A cold dagger plunged into the emperor's heart. She stared in disbelief at her attacker, the minister she had once trusted most.
"You... you wicked woman." Blood spilled from the emperor's mouth as she glared at the woman before her.
She had to remember that beautiful, almost cruel face. She had to remember that this was the woman who had killed her and seized her realm.
"Even in Hell, I'll drag you down with me."
At that, Shangguan Qing's pale face twisted into a smile.
She bent down and pressed close to the emperor's ear.
She whispered, "It's a promise. Next time, don't leave Qing'er behind again."
Her grip tightened, and the dagger's bright blade sank completely into the emperor's chest.
"Mm..." With a muffled groan, the emperor's vision blurred, then faded into nothingness.
The next moment, a bone-chilling cold jolted her awake.
In the freezing waters of a midwinter pond, she struggled to swim on instinct.
The palace attendants on the bank finally pulled her out.
Still shaken, the emperor realized she had returned to the age of eight, her childhood.
Theme: Between the realm and the beauty, I, the emperor, will have both.
