The bell rang nine times for the enthronement ceremony, and the entire Tai Chi Hall was so quiet that one could hear the sound of ambergris burning in the copper furnace.
I knelt at the head of the hundred officials, my knees pressed against the cold gold bricks, and my forehead almost touched the ground. The emperor has not yet appeared, and the civil and military officials in the court are waiting with bated breath. However, this silence is more uncomfortable for me than a knife on my neck - because I can hear my own heartbeat.
Boom boom. Boom, boom, boom.
It's too noisy. In this dead silent hall, I felt like my heart was like a broken drum, and I wanted to knock the roof off with every beat.
I took a deep breath, let my thoughts settle, and tried to recall my feelings when I first stepped into this palace three years ago. At that time, only me and an incompetent brother were left in the Pei family. My father was sentenced to death by the late emperor. He was accused of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and the nine tribes should be punished. However, the late emperor was merciful and only killed his father, leaving the Pei family old and young to survive. Kindness? Oh, he is just leaving us as living targets to show his magnanimity to the world.
