Glass Sight

~In the middle of an era that history had forgotten, a little girl was born.

During her birth, there had been no auspicious signs nor songbirds welcoming her into the world. There had only been the cries of her mother and the roaring thunder pounding mercilessly.

The moment her mother pushed for the final time, silence followed. The physician and midwives had assumed the baby was dead-no. The baby had refused to cry for the infant's eyes were as glassy as jade. The baby was overwhelmed by a looming darkness surrounding it. All around it, the color black followed.

The physician could only dejectedly tell the mother, "Your daughter is blind, I'm afraid."

The mother could only hold onto her newborn with a feeling of guilt. She or her husband had any medical problems, yet why was she born without the ability to see? She gently stroked her child's head, ignoring the tears streaming down her face.

Her daughter will suffer much hardships in the future, she knew. In fact, she might suffer just as many hardships for not giving her disabled child away. Yet when the glassy eyes turned in her direction, sensing her discomfort and hesitation, she sighed and hugged her daughter closer. "No matter if mother will have trouble, as long as you're okay, it's fine."

The moment the midwives and physician left the room, the father of the child immediately noticed their looks of melancholy, worry punching his jut, expecting the worst news.

"Your daughter is born, " the physician started out monotonously.

"Why do you sound so forlorn?" The father asked anxiously.

"Unfortunately, " the physician paused. "She is born blind."

The father staggered, clenching his heart. His newborn daughter was suffering and he had no way of easing the pain. Ignoring the physician and midwives, he rushed inside the room and saw his wife's bloodshot eyes full of tears.

"Husband, " she called out softly, her voice cracking. "our daughter."

She held out the baby and the man picked up extremely careful as though he held porcelain. He immediately noticed her glassy, colorless eyes and stifled a sob.

"What about our daughter's future?" The woman cried, "Society is not polite to those who carry disabilities! Society will mock my precious angel!" The woman voice rose by an octave and she suddenly spat out blood.

The man immediately yelled out for the physician to examine his wife.

The physician felt her weak pulse and gave the man a hopeless look, "She does not have much time, I'm afraid."

"Why!?" The man placed the newborn on the bed and slammed his clenched wrist on the table.

"Delivering the baby has taken a toll on her, " the physician said calmly, ignoring the man's outburst.

"Is there anything you could do? For either of them?" The man pleaded, throwing out whatever's left of his pride.

The physician sighed, "I can prescribe a tonic to make your wife better, but this will only extend her lifespan for a few weeks, one month at the most. As for your newborn daughter, " his eyes filled with pity, "Not even the most talented physician in the Song Continent will be able to help with her condition..."

The physician left a recipe for a tonic and left, leaving behind the trio.

"Husband, " the woman called out softly.

"Hmm? Don't worry about what that physician's saying, I'm sure it's nonsense." The man said, mostly trying to convince himself.

"Husband..."

"I'm sure you'll never leave me, "

"Husband..."

The man grasped her hands and cried, "My love... What sins have we committed in our past lives for the heavens to punish us so?"

"Husband, " the woman called out gently, "I want you to take care of our daughter."

"Su Mi! Don't leave me!" The man yelled out in agony when he noticed the woman was slowly starting to close her eyes. "I'll go make the tonic for you, right now!"

The woman's eyes flickered until they closed her good. Before she breathed her last breath, she whispered, "Yingyun, sorry mother isn't able to take care of you in this lifetime..."

The man held his beloved wife's body in his arms and cried. His agonizing sobs haunted the neighbors around them for the echoed on this ominous, stormy night.

In a field of marigold there stood a young woman gazing at the sky. Her eyes were glassy and colorless and she held onto another young woman for support.

"Is it beautiful?" She mumbled to the girl next to her.

The young woman supporting her shook her head, "It's just the sky, " she said carelessly. "A beauty like you shouldn't worry about these types of things."

Her insensitive words didn't bother the other woman for she had heard them thousands of times by different people.

"Yingyun, " the girl supporting the beauty said. "We should probably get back. Why did you want to view the marigolds anyways? It's not like you can... oh." She covered her mouth in embarrassment and muttered a quiet apology.

Yingyun looked in the direction she smelled the marigolds and whispered, "Marigolds represent resentment, Yuyu."

"Resentment for what, though?" Yuyu asked in curiosity. Her blind friend was always at a different pace than everyone else in terms of philosophy and thinking. In terms of beauty too. But alas she has an inevitable disability that made her so different.

"Resentment at the world for making my fùqīn suffer because of a burden like me." Yingyun said monotonously.

Yuyu frowned and hugged her friend, "I'm sorry."

I am too.

***

"Father, I am home." As usual, Yingyun's voice held no emotion yet her father, Luowon, stood up and hugged her affectionately. "My sweet daughter, what have you been up to?"

