Foxes Among Wolves - Chapter 1 Prologue

A few droplets of blood splattered onto the ground, adding to the spreading pool of dark liquid. It seeped into the floorboards and thoroughly soaked the white dress of a young woman. Her hair glistened and pale skin remained soft to touch; death failed to steal her beauty. ‘It is just a dream,’ Zhao Cheng, a middle-aged man, convinced himself. ‘She is asleep.’ However, the knife imbedded in her chest broke this illusion.

“Why did you do it?” he snapped and shook the lifeless body. Part of him hoped to see Juan miraculously open her eyes and reassure him it was a dream. An unbearable pain crushed his chest when she remained soulless. “You knew this would happen! Why?!”

‘It was her fault.’ The insults she threw at him fuelled his rage. His fist smashed into her face. Then the knife persuaded him to teach her a lesson. Cheng’s hand twitched when he recalled the smoothness of the handle. Lost in anger, the blade easily punctured her chest. ‘It was her fault,’ he convinced himself again. ‘If she remained an obedient wife she used to be, everything would be fine.’

A woman clicked her tongue, expressing her amusement, and Cheng’s heart stopped. Slowly, he dropped his wife and turned to face the newcomer. The woman was gorgeous. Many people believed her to be the goddess of seduction; her curves enticed the male eye and that smile sent lust to roar in men. A lilac, silk tunic covered her pale skin and silver jewellery completed her extravagant style. The symbol – a pale green lotus leaf – bestowed on her forehead represented her position as the imperial concubine. The emperor had no other lovers apart from the empress and her; any offerings of new concubines were rejected.

“Oh. We are in a difficult situation,” she said in a taunting voice.

Cheng panicked. “It wasn’t my fault! It wasn’t my fault! She-she attacked me and—”

“Save your excuses. I have told you before, I do not care why or how this happened. I only am worried about our reputation.”

“Please, sister! You have to help me! I swear it wasn’t my fault!” Cheng bowed low at the woman’s feet.

“Of course not. She tried to poison you out of spite but when that didn’t work, she attempted to stab you. You merely defended yourself against a pitiful woman of low virtue,” Zhao Qiaolian said, smoothly fabricating the lie. “I will inform the emperor of the deceit and her body will be disposed of in the mountains, instead of the stream. A fitting funeral for a traitor.”

“Thank you! Thank you, sister!” Cheng said, filled with relief, and kissed Qiaolian’s feet multiple times.

“We are bound by blood. You have no need to do such acts. Yet…” Qiaolian suddenly grabbed Cheng’s robes tightly around his neck. It was hard to breath and a red ring formed around his throat. Without warning, she used her bronzed fingernail and cut his cheek and neck. “You are an utter fool! I am ashamed to call you my brother! The emperor and princes of Linlong are visiting our kingdom and you do this now. And to someone that took the royal prince’s interest! I will save you but next time, I won’t be so generous. Too much suspicion will arise and our shared blood won’t matter then. I will save only myself and my son.”

“Y-You hurt me!” Cheng stuttered as blood leaked from his cheek.

“We need to make our story believable. Now you have wounds from the fight with your wife.”

The chilling cold from Qiaolian’s heart froze Cheng, causing him to whimper. Similar to his mother, his sister did not love unconditionally. This effort to cover the truth, although painful, needed to be shown gratitude. “I am forever grateful towards you.”

“Come with me to speak to the emperor. We will sort this situation out quickly and quietly. The last thing we need is whispers among servants and Shanhe people.”

The siblings walked to the imperial building later that night. Cheng hung his head low, skittish of any sounds. In this dire situation, comfort came from his powerful positionn as imperial advisor that would easily cover his wife’s death. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, unaware of the looming doom that awaited him in the future.