The Emperor's Woman

The Kingdom of Yongxi is a Kingdom of people with special powers and super ageless beings. Even their new born babies already have their own gift of their own from birth, be it controlling the fire, water or wind element or even mind reading and soothsaying "Hurry! Get my other stuffs too!!". Mina the eldest daughter said to her servants as she packed all her valuables. She had her usual savage look as she watched the activities of her servants. Her red flamboyant gament that made her look more like a princess than a minister's oldest daughter. "Yes, young mistress". The servants said as they took more of her dresses and makeup tools than her swords and books. "Mina! I can't find my crown and we'll be leaving for the palace soon! I can't let the Queen mother pick Hani over me in becoming the next Queen!". Bae the second daughter said barging into her oldest sister's chamber and Mina rolled eyes at her. "You should be more worried about the contest and not a crown. If you fail any of the tests then you can never become the emperor's concubine not to talk of being his empress". Mina said and then a huge bell began to ring from outside. "Father's calling for a meeting. Let's leave before he gets mad again". Mina said before walking out of the room. "That advice is actually meant for the blind leach, not me". Bae sneered before leaving the chamber. LIZE HALL>> The prime minister stood right in front of his household from his only wife to his three concubines then down to 7 out of 8 of his children. Jun- The first son Mina-The second born Bae- The third Cherry- The fourth Asa - The fifth Sana- The sixth Nazia- The seventh His stern gaze roamed round them like he wanted to make sure if everyone was present and he frowned when he noticed the one person who always ignores his calls was absent as usual. "Overlook it my lord. None of what you're going to say concerns her after all". Lady Suzy said from among the front row were she stood assembled also and Minister Wang nodded before clearing his throat. "I've always treated you all as little children even though most of you now are in your mid and late two hundreds, but the moment i received the letter every noble household with female children in this kingdom receives, i realized that I've got only grownups in this small castle of mine". Minister Wang started and his daughters excluding his stoic looking son smiled proudly, same with their mothers and the minister frowned. "You all must be less knowledgeable to think being summoned to the palace by the queen mother is a thing to be proud of!". Minister Wang suddenly snapped, his usual unpredictable temper and everyone flinched in fear. "But father, it only means we'll be amongst the maidens the Queen mother will train to become the next empress… "Shut up Nazia! You think the training guarantees your becoming the Queen? About a hundred plus young ladies from noble families within and outside the tenth provinces were summoned also and only one can become the Queen. You think it's an easy task you're embarking on?!". Minister Wang sneered at his seventh daughter and her other sisters smirked. "We have higher chances My Lord we've got seven of our girls going to be trained unlike other households with one daughter, so we have higher odds…. The rest of the words got stuck in Mistress Gory's lips when a thud was heard from the last row of the assembled children and everyone turned to see who it was but immediately frowned with disgust. Jade had actually came to the assembly and on the verge of lining up in twos like her elder siblings she fell heavily to the ground cause of her blindness earning everyone's gaze. She was in her usual white garment her long silky hair gracing her back and her white flawless skin standing out from those of her sisters even when she never applied any artificial creams like them. Her eyes was blindfolded cause of how useless it was and her wooden stick well clutched in her pretty fingers the only support she had in knowing her way around. "I'm sorry for the interruption. Please continue father". Jade's sweet voice said and everyone except the minister and her brother Jun rolled eyes at her. "We would have had more greater odds if one of them wasn't blind and useless". Mistress Soni hissed and Jade gulped down nothing standing in line. "As i was saying. Don't you dare think the training is about how graceful and elegant you are in character to be fit for the crown Queen position cause its far from it". The minister said and everyone began mumuring. "If it isn't, then what is it about then?". Sana the sixth daughter asked. "We're all getting trained based on our spiritual powers and thats why the weakling amongst us didn't get an invite". Mina said blankly she stood in the third row with Jun since first and second row was occupied by their mothers and Jade bit her lip from where she stood. "Keep her being powerless aside would the Emperor actually marry a blind fool?". Cherry added and the other girls broke into laughter. "She's going to stay here and be of help to the servants whether she likes it or not". Mistress Yeri said and everyone grinned mockingly again and Jade balled her fist tight she couldn't see but she could hear them. "Oh my mother, I think you made her mad!!". Sana gasped dramatically and everyone broke into another round of giggle. "If she's so mad, she can as well join her mother in the afterlife". Mistress Gory scoffed glaring at Jade. "Silence!!". The minister ordered and everywhere became quiet once and he sighed before continuing. "How many of us has heard about the sword of life and death?". Minister Wang asked and Asa raised up her hand to speak and her mother, Mistress Yeri smiled proudly at her. "The sword of life and death was the emperor's sword formally called Storm when he was still the crown prince, but after the huge war that broke out five hundred years ago and the Emperor used it in slaying thousands of demons the heavens seized it and glued it to a rock in the middle of the forbidden forest right at the outskirt of this kingdom". Asa answered arrogantly and her father nodded. "The heavens seized the sword cause it had the blood of many demons and was capable of making the Emperor turn evil and for some reason the sword has to do with the Emperor's hiding when it's sunlight. Now that's where you all training comes in, cause the only way you'll be crowned the new empress is if you're able to remove the sword from the rock and free the emperor from the shackles the heavens placed on him and no weak person can ever remove the sword cause even the former Emperor tried removing it and ended up being striked by lightening cause it was supposed to be a lady and not a man to remove it". Minister Wang said and both his women and children gasped in awe. "The heaven's punished the emperor for protecting his people from demons? Isn't that too cruel?". Cherry mumbled sadly. "Killing has always been a sin from the onset and the heavens preach purity so you can understand why he got punished for not just killing few but thousands of demons". Minister Wang said and everyone rolled eyes obviously seeing the reason for cursing the emperor as not too valid. "I have a lot to say but time's not on our side, and you all need to leave and get to the palace before sun down otherwise I'll face the wrath of the Queen Mother. All I'm saying is that y'all should practice more on your powers in the palace and don't forcus on your beauty alone. If you get evicted from the contest come home, don't get embarrassed and refuse to come home cause seriously I don't wish for any of you to get betrothed to the emperor". Minister Wang said a moody look now on his face. "But why father? Being an empress means having the same influence as the charming emperor". Asa asked the questions in her siblings mind. "I know what I'm talking about I walk in the court same as other ministers and each year the queen enrolls trainees for the Queen selection contest, but all to no avail and today being the hundredth year we're sure no one will emerge as the queen just like the previous years". The Minister said and everyone rolled eyes. "We're sure we'll be victorious in this contest. I didn't train for 280 years just to get rejected like a nobody". Mina uttered confidently and Jade rolled her covered eyes at her. "Same here father! I feel the throne calling me already!". Bae smiled confidently. "Me too!!". The rest chorused. 'When will they understand that the world doesn't revolve around them?'. Jade scoffed in her mind. "If that's what you all think I can't stop you. You may all leave for the palace now I've held you back enough". Minister Wang said and immediately his impatient daughters dispersed most of them hitting Jade in the process making her almost loosing balance. Then finally the girls and their witchy mothers were gone and she turned to leave with her stick leading her path.