Chapter 30 – True Identity (Part 2)

*Flashback*

Meng Yu was jolted awake by a sharp piercing cry that came from outside. There was a brief moment of confusion when she realized that she was back in her own bed chamber. She tried to push herself up, but the pain was agonizing. She gasped involuntarily.

"Princess is awake!"

One of the female attendants noticed her movement and quickly came forward to help her.

"What happened?" Meng Yu asked weakly. The servants lowered their heads fearfully. None of them dared to utter a sound.

The almost inhumane scream continued again. This time, it sounded familiar, yet foreign at the same time. A heavy sense of foreboding invaded Meng Yu's every nerve, as she fought hard to keep her calm. She asked again with a sinking feeling, almost stuttering.

"What happened? Speak!"

Her whole body trembled, and she could not contain her agitation anymore. The event on the frozen lake flashed through her mind. Deep in her heart, she knew something terribly wrong must have happened. The solemn expressions on the servants' face, and the agonizing, heart rending wailing coming from outside. She was very terrified for the first time in her life, but she must know what happened. She must know!

"Speak!" She lashed out and coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"Your highness!" The maids and eunuchs immediately kneeled in unison with their head bowed low on the ground. All of them were extremely frightened to the point of not being able to speak.

The piercing cries stopped, and for a moment, the whole chamber was incredibly quiet. It was so silent that one could even hear a pin dropped onto the floor. An extremely beautiful but weary looking woman slowly staggered into the bed chamber. A middle-aged female attendant carefully supported her as she led the prestigious woman into the room.

Her makeup was smeared by tears, but it could not hide the alluring face of hers. Dressed in the most luxurious dress, and adorned with the most valuable jewelleries, she was extremely graceful and elegant. There was vivid resemblance between her and Meng Yu. She was the Empress of the Mo Empire, the birth mother of the current Crown Prince Mo Lie Yun and Princess Mo Xing Yu.

"Mother-" Meng Yu hoarse voice could barely escape her throat.

The grim expression on the face of the Empress was terrifying. Meng Yu could feel the bottom dropping out of her stomach. She had never seen her mother with this kind of expression. The Empress was always cold and distant. An extremely proud and decisive woman who did not have much empathy and compassion, even to her own flesh and blood.

However today, she was visibly grief stricken. She had cried in front of all the lowly servants. The woman who took so much pride in her own nobility had revealed her own vulnerability in the public for the first time in her life. That was when realization sank deep into Meng Yu's heart. But no, she refused to believe it. She would not accept it!

As if she could read Meng Yu's mind, the Empress looked coldly at her, and spoke clearly. The penetrating gaze did not leave her as she broke the devastating news to Meng Yu, as if putting all the blame on her.

"They have finally found Lie Yun's body."

Meng Yu felt herself losing it. Her calm, her sanity. Lie Yun is her brother, her confidant, her twin. Her everything. She began choking in tears, as she asked, "What are you talking about…?"

"I say… they found Lie Yun's body in the lake."

Meng Yu lunged forward, and held onto the Empress's sleeves tightly, as she shrieked, "No! This cannot be! You are lying!"

The Empress trembled indignantly as she growled, "Lie Yun died because he went to save you! Why? Why isn't the one who die is you?"

She shook Meng Yu off and sent a cold hard slap across her face. Meng Yu collapsed on the ground, completely stunned. She instinctively held onto her burning cheek, but she did not say anything. She was completely overwhelmed by the news.

The middle-aged attendant quickly pulled the Empress back and consoled, "Your Highness, please do not over agitate yourself! You must take care of your own health!"

The Empress began to sob uncontrollably again as she yelled, "Why did you go there? Why do you have to go there? If it wasn't because of you, my Lie Yun will still be here! This is all your fault!"

Tears began rolling down Meng Yu's cheek. With each breath she took, she could feel sharp stabbing pain in her chest. The pain, the agony. It was so excruciating that she could just die right there and then. She opened her mouth, but she could not utter a single word to defend herself at all. Why? Because deep in her heart, she knew her mother was right.

Why she is not the one to die that night?

For the first time in her life, she had made a mistake. A grave mistake that cost her everything. She was always careful, intelligent, and cunning, but this time, she was too careless, and had accidentally fell into a devious trap.

She had assisted her brother to rise to the position of crown prince through carefully planned schemes and caught too much attention in the process. That night, she was indeed the one they wanted to eliminate. She was the target, but the Crown Prince Lie Yun must have caught wind of it and came to save her. Though it was unexpected to her opponents for the sudden appearance of the Crown Prince, but it was a rare opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. It was a hell of a battle that night, but they did not expect one of them to survive.

The Empress was extremely agitated that she almost collapsed, but her trusted servant held onto her firmly. "We have come so far… we cannot let them get what they want. Never! I will not let them win." The Empress muttered decisively as a faint light flickered in her eyes.

"Guards!"

A group of guards rushed into the chamber and surrounded everyone. Meng Yu stared wide eyed at the Empress in shock. Before she could comprehend what was happening, bloods started spilling everywhere. Cries of agonies filled the entire room as everyone in the chamber were slain mercilessly. All her personal maids and eunuchs who had followed her for years since she was a child. None of them were spared.

"Stop, stop! I said STOP!" Meng Yu shrieked in despair, completely losing her sanity. She continued to sob even after the last of her faithful servants was lying dead on the ground. She curled into a ball, and rocked back and forth, unable to believe what was happening right in front of her.

The Empress stood still as she waved for the guards to retreat. There was no emotion in those pair of alluring eyes as she slowly strode forward and bent down. Her long and slender fingers lifted Meng Yu's chin slowly so that she was staring straight into her eyes.

"Both of you… are just so alike."

Meng Yu stared in disbelief at the Empress. Realization dawned upon her, and she finally understood her mother's intention. However, she refused to believe it. She did not want to hear it. Not from the mouth of her own birth mother!

The Empress emotionlessly looked at the child in front of her. The pair of pitiful eyes that were begging her pathetically not to say what she had in mind. However, the Empress did not seem to care as she spoke with a clear voice, making sure Meng Yu could understand every word she meant.

"The entire kingdom will mourn for Princess Xing Yu… who died after accidentally falling into the frozen lake and drowned. All her personal attendants will be buried together with her in the royal tomb."

There was no tinge of regret or hesitation. Like a cold bucket of water thrown at her, Meng Yu shook her head as tears finally poured out like a broken dam.

No, no, no!

Her hands clutched desperately onto the Empress sleeves, just like a drowning person would to a straw. The sharp pain in her heart was indescribable. There was not an ounce of sympathy as the Empress watched the young girl in front of her, her own flesh and blood begging at her pitifully. The cold voice continued to narrate as she flung away Meng Yu's hand and stepped away in a composed manner.

"The Crown Prince was absolutely broken hearted over the sudden passing of his beloved twin sister, hence had fallen ill and was bed ridden for months. But soon, he will come to terms with the death of his sister and continue to move on with his life." She paused, before turning around to look at Meng Yu. There was not a shred of human emotion in those lifeless eyes. When she spoke again, there was a smile and a glimmer of insanity in her eyes.

It was the words that would seal her fate.

"Because he is the one and only prince who deserve to sit in the throne of the Mo Empire. He is… the future Emperor of this country."