"Anyhow, let's continue talking about the Empress. I like hearing her stories from you." Ye An said as she poured more tea into the governess's teacup.
"Thank you." Governess Hsu sipped on her tea before continuing. "Hmm.. As you know I started being her lady-in-waiting only a few months before she was pregnant with you. Her lady-in-waiting before me had just retired and the Empress personally requested for me, someone who was underqualified in so many ways." Governess Hsu shook her head, still couldn't believe her fortune all those years ago.
"I still remember the first time I saw her. I was only a cleaning staff when I entered the palace. There are strict cleaning schedules set for us so that we won't bump into any members of the imperial family when cleaning an area. We were supposed to be out of sight. Effectively cleaning but never seen. Ever. Until the day I met the Empress."
"She was chasing a butterfly and ended up at where we were cleaning. I was so shocked that I dropped the bucket that I was holding and the dirty water splashed all over the Empress' dress. As you can imagine, I was horrified." Governess Hsu smiled at the memory.
"The eunuch who was supervising the cleaning immediately yelled at me to get on my knees to apologize which I quickly did. I thought I was going to be beheaded there and then but the Empress only lifted me up by my elbow. She proceeded to give me the kindest smile and apologized for startling me. After that, she even thanked the rest of the cleaning staff for their hard work before leaving. I still remember how she glowed so happily during that entire interaction."
"And I knew of this much, much later, but apparently the Empress reprimanded the eunuch who yelled at me and requested for me to be her lady-in-waiting right after our encounter. I was just a mere nobody. To have somebody like the Empress taking me under her wings was unimaginable." Governess Hsu shook her head again.
"Tell me more." Ye An requested eagerly.
Governess Hsu smiled. "Well, she loved you very much. Always talking and singing to you and bringing you to see the flowers at the Forbidden Garden while she was pregnant."
Ye An was deep in thought before she asked. "Did she love Emperor Lee Hwi?"
The governess paused for half a second before she answered. "She loved your father. Very much."
The room fell into silence.
"But she probably loved you more. Do you know why all the previous emperors have more than one name but you only have one?"
"There's a reason for that?"
"Of course. The Empress named you herself and insisted that you only use this name for the rest of your life because she wanted you to only have peaceful nights (夜夜安宁) for as long as you lived. That was her last wish before she passed away."
A lump formed in Ye An's throat as she listened to the governess telling a story about a mother she never knew of. Ye An had a sudden realization that she had never even laid eyes on any portraits of the late Empress. "I've seen portraits of the late Emperor Lee Hwi but why haven't I seen any of the late Empress?"
YOU ARE READING
THE NIGHT EMPEROR: 夜安王 【The Night Emperor Book 1】| ✔️
Historical Fiction☑ COMPLETED "There are enough bad things in life, hold on to whatever it is that gives you joy." For the past 22 years, the Empress Mother has held onto the Dragon Throne that was rightfully Ye An's. Now, Ye An has finally ascended to the throne. Bu...
