DGSTE – Summaries of Chapters 11 to 13

Chapter 11

‘Your majesty, LF is a young lady,’ XST said. ‘Your majesty shouldn’t… I mean your majesty don’t need to get your hands dirty.’

‘I want to see LF cry out for help,’ NL said.

XST was in a sticky situation. NL was a petty child who wanted revenge. XST didn’t want anything to happen to LF because the ED would skin him, but he couldn’t disobey NL’s order.

‘XST, hurry up and go get my sedan,’ NL said.

‘Yes your majesty,’ XST said.

‘The little demoness won’t expect me to take revenge on her in the middle of the night,’ NL said. ‘I’ll release the snake on her bed, and I’ll get to hear her cry for help.’

NL antic.i.p.ated playing the hero. At the critical moment, NL was going to save LF and she couldn’t look down on him anymore.

At the empress’ bedchamber NL told everyone to leave.

‘I’ll behead anyone who wakes up LF,’ NL threatened.

Outside the empress’ bedchamber, XST prayed no one would get a snake bite.

NL held his breath and tiptoed into the empress’ bedchamber. He couldn’t wait for LF to revere him after he saved her life.

NL loomed over LF’s sleeping body. Whenever they met, they were on opposing sides. He didn’t expect LF would look angelic in her sleep so he hesitated to take revenge. Angelic? What was wrong with him? Why would he think the little demoness was angelic?

NL wasted his opportunity to open the bag. LF was a disciplined fighter, and sensed someone looming over her bed.

‘Who’s there?’ LF asked.

NL turned around to run. The bag loosened and the snake bit his right wrist.

‘Ah!’ NL cried out.

LF was surprised she heard NL’s voice. She jumped out of bed and saw him lying on the ground.

‘Your majesty?’ LF asked. ‘What happened?’

‘A snake bit me,’ NL said.

Chapter 12

‘Snake?’ LF asked.

LF saw a venomous snake’s eyes in the dark bedchamber and pressed NL’s vital acupuncture points so the venom wouldn’t reach his heart.

‘Your majesty, relax your body,’ LF advised.

LF took out a small dagger.

‘What are you doing?’ NL asked.

LF cut a small cut on NL’s right wrist and she sucked out the venom.

Thousands of soldiers pledged their allegiance to NL and sacrificed their lives for him. But he never thought about the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for him. Seeing LF not hesitating to suck the venom out of his body and into her body moved him. Why did she risk her life for him?

LF spat out the venom.

‘Your majesty, it’s good the venom didn’t reach your heart,’ LF said.

‘I feel dizzy…’ NL said.

‘Your majesty!’ LF called. She helped NL sit up. ‘Help! Is anyone outside?’

XST ran into the empress’ bedchamber.

‘Your majesty!’ XST called. ‘What happened?’

‘His majesty was bitten by a snake,’ LF said. ‘I sucked out the venom. His majesty is in shock. Call an imperial physician to examine his majesty.’

The next morning, NL woke up in a stable condition. Everyone in the palace were relieved their emperor survived a venomous snake bite.

‘His majesty is awake!’ XST announced. ‘Someone hurry up and get the medicine for his majesty! And let the ED know that his majesty is awake.’

‘I’m thirsty,’ NL said.

‘Is everyone deaf?’ XST asked. ‘Hurry up and bring water for his majesty to drink!’

The palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly followed XST’s orders.

A eunuch tasted a bowl of water. The eunuch pa.s.sed the safe bowl of water to XST. XST helped NL sit up on the bed, and he slowly fed NL water.

‘Your majesty, you scared everyone in the palace,’ XST said.

‘What happened?’ NL asked. ‘My memory’s blurred. I remembered I was bitten by a snake.’

‘Your majesty, it’s my fault,’ XST said. ‘I should have insisted your majesty shouldn’t do something reckless.’

‘Why are you crying?’ NL asked. ‘It’s not your fault.’

‘Your majesty, I’m crying because I was scared I lost your majesty,’ XST said. ‘Your majesty, are you in pain? Should I call an imperial physician for your majesty?’

‘You don’t need to speak loudly,’ NL said. ‘Your loud voice is giving me a headache.’

‘Headache?’ XST asked. ‘I’ll go call an imperial physician to examine your majesty immediately.’

‘Come back,’ NL said. ‘What did the imperial physician say?’

‘The imperial physician said luckily LF reacted calmly and sucked the venom out of your majesty’s body,’ XST said. ‘Your majesty’s body is healthy. The imperial physician gave your majesty a mild herbal remedy to calm your majesty’s shock. The imperial physician advised your majesty should eat three meals a day, and after three days your majesty will be fit to perform your imperial duties again.’

NL’s plan failed. LF returned his revenge with mercy. His life was indebted to her.

Chapter 13

‘Your majesty is healthy,’ XST said. ‘Why did your majesty sigh?’

‘Do I need your permission to sigh?’ NL asked.

‘No your majesty,’ XST asked. ‘My biggest dream is to make your majesty happy.’

‘You wouldn’t understand,’ NL said.

‘What wouldn’t I understand?’ XST asked.

‘Forget it,’ NL said. He was going to give LF jewellery for saving his life, but he wasn’t going to thank her. ‘Does my imperial mother know about my injury?’

‘Your majesty… I didn’t dare hide your injury from the ED,’ XST said.

‘You told my imperial mother everything,’ NL said and sighed again.

‘Your majesty, if I didn’t explain what happened to you inside the empress’ bedchamber, the ED would have been angry,’ XST said.

‘What happened to your nectar mouth?’ NL asked. ‘Why couldn’t you think of an excuse to hide the truth from my imperial mother?’

‘The ED is a wise woman,’ XST said. ‘The ED wouldn’t be fooled by my white lies.’

‘You!’ NL said,

‘Your majesty, I beg you to spare my life,’ XST said.

A eunuch announced the ED’s arrival. NL laid on the bed, closed his eyes and feigned feeling weak.

XST kowtowed in front of the ED.

‘Rise,’ the ED said. ‘Didn’t you say his majesty is awake?’

‘ED, his majesty… was awake and now he’s sleeping again,’ XST lied.

‘Sleeping?’ the ED asked sarcastically. ‘Good. After he wakes up, I’ll deal with…’

‘ED, I deserve to be punished,’ XST said and cried pitifully.

‘Why didn’t you stop his majesty from doing something reckless?’ the ED asked. ‘If something had happened to his majesty, do you think you can shoulder the consequences?’

‘ED, please have mercy on me,’ XST pleaded.

‘Guards, take XST away and behead him!’ the ED ordered.

‘ED, have mercy on me…’ XST begged.

‘Wait!’ NL said. ‘No one can behead XST without my permission.’

‘Your majesty chose a good time to wake up,’ the ED said. ‘XST’s duty is to protect your life. XST deserves to die for failing to protect you.’

‘Imperial mother, it’s my fault,’ NL said. ‘I’ll take full responsibility. It wasn’t XST’s fault.’

‘Your majesty, are you admitting you did something wrong?’ the ED asked.

NL’s body tensed on the bed.

‘There’s nothing wrong about admitting being wrong,’ NL said.

End of Chapters 11 to 13 summaries