"I went to feel the presence marigolds."

Luowon furrowed his bushy brows, "Marigolds? What ever for?"

"They represent my existence." Luowon immediately knew that her sentence was meant to be said in a negative manner. He sighed and shook his head, "You are my daughter. No matter what, your existence is as golden as the rising sun. As golden as the marigolds."

"Is that how they look?" She dryly mused. "Gold?"

"Very precious just like you." His statement was meant with an empty look that broke his heart.

She didn't reply to him but a loud announcement caught their attention, "All young, unmarried ladies of Chu Village must line up! This is an imperial order!"

Luowon and Yingyun left their little cottage and hurriedly bowed to the imperial eunuch like everyone else present.

The lord of the village walked up and asked politely, "What does His Highness mean by this edict?"

The eunuch gave the girls lined up, Yingyun included, a wicked smile. "His Highness, the new emperor, is in need of new concubines."

All the girls shuddered in fear except for Yingyun. It wasn't because she hadn't heard of the new emperor's bloodthirsty reputation, but that she didn't care. Her life was meaningless so it didn't matter. She didn't matter.

The new emperor of Han was known to be the cruelest emperor yet since he killed all his brothers to get his throne. It was a common occurrence in the royal family, but it's the rumors of the way he killed are why the citizens of Han are so afraid of him and don't dare to rebel.

To be the concubine of such a man, one didn't know when death would come knocking on their doors. A dangerous name that no one dared to utter the name of.

The eunuch eyed the girls in silence until his gaze landed on Yingyun. He smiled but his gaze quickly turned to disgust when noticing her colorless eyes. He muttered something and announced, "It is an honor for a village as humble as the Village of Chu to offer their daughters. His Highness will personally pick three out of all the total girls offered from each village. If you are not picked, do not fear, for His Highness is magnanimous enough to allow you to go back to wherever you came from."

The girls breathed a sigh of relief in synchronization yet the prettier ones frowned. Nobody thought to look at Yingyun even though she was the most beautiful in their humble village. After all, which emperor, no, which man would pick someone like her?

Yingyun allowed her lips to tilt upwards for a few seconds before turning away, pulling her father's hand back in the direction of their cottage.

The eunuch noticed the duo and blurted out in anger, "What do you think you're doing? Do you think you're above imperial order?"

Luowon shook his head and bowed, "My daughter... she has every right to compete, "

The eunuch noticed the girl being the girl from earlier with the glassy eyes and stunned. Maybe it was better for her to go? There was absolutely no chance of an invalid getting picked for such an important position, but then again, she was a beauty capable of downfalls and uprisings, so allow her to have a chance?

"Please allow me to have a few moments to speak with my daughter in private." Luowon suddenly said.

The eunuch nodded, watching the pretty, invalid girl and man walk off in the direction of the marigold fields.

"Yingyun, "

Yingyun tilted her head upwards and gave her father a blank look. He sighed and plucked a marigold flower, weaving it on her head.

"Marigold, " She mumbled, recognizing the smell. By this point, she had a vague image in her head of what the golden flower looked like. "Why?" One word from her and Luowon cried silent tears.

Yingyun stiffed and moved her hand around until it landed on her father's cheeks. She gently wiped the tears away as silence engulfed them both, with only the gentle breeze sweeping by.

"Yingyun, you deserve this chance every single bit like those other girls. I know he's not the best man with the most bearable reputation, " He paused. "But society has a tendency to brand one the way they perceive not going beneath to perceive the heart."

"Father..." For once, Yingyun's voice wavered, "Yingyun will go. Father, please take care of yourself. Yingyun will be back very soon. We both know Yingyun will not be chosen." Her confidence made Luowon frown as they walked back to the lines of girls.

Who says you might not be chosen? My daughter, I have a premonition that the moment you step in the royal palace, history will change... for the better or worse, will depend all on you.

"Yingyun, " Yuyu sobbed, gripping the blind girl's shoulder. "I don't like this at all! Yingyun, I was about to get married to Yongshim before this happened!" She complained while Qi Yingyun sat beside her in silence.

"Yuyu, " Yingyun suddenly spoke up, her emotionless voice pausing Yuyu's complaints. "Pretend to be my maid."

Yuyu was about to open her mouth in anger at her friend, but Yingyun's next words silenced her in gratitude.

"Yuyu, you won't be in the selection if we sneak you off as my maid, helping me. That way, you and Yongshim can live happy when we come back."

Yuyu nodded but quickly mumbled an agreement when she remembered her friend didn't see her.

"Wait, " Yuyu suddenly said. "How do you know we'll be back?"

Yingyun's expression did not change and she gave a dull answer, "It's a feeling in my chest." A hollow feeling...

