Where betrayal and suffering end and a new life begins

Entering The Palace And Posion

Chapter 6:

Eun Won noticed that the emperor was waiting for them to arrive. His eyes were full of excitement. All three of them walked closer to the emperor. First was Kang Mi-Ri, then Kim Na-Ri, the third chosen servant, and lastly was Kang Eun Won. They greeted him by "Greetings your majesty, blessed by the heaven of the heavens." Emperor Yu-Jun nodded slightly and said,"You may rise."

Everyone went inside the palace where the main hall was presented. In the main hall, there were four long tables facing each other, and at the back, there was the emperor's throne. Eun Won decided to take a seat far away from the emperor so that she wouldn't stand out, but little did she notice her actions stood out the most for the emperor among everybody else.

Green tea was served to everyone in the room. Eun Won took the teacup and sipped the tea slowly, not bothered by anyone. The emperor started asking them questions. "What is your age?" "What do you like to do in your free time?"

After the questions were done, the emperor asked a royal official to show them where they would be staying. They followed the official out of the main hall. Along the way, there were courtyards and gardens. Even the path side to their rooms was decorated with flowers.

Eun Won entered her room last. Her room was plain but beautiful. A small round table and four chairs were in front of the door. At the sides of the room were cabinets where stuff could be stored. At the back of the room was a big bed and a small cabinet where a lamp stood.

The evening came. An official from the kitchen was sent to each of the three servant rooms who would prepare a dish that would be tasted personally by the emperor.

Entering the royal kitchen, it was full of chefs and servants preparing the other royal members' dishes. Eun Won took in the scene in front of her. When she was younger, she always enjoyed watching her mother cook delicious dishes for the imperial family. Eun Won was a fast learner when it came to cooking dishes.

She decided to make Chinese Hot Pot one of her favourite dishes. First, she thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, vermicelli, sliced potatoes, bean products, egg dumplings, tofu, and seafood She waited until the other two were finished with their dishes. With their dishes in hand, they walked to the eating hall where the food would be tasted by Emperor Yu-Jun.

Entering the hall, servants were sent in and out of the hall by orders from the royal family. A table where two officials could sit on each side and there were six tables in total. The emperor and his family sit at a long table. The first to serve their dish was the third servant.

"What is this?"Are you trying to poison me to death?" asked the emperor in an angry voice. She was taken away by a guard.

Then there was Kang Mi-Ri dish. "It's eatable," says the emperor. Lastly, there was Eun Won's dish. The emperor couldn't believe the taste. For him, it was the first dish that he tasted that was so amazing in his lifetime. He suddenly thought back to the time he and Eun Won first met. She said that her favourite dish was a hot pot." Emperor Yu-Jun noticed that Kang Mi-Ri and Won looked almost identical, except for the small mole under one's eye. He thought, "Could she be Eun Won he has been looking for?" Everyone was shocked by the emperor eating the whole dish. They always knew the emperor was a picky eater, but by the looks of it, the emperor enjoyed this young servant's dish. She took the dishes when the emperor was done, and she and Kang Mi-Ri went back to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Eun Won was suddenly pushed to the floor by twisting her arms slightly. She looked up and saw that Kang Mi-Ri was looking down at her. "What is your problem?" asked Eun Won. " How can you be so good at cooking?" asked Kang Mi-Ri. "I just practised a lot?" and then she stood up and walked to her room.

In her room was a dish served. She ate it, and before she could stand up to go to bed, she felt dizzy. She took her pulse and noticed that she was poisoned. It was peach bloom poisoning, a dangerous poison that could kill if not treated. Luckily, she knew how to cure the poison. She studied and learned about different poisons and how to cure them.

She took a needle and punctured a small wound in each finger. The mixer of black and red blood slowly flooded out of her fingers.She cleaned her fingers with warm water and wrapped them with a bandage. Eun Won got up and went to bed. She covered herself with the cover. She stared at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. Turning around every few minutes, her mind was all over the place, and she started to wonder about today's events. She wondered who would poison her. Why would they want her dead? Would she see Yu-Jun again? Would she tell him that someone once her dead? Would he help her? How long will she survive in the palace? What will happen to her tomorrow? What food will she prepare for Yu-Jun? Would he like her food again like today? Would she have to serve him again? She thought of her mother at home. Will her mother be okay? Does her mother need help? These thoughts took over her mind. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep. She dreamed of her mother and her when she was younger. How they played together and cooked together. How they decorated her room with flowers. How her mother would braid her hair and how she would try to fit in her mother's clothes.