Imperial Palace, Cold Palace.
The moon is bright and the stars sparse, a gentle breeze is blowing, it should have been a pleasant evening, yet inside the Cold Palace, it appeared incredibly eerie.
The dilapidated window doors, under the caress of the breeze, creaked eerily, and the curtains swayed like a giant shadow.
The vast Cold Palace was frightfully silent, with occasional squeaking of mice breaking the serenity.
The Empress curled herself up on the cold, rotten wooden bed board, covered with a stinking, tattered quilt.
Even though this season shouldn't be cold, she felt chilled to the core; tonight, she faced yet another test of life and death.
Someone had placed poison in the stinking food, but fortunately, she was cautious and tested it with the hidden silver needles, which instantly turned black, scaring her into dropping the food onto the ground. A few mice squeaked and came out from their holes to eat the fallen food, only to collapse immediately.