Yuyu didn't say anything else and spent the rest of the time gazing at her friend in amazement as she sat like a statue of a goddess. Even the other girls were starting to take notice, but immediately cringed away in disgust when noticing her glassy eyes and didn't take her seriously, despite her overwhelming beauty.

Meanwhile, a man wearing golden, silky robes with the patterns of dragons embedded sat coldly before the men bowing to him, pleading for mercy.

"Your Majesty!" One of them cried out on grief, "Your servants are sorry for their disobedience. Your servants beg Your Majesty to forgive!"

Han Wulong's expression didn't change to pity or sympathy, it twisted into annoyance as he flicked his wrist, dismissing them. "Off with their heads, then hanged in the capital square to demonstrate what happens to those who betray Our Han Country."

The guards and ministers shuddered at the ruthless, young emperor, but didn't dare utter a word of disagreement. After all, the aura of death loomed over anyone that associated themselves with the emperor. Why would they want to anger him?

Wulong turned his attention to another official, "Are the young women here yet?"

The flustered minister fearfully shook his head, "N-No Your Majesty, "

Wulong banged his fist and pointed accusingly at the minister, "If We found out something happened to them while in your responsibility, even the heavens won't be able to save you."

The minister gulped and bowed his head submissively. In reality, the old man had planned on keeping a few of the pretty ones for himself thinking the emperor wouldn't notice. But judging by the emperor's harsh look, even sneaking one away will be away with his life.

Wulong waved his hand and dismissed the court, releasing his straight posture the moment the door closed. Dealing with the court everyday while maintaining a fearsome facade takes a tole on him.

One wrong move or one wrong expression can spark the idea of rebellion, or so he had learned from watching his siblings and father.

Speaking of his siblings, Wulong looked at the ceiling and chuckled. In the end, it had only been him to survive. Sure he survived with the reputation of a bloodthirsty monster, but survival means anything.

Especially in the royal family...

***

"Wow!" Yuyu exclaimed loudly as she stared at the majestic palace before them. Enclasped in gold, jade, and a bit of silver, the grand scheme of it screamed luxury and extravagance.

Such a sight made all the girls sigh, but quickly shake their heads. Staying in palace seemed wonderful, but who'd ever want to be the concubine of the man that kills without mercy?

Their lives were more precious than their luxury.

But a few of the girls were grinning with greed. After all, this was the palace of the emperor. The most powerful man in the Country of Han...

"It's so pretty!" Yuyu said and began describing it to Yingyun. Anything that Yingyun heard, she mentally used her imagination to try to get a gist of what it looks like. Her imaginations aren't always right, but it was boring just staring off in darkness.

"Ladies!" An old woman loudly yelled to get their attention. "You are all here as an opportunity to be picked for His Majesty. Any mistakes you commit will not only be reflected on you, but will cause your family trouble as well. I advise you to be cautious of what you say and what you do. This is my one and final warning... Those who cannot obey shall suffer on their own. Those who can stay docile will receive my guidance to have a decent time staying in the royal palace." She paused and gave the girls a look of amusement. "Three of you will be extra lucky and picked by His Majesty to live here..."

She didn't bother finishing her sentence since most of the girls knew being picked meant staying forever. And that was a life no one wanted to live through.

"My name is Xue mama, and I am the head mama here in the palace. I and a few other mamas will guide you with lessons of seduction." Majority of the girls blushed in embarrassment but didn't dare voice out their discomfort.

"Now then, " Xue mama eyed the group again, but this time, her vision stopped at Yingyun. She furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity, but quickly moved on.

Yuyu noticed the look and nudged Yingyun with a whisper, "Yingyun, I saw Xue mama giving you a look. I think she'll want to speak with you-"

Yuyu didn't have time to finish her sentence before the mamas dragged the girls away to their rooms. They tried to drag her as well, but she quickly stated she was the helper maid of her mistress, Yingyun.

Though skeptical, the mamas didn't say anything but still insisted on showing Yuyu the room that both of them were going to occupy.

Yuyu held Yingyun's arm but was swiftly stopped by Xue mama's loud voice, "Stop. Both of you."

The old woman walked forward and paused. Now at a closer angle, she confirmed what she was thinking earlier-the girl was blind!

How a blind maiden was part of the selection confused Xue mama, but she didn't dare bring it up to the emperor for fear of his wrath. Honestly, the emperor's temper grew angry at about the mention of anything, so servants were very careful with what they brought up with him.

Xue mama gave Yingyun another look and sighed. Was this fate?

A blind girl getting this far was not a coincidence. In fact, nothing in this world is a coincidence. Xue mama made a decision to try to help the sightless girl in front of her despite knowing she wouldn't be here for long.

And even if there was a chance that she was picked out of hundreds of girls, by that point, Xue mama will have been at least acquainted with the pretty doll.