QT: Against My Will

178 4.2 – First lifetime – Dangerous Angels

+—- Author’s note —–+

Everything below happened during Bing Shi’s first lifetime

+——————-+

° Her first lifetime...

° Seated behind the desk, a middle-aged man looked at the young girl before him. Around twenty-three years old, wearing a blue tunic secured by a belt, it showed her status as a slave. Her long, weak hair were tied up in a low ponytail, showing off her dull complexion, which was oddly familiar to Bing Shi’s.

° Putting a pouch filled with gold ingots on the table, he ordered, “Protect my daughter at all cost and help her gain his attention. Don’t you dare covet his majesty for yourself. If you dare speak about this to someone,” he took out a slave contract and wrote down his order with her fresh blood, “Forget about seeing the light of the sun ever again.”

° Standing straight, the slave girl tilted down her head. Ting Zi hid the pouch inside her chest pocket, “Yes, master.”

· · — · ???· — · ·

° Since the new emperor took control of the reign, he continued to lead his army to war against other kingdoms personally. Starting out as a slave, he grew to be one of the most powerful warlords in the nation.

.....

° The council almost went crazy when they got to know that their young emperor armed himself as a common soldier and threw himself into the thick of the fray. At least leave behind an heir before jumping into death!

° Instead of marching into an unwinnable war, kingdoms started to offer their princesses as a tribute.

° Among them was Bai Meili, an astonishingly beautiful princess of many talents.

° Only when problems occurred, would this man return and fulfill his duties and obligations as an emperor.

· · — · ???· — · ·

° Stars filled the sky like shining pearls, accompanying the heart-wrenching sound of the Erhu. The music caught the attention of nearby people, one of which was the current emperor, who just returned from his expedition.

° As if pulling at his heartstrings, the sound lured him into Bai Meili’s courtyard. Sitting on a large stone near the fish pond, her tune was like a choreography for the fireflies to dance in this more than ordinary night.

° Sensing someone’s presence, Bai Meili turned around. Seeing the dragon’s robe, she quickly stood up and bowed in courtesy, “Your Majesty.”

° The man walked towards the young maiden in steady steps, “Do you miss your homeland?” He studied the girl before him. Around seventeen years old, Bai Meili’s features could be defined as enticing.

° Bai Meili hid her shock behind a nostalgic smile, “Though I miss it dearly, this lowly consort is more than happy to be here and be a company to your majesty.”

° He raised an eyebrow at how quickly she recollected herself, “What’s your name?”

° “This lowly consort’s name is Bai Meili,” Bai Meili lifted her gaze to get a closer look at the attractive man in his mid-twenties. The slight curve of his lips completed his impenetrable sharp eyes with dark circles under them, enhancing his grim look.

° “Bai Meili, continue playing for us,” he ordered in amusement, playing along with her act. He never used honorifics to refer himself as ‘we,us’. As a fomer slave and revolutionist, he didn’t care about such superficial things at all.

° Their short interaction was interrupted by a sudden commotion.

° “Fire!

° “Consort’s Wei courtyard is on fire!”

° A few months ago...

° Ting Zi, carrying a tray with sweet potatoes, stepped out of the kitchen when she caught a sight of Consort Wei’s maid rushing into the kitchen. The few bruises on TuTu’s neck, her red eyes, and a red imprint on her face didn’t go unnoticed by Ting Zi. Looking down at the food, Ting Zi sighed and took a step to the right, resulting in both of them crashing into each other. The plate of steamy potatoes dropped on the dirty ground.

° Tutu opened her eyes wide in panic, “I...I...Ting Zi...”

° “TuTu, calm down. It wasn’t your fault,” Ting Zi picked up the sweet potatoes from the ground, trying to dust the dirt off. She placed them back on the plate, and blamed the third party, “If your miss didn’t stress you so much, you’d be more careful in your steps.” Standing up, she walked with TuTu back to the kitchen.

° “R-Right...” TuTu calmed down. Both of them went to do their own errands.

° The cook, a plump woman, looked at Ting Zi’s dirty clothes, “What happened?”

° “TuTu was bullied by her miss again,” Ting Zi rinsed the sweet potatoes with water while accessing TuTu’s expression, “I wouldn’t be surprised if one day she put her miss’s courtyard on fire,” she teased the young maid, “Right TuTu?”

° “R-Right...” TuTu clutched her hands, “Ah..No, I would never do that,” she laughed awkwardly and scooped a bowl of soup for her miss, her red eyes showed resentment.

° Using the right words at the right time, Ting Zi planted an idea into the vulnerable TuTu and kept doing it until it became fruition.

° ‘Just a little bit more.’

° Inside of Bai Meili’s courtyard, Ting Zi, munching on a sweet potato, watched how Bai Meili practiced her swordsmanship with a bland expression, “Miss, his Majesty doesn’t need a twin but a wife.”

° Growing up together, Bai Meili rolled her eyes, “How about you be his wife then?”

° “Miss, be careful with your words. Someone might behead you for refusing his majesty,” said Ting Zi monotonously, “Ah, but knowing my Miss’s strength, Miss would probably chop that someone’s head first.”

° “...” Bai Meili looked at the sword in her hand. Was Ting Zi taking her for a macho?!

° Current time...

° Consort Wei was found dead in her bedchambers. Her personal maid, which was believed to be the culprit, killed herself by hanging herself, using a silk curtain. There were rumors that Consort Wei tortured her servants for no apparent reason.

° Ting Zi made TuTu realize how much her life sucked to the point of committing a crime.

° Nobody wanted to be killed in their sleep by their maids. From that day onwards, the treatment of slaves and servants inside of the palace improved.

° Bai Meili’s reputation and rank rose, she was considered to be someone who was benevolent towards her subjects. Her maid Ting Zi was a clear proof.

° ‘Is this enough to catch his majesty’s attention? He was a slave too, wasn’t he?’

° Consort Wei was only the beginning.

° Concubines committing suicides after realizing that ° they were only a tool for their countries. They’d leave behind a letter, blaming their countries, taking out all their grievances.

° A lonely concubine was executed after finding out that she was cheating his majesty with a guard.

° Nobody found the new suicides and murders suspicious. Yes, Ting Zi was well aware of what she was doing. She didn’t do it for money, personal gain, or enjoyment.

° ‘He must have met lots of beautiful and talented women. What does miss have that others don’t?’

° ‘Others don’t have me.’

° Patting her chest, Ting Zi gave herself a bit of self-worth. Her life wasn’t a fairy tale. As a slave, there were no kind people to help her during her worst days. Everything she has today was earned by herself.

° To live, she had no choice but to put lots of effort into understanding a human’s heart.

° ‘I don’t want to be human. It sucks.’