65 The emperor and that other version of An Ning (1/2)

The river was one the most beautiful he had ever seen. It was wide, with shallow waters which flow gently as it wind around the base of giant trees. It was early in the morning and as had become his habit, he lay on the banks and looked up at the sky. Clear and blue, the clouds like foams passing lazily before his eyes.

He was Gu Fang, the emperor of Yuqui, and he was about to go to war with a country that owns this beautiful river, this part of the brilliant sky above him which makes him think of nothing but pleasant thoughts all morning.

A noise suddenly intruded on his solitude. It was a girl humming a song, her face hidden under a furred hood. Gu Fang lay flat on his stomach, hiding himself among the bushes. Thankfully, the sun had yet to rise so he was quite safe where he was.

He watches as the girl walks near where he is hiding, carrying a straw basket in her hand. She starts picking leaves then putting them in her basket, still humming that lovely tune. She has long ago removed the hood from her head, which left her fair face exposed to his gaze. Gu Fang stares at that pale, perfect face and felt something tighten in his chest.

The scene changes and the watcher in shadow twitches in her sleep.

Gu Fang and the girl meet for the first time. Her father has just given her to him in marriage, thereby avoiding the prospect of war between the two countries. The king is unhappy. He doesn't want his daughter to marry a barbarian but the emperor literally put him in a choke hold: war or peace. His choice.

Gu Fang looks into his betrothed eye's and felt his heart clenched. It is the first time he has felt a strong desire to know a woman after Wei Ling. The girl is tall, with a pale face dominated by gentle yet sharp eyes. She smiles shyly at him, not intimidated at all. Her name is Li An Ning. Her father calls her Li An. Gu Fang calls her An Ning.

The scene again changes.

This time, Gu Fang and An Ning are travelling together to Yuqui. Custom dictates that they travel in separate carriages but Gu Fang did away with all that by riding his horse and sticking close to An Ning's carriage. Six months of travel and many stops along the way and the two people who suddenly found themselves engaged got to know each other very well.

Gu Sheng meets An Ning.He is surprised that she is only a year younger than him. His father is in his thirties and seems old even in his eyes. He throws his father a look and is surprised by the soft smile on his face as he gazes at his fiancee. Under the guise of helping An Ning choose dishes on the table, Gu Fang gently holds her hand, his fingers caressing her palm. An Ning blushes but does not pull her hand away.

Gu Fang is in the throne room with his ministers. His face is red with anger, his hands clenched on the arms of the chair he is sitting on. The ministers look at him with sneers on their faces, mocking him openly while they argue with him about his upcoming marriage.

They'd rather have war, they said, than have a foreign-born woman as their empress. The prime minister is vociferous in his disagreement, almost openly rebellious of the king. Gu Fang watches them with hooded eyes but there is a distinct anger in their depths that the ministers did not see or if they did, they indifferetly ignored.

The wedding is lavish and the red wedding dress An Ning is wearing is a marvelous creation worthy of a museum.She is almost lost in the layers of fabric, her veil is long and flowing behind her back. She is feeling a bit sad because although she is surrounded by women, none of them are related to her, none of them are her friends, none of them even liked her. They are there to marry her to the king because they are obliged to and not because they wanted to.

It is evening.The bride awaits her bridegroom in the nuptial chambers. An Ning is nervous and hungry at the same time. Nerves, she is thinking.

The minutes passed. Nearing half an hour. Still no Gu Fang.

Suddenly, she hears screaming. She tenses then runs outside. The hallway is lighted by fat, thick candles so it is easy to see her way. She runs until she nears the place of the commotion. She barges into the room and stops. There are three people inside. A eunuch, a servant and the emperor, who is writhing on the floor screaming in pain.

An Ning is shocked then runs towards the king, intending to help him. The emperor screams for her to stop. Poison...he manages to gasp, writhing and thrashing in agony. An Ning is scared, her eyes wide in fear. The robe...continues the king, still writhing, still moaning. His skin is turning red as a lobster. The blisters appear, raw, open, ugly.

An Ning watches in nightmarish anguish as the poisoned clothing works its way into Gu Fang's body, literally consuming him in flames.

An Ning is sobbing, almost maddened with grief as she watches the man she loves dies a slow and agonizing death in front of her.

Gusheng...the emperor manages to whisper. An Ning...he says, looking at her...begging.

No...no...no! An Ning screams.

But Gu Fang's eyes remain unwavering on her face.

An Ning walks on numb legs to the table. Gu Fang's sword lies on top of it. With shaking hands, she grasps the sword, looks at it with dazed eyes, and walks back towards Gu Fang.

His body is twitching in insufferable pain but his eyes remain on her face. Calm...begging..

I love you. I love you. I love you.

An Ning keeps repeating the words...tears streaming down her face.

The sword plunges into Gu Fang's chest.The flood flows...the body shudders.

There is one final gasp then he lies still. Very still.

An Ning is beyond shock. She is beyond suffering. She collapses on the floor half dead with grief.

The watcher in shadow groans in her sleep, tossing and turning.The tears run down her pale face unchecked.

”An Ning! An Ning, wake up! Wake up!” The voice was insistent; the hands holding hers trembling in fear.

The scene again changes.

She knows she is dying. She could feel it in her bones. Poison. So, all her precautions did not work.

They got the empress dowager. That only leaves her and Gu Sheng....

Gu Sheng...Gu Fang while dying an unspeakable death tells her to take care of Gu Sheng. How is she going to do that now?

Gu...Little Gu...Sheng Sheng...forgive me.

She is dead. She knows she is dead. She can hear the wailing. The crying.

She sees Gu Sheng's face. His face is expressionless, his eyes empty. She could feel his despair, his grief. But she is proud that he can hide it all under a mask of indifference.

That's it. Do not show them how much all of this is hurting you. You must do everything to survive, Little Gu. Survive, for both your father and I.

She is dead but why does her soul still lingers in the land of the living?

She wants to be with Gu Fang. The loneliness is unbearable for both of them. Gu Fang is waiting for her.

There is a blinding light and she could see her shadow, this shadow that appears out of nowhere. It looks at her standing there, looks at her and the dead body inside the coffin.

Then the shadow lies down then merges and hides itself within the dead body.

She could feel some sort of electricity connecting them together.They share each other's thoughts, each other's memories.

Who are you? Are you me?

If you are me and you live as me, avenge me. Avenge Gu Fang. Do this and I will disappear forever.

Promise me. Promise me.

I promise.

An Ning opened her eyes.

Gu Sheng was looking at her, fear and hopelessness etched on his pale and wan face. He looked so much like his father, so much like the young and carefree Gu Fang who traveled with her to Yuqui, who told her he loved her and wishes with all his heart to make her happy.

An Ning turned her head and wept bitter tears. She had kept her promise to that old version of An Ning. That old her who was optimistic and happy and whose life ended in tragedy before it could even begin to grow and flower.

”An Ning, thank god you're awake,” Gu Sheng cried. ”I was so afraid. You wouldn't wake up. We tried everything but you still wouldn't wake up.”