Shackles

By Lark Cayling

Twice, I chose to leave you. Twice, I broke your heart.
In the next life, please break mine instead.

 

 

When warriors from hostile neighbouring nations kidnap Empress Dowager Xu Xieqing, a man from her past, Li Wai, is dispatched to save her. As they embark on their dangerous journey back to TianDi palace, Xieqing finds herself at war with both enemies from within her own country and outside. But her biggest adversary will prove to be her own heart for she hides a soulmate tattoo that will poison her if her heart ever strays. Her spirit is indomitable, her will is undefeatable, but her heart isn't impervious to love as she thinks it is. As her long-lost feelings for Li Wai are uncovered, she must make a cruel decision.

Will she surrender her ambition and rediscover her life as a normal woman or will she dedicate her mind and body to her people and lose her soul?

 

~ 2nd runner-up of Neovel's Stronger Together Contest ~

 

Word count: 30.7k 

Estimated number of pages: 100

• Language: English
• Publisher: Three Bits Books
• Release date: Aug 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223263579

Lark Cayling

Hobbyist writer with a passion for telling stories about life and love.

Book preview

Prologue

Sitting on the sandalwood throne in TianDi Palace, Prime Minister Lu Bei watched with rapture as hundreds of loyal subjects prostrated themselves before him. He found it hard to believe that merely days ago he had been in their position.

Now that he was atop this new vantage point, he took in the full grandiosity and resplendent beauty of the Supreme Hall. High ceilings with intricate patterns were supported by red strong wooden beams that spanned the entire length of the majestic hall. From his elevated platform, he could look out the huge doors and see the palace gates towering above the common folk. He could look to a brighter future, one filled with all the riches and power in the world.

Subconsciously, his fingers drifted over the smooth surface of the dragon head armrest, feeling the sense of security that came with it. He could get used to this. Once he made this throne his, there would be so much work to be done. These pillars that surrounded him would be made of pure gold, as would the throne. He could not wait to get started. But all would come in due time as long as he handled this predicament perfectly.

Court is in session! A shrill voice echoed in the hall, beginning the emergency meeting that had been called.

He straightened in his seat and turned his shrewd eyes to his subjects. A sliver of anxiety ate at his heart for he knew what was to come. Yet he had no qualms about his ability to handle the situation. His thirty-one years of servitude to the emperor and empress had not been for nought after all.

In his deep, authoritative voice, he called out, Minister He Wen.

A young man stepped out from the ranks and made his way to the centre of the aisle. Dropping to one knee, he bowed his head, his hands raised at head level with his right fist covered by his open left hand – a respectful greeting.

Prime Minister Lu Bei, your humble subject brings worrying news on the Empress Dowager’s location. Unfortunately, it seems that Her Highness has fallen into the hands of the Tufans. