The orange afternoon light seeped through the fluttering curtains, lighting up the pale cheeks of a little boy sitting against the wooden doors. He anxiously tried to hear the conversation happening behind those doors but heard nothing except for some quiet mumbling. With growing concern, the child dropped his fluffy head in between his chubby arms.
The maids looked from afar with worry for their young master. But no one had the words to console the child. Moments later, the boy finally heard footsteps reaching closer to him and lifted his head. His amber eyes turning gold under the soft rays of light.
The doors slid open and a bearded man in white robes stepped out. The boy too gets up from the ground. Even though the tone was childish, his tone was well measured as he asked. "What happened to my mother?"
The old doctor smiled kindly. "It's the same old disease, Young Lord He. It has simply flared up."
"Why so?" He Bolin pressed. "She was recovering. Ever since my birthday banquet her health has taken a nosedive. What happened doctor?"
The doctor squatted in front of him. He though with some pity, for an eight-year-old, this child has matured too fast.
The doctor bit back his words as he spoke with a smile. "It is naught but stress. The banquet was too much for Madam He. From preparation to execution, the stress of it all…"
"If you are going to keep lying then you do not need to return." He Bolin sharply interrupts. "She was absolutely fine before the banquet. What happened?"
He Bolin's big eyes bored straight into the doctor as his tone dropped. "What did they do?"
The latter struggled to not twitch under such questioning gaze. That's when a voice saved the doctor from further interrogation. "Bolin-ah! Stop pestering the busy doctor and come read me a book!"
He Suyin's voice breaks the boy's surly front, forcing him to give up on his quest for truth for now. As he pushed past the relieved doctor, he made a mental note to grill him later.
"Yes, Ma!" He gruffly drags a book from the shelf and plops down in chair adjacent to the bed. The Queen Consort lied there beneath multiple blankets. Even through her sickly countenance, her beauty didn't diminish in the slightest. Her appearance wasn't as flashy as Ren Lifen's, no, but it had the quality of an ethereal fae that gently guards the nature.
That kind face had gradually learned to look stern in front of this demon child who doesn't know what's good for him. "Hey! Why do you keep harassing the poor doctor?"
"Because he doesn't do his job?" All acts of maturity were thrown out of the window in front of his mother. "Stress? My mother can't attend a simple party, guys. It will just kill her. Yes, the same woman who used to hunt the Tengu for fun- "
"Bolin-ah."
"Yes, Ma."
"Shut up."
"…"
With that, the prince finally dropped the matter and resumed to read the story of the Water Margin. He sometimes believed that the reason he was provided an education was to read this woman peculiar tales from the mortal world. After all, no one needs to know that the sophisticated queen consort enjoys the story of bandits crawling around the marshes of Mount Liang.
He Bolin also believed that his storytelling was to lull his mother to sleep. But the one to yawn and call it a day had always been the young master. Such was also the case that day.
With the young master gone, the head maid Huiling was immediately beckoned. Huiling simply stood near the bed post and waited for the madam to speak when she felt ready.
He Suyin stared off into the distance. Dry leaves whirled with the humid air as she watched on mindlessly.
"They poisoned me again, Huiling."
The maid stiffened but did not interrupt her as she continued. "I made sure not to eat or drink anything they offered me. But I was a fool to think that would protect me."
"This time… it was the incense." Huiling closed her eyes to hold the pain upon hearing those words. She had been with the madam while she was still in her mother's womb. And so, Huiling knows her upbringing the best. While she did learn the martial arts, no one taught her how to traverse the web of court intrigues. After all, she was never meant to be the Queen Consort.
Upon the birth of the young master, both mother and son lived well in the royal palace. Until Madam He's health inexplicably deteriorated. The doctors were all puzzled and simply chalked it up to post-partum stress. But He Suyin knew that they were hiding something.
Her suspicions weren't confirmed until the prime minister, Jin Niu visited her. "You are being poisoned."
He Suyin laid flat on the mattress drenched with her sweat. She didn't even have the energy to sit upright in front of this important personality. Looking into her lifeless eyes, Jin Niu spoke.
"I have my suspicions, your highness, but I sadly lack proof. In the name of gathering it, I cannot let them continue to poison you."
"So, it is settled. It is best for you to move back to your maternal home along with the prince- "
"Who do you suspect?"
He Suyin hoarsely coughed out the question. Her condition looked frail and pathetic but her eyes blazed with fire. Taken aback, Jin Niu avoided her determined gaze. "…I am in no position to drop names, your highness. Please spare me of such impudence."
"It's that woman." He Suyin stated resolutely, her eyes stuck on the ceiling. There was no hesitation behind her consensus.
Jin Niu remained speechless. He frowned with the feeling of gnawing discomfort but he knew not to throw false consolation at this woman. That would be the biggest insult she would get. "Your highness… we are deeply ashamed. The king had promised your father- "
He caught the silent tears rolling down her face. Jin Niu felt a strange pang in his chest as he continued. "…that you will be protected."
"We have failed you and your family."
"…"
Feeling that such words were now of no use, Jin Niu stood up with a sigh. "Not yet." He Suyin mumbled to stop him.
