drink in the


    kitchen. Tell me your favorite dish and I will have the chef prepare it at once!"


    Expectantly, Lin smiled happily and nodded, "Your Highness, I love sweet wine rice dumplings."


    Yun Shang nodded. "Then sweet wine rice dumplings it is! It''s alreadyte Lin. You''d better head back.


    I need to have a rest. Yun Shang tucked the poison away in her robe and left for the inner


    sanctuary.