"You have not failed all my family. Jin Niu,"
"Promise me you will take care of my son."
The prime minister clenched his fists as he felt a wave of emotions engulf him. Even so, his voice remained steady as he replied. "I promise."
"He promised." He Suyin remembered that scene as she closed her eyes to avoid seeing Huiling's tears. Her soft voice continued to speak tough words. "I will not live much longer, dear Huiling."
"How I wished to see my son grow up to be respectable man. I wished to bless him on his wedding day." He Suyin laughed. "But I am afraid I wouldn't be keen to suggest marriage to anyone now." The two of them laughed through their tears, reminisced the old days until the eventual sunset.
Jin Niu, the bearer of a heavy promise, entered the royal court after wrapping up his formal duties. Inside the modest chamber sat the five monks, also known as the elders. Naturally, King Enma too was present. Jin Niu bows to them and gives a short nod to Zou Yaozu, who silently stood on the far side of the room. It was in the afterhours when they met in secret, long after the palace had settled into sleep.
"The divination." Monk Tsuneo spoke. "It still has not changed, my lord. It still points the cause of your demise to be your eldest son." He paused as if hoping, absurdly, that the line would strike differently this time.
"And with the Queen Consort's health worsening," he continued, "the counterbalance her presence provides grows weaker by the day. Soon, it may cease to matter entirely."
Monk Shoji sighed. "The lord must act. Prince Ren Jiang is entering adolescence. At that age, one can be… impressionable. Especially under the influence of that gloomy aunt of his."
Monk Hisao murmured, "Should we restrict her visits?"
"I am afraid that's is not possible." King Enma's voice cut clean and final. "The Queen still resents my second marriage. Ren Lihua's presence is one of the few comforts she has left. I will not strip her of that too." He shook his head. "Nor can I take away her son." He looked pointedly at Monk Shiraishi who had suggested it earlier.
The discussion went on intensely till the daybreak. The elders and the ministers racked their brains to reach a consensus that appeased all parties. By dawn, the difficult decision was finally made.
A letter was dispatched. Hooves thundered at the palace gates not long after. Out stepped the Tenth King of Hell—Wudao Zhuanlun, Lord of the five paths of Reincarnation.
He had been called to arrange a marriage.
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"What a mess…" Ren Lihua sighed quietly behind her sister's throne.
Ren Lifen stared expressionlessly at the wedding procession. Her husband was getting married—again. Only this time, it looked as if Lord Enma himself had taken the Ice Queen from the coldest hells as his bride.
As before, whispers of the new consort's beauty slithered through the hall, curling around her sharp ears like poison. But this time, she was not alone.
Her gaze drifted toward the throne placed slightly below her own. The sickly Queen Consort sat there, spine straight as a blade. Though her illness often left her trembling, her face still glowed with a quiet, internal strength. Unlike Ren Lifen, He Suyin didn't seem shaken by this spectacle. Her chin lifted in pride, her gaze unwavering.
At moments like this, Ren Lifen often thought that perhaps He Suyin would have made a better Queen. The thought pricked at her, a thousand thorns under her skin. She bled inside, careful not to let anyone see.
But anyone with eyes already knew.
While Ren Lifen wrestled with her insecurities, He Suyin's mind was elsewhere. She studied the bride, swathed in crimson silk and gold. Beautiful, yes—but He Suyin couldn't help thinking the woman would look better in white.
The red doesn't suit her.
As flowers rained from the dark sky, blessing the couple's parade through the palace grounds, He Suyin glanced at her son seated beside the first prince. His face was blank, his boredom obvious. She suppressed a smile and turned her eyes back to the bride.
Pain scratched at her chest, but she refused to let those sisters see her falter. She would not give them that satisfaction.
Liu Xiulan. I must warn her.
A few days after the wedding, the new bride received a summons from He Suyin.
Liu Xiulan's breath hitched. She had expected to meet the two queens eventually, but Ren Lifen's icy demeanour had already unsettled her. And He Suyin—who now lived away from the palace—might prove just as cold.
Maybe it's a formality, she thought. Or maybe a test.
All the maybes vanished when she finally stood before the First Queen Consort.
He Suyin was struggling to sit upright in bed. Liu Xiulan rushed to kneel, but He Suyin gestured for her to stop. With a flick of her hand, she dismissed the maids, leaving only the two of them in the quiet chamber.
"Forgive me," He Suyin said, smiling crookedly. "I'm not the best host these days."
A soft blush rose to Liu Xiulan's cheeks. "It is quite all right, Lady He. I should be the one to apologize for troubling you while—" She caught herself, fearful of offending.
He Suyin's smile deepened. She reached out and took Liu Xiulan's hand. The touch startled her, but it carried a strange warmth that eased her nerves.
"Lady He," Liu Xiulan murmured, "if you are unwell, we can meet another time. You need only summon me."
He Suyin chuckled, her hazel eyes creasing. "If we wait for my recovery, we'll never meet."
That drew a frown. "Do you have a weak constitution? No… I've heard tales of your monster hunts from my father."
He Suyin's smile stiffened. "I was healthy enough. Before my marriage, that is."
Liu Xiulan's heart sank. "What happened?"
He Suyin pointed to her lips.
Liu Xiulan watched closely, and the blood drained from her face as she mouthed the words back.
Ren Lifen?
He Suyin nodded. "I was poisoned, Lady Liu. Food, water, even the air—nothing was spared. I had no choice but to leave."
"Does the Lord know?"
He Suyin shook her head.
"Then shouldn't we tell him? You can—"
"There is no proof," He Suyin interrupted, her voice low. "That woman's sister is… clever. Calls herself a shaman."
Liu Xiulan remembered seeing a woman in black at the Queen's podium. The memory made her skin crawl.
He Suyin clasped Liu Xiulan's hand tighter. "Proof or not, I was poisoned. My days are numbered. For my son's sake, I left the palace. They reached me, but I will make sure that they never reach him."
For a moment, her frail form seemed to blaze with fire. Her eyes locked onto Liu Xiulan's, sharp and alive.
Liu Xiulan was struck amazed at the tenacity remaining in her weak body as she unconsciously found herself following her every word. Their conversation lasted an entire evening and was the talk of the town for many years to come. Speculations and rumours sticked to that one evening as everyone wondered what happened behind those closed doors.
This was so because soon after that day, Queen Consort Liu Xiulan also made the decision to depart from the royal palace and live far away from the capital. She too, went back to her maternal home in the cold hell, visiting the fifth king only on certain occasions. This arrangement made the elders feel really worried about the realm's future.
Unlike He Suyin, Liu Xiulan had a long life still ahead of her, yet her sudden absence shifted the balance of the household; Lord Enma's bond deepened with his first son—the very son who would one day be his undoing.
And through it all, the only person pleased was Ren Lifen. The other wives had become ghosts, easily ignored. The second prince received little affection. Meanwhile, her own son thrived, his cultivation rising swiftly under Ren Lihua's hidden rituals, and no one suspected anything. Ren Lifen walked through the palace gardens with a faint smile.
Soon that woman would die too.
But as she turned a corner, her steps stopped cold. Ahead on the flower path walked a tall woman draped in white and silver, her skin pale as new snow, her movements graceful and serene—and she was not alone. Lord Enma walked beside her, speaking softly, closely, intimately.
"My lord…" Ren Lifen whispered, the words sharp on her tongue.
Ah. There's still one woman remaining. Her fingers closed around the rose in her hand, thorns breaking skin as her blood blended seamlessly with the crimson petals.
Soon afterward, the palace welcomed the Third Prince, Liu Xue.
The days of the queens seemed to come to a quiet end as their sons gradually took up their roles, but He Bolin was the first to truly grow up. Queen Consort He's condition had long passed the point of return, and just months before winter set in, the second prince came of age. It was as if she had held herself together only long enough to witness him step into that threshold of adulthood, for soon after, He Suyin closed her eyes with a faint, satisfied smile—one that would never appear again.
He Bolin stood for hours in the heavy snowfall before her grave. A single grave in an open, empty field.
"So lonely," he murmured, his breath releasing soft clouds of frost. Yet he didn't move. "Don't fret, Ma. I will keep visiting."
A hand settled onto his shoulder.
"Lady Liu," he said, dazed. Behind her stood a small child, barely reaching his waist, pale against the snow—a ghostly little figure in the white wasteland.
He didn't understand why they had come. Liu Xiulan's gloved hand moved gently, rubbing his shoulder. "Do not fret either," she said quietly. "A woman like her will have thousands visiting her every day."
He Bolin tried to smile, but it twisted into something broken. The expression slipped away entirely.
Liu Xiulan withdrew her hand and looked at the grave. She owed He Suyin a debt she could never repay; the only repayment left was the truth. Her voice tightened as she spoke. "I do not think the two of us will meet often after today. I plan to stay in the cold hells for now but not forever."
"Your mother told me that you have always been a sharp child." Liu Xiulan continued. "So, you must understand her death was not natural. Look around you, at this barren field. An immortal dying… is not something that simply happens."
He Bolin's eyes narrowed. "I am aware she was poisoned," he said, the words sharp, controlled.
His gaze turned inward for a moment. He remembered, with cold clarity, the brittle skin of the old physician's throat beneath his fingers as the man struggled for breath, the maid Huiling's pleading sobs, the quiet betrayal of his teacher Jin Niu—all of them knew. And worst of all, so did his father's third wife. They had watched his mother die.
Liu Xiulan had already reaped the benefit of knowing his mother and now she was here to reap some more. "You don't plan to remain in the cold hells forever?" No, she wanted freedom. She wanted safety. Most importantly, she wanted-
"-Ren Lifen gone."
The child behind her, young Liu Xue, flinched. He stared at He Bolin with wide, fearful eyes—not for himself, but for his mother. The murderous intent surrounding the elder prince unrolled like a slow, heavy wave, thick enough to taste.
Then, suddenly, He Bolin laughed—deep, low, hollow—and looked around the desolate field of snow.
"Ma." he whispered, almost tenderly. "Soon, I will send many others to accompany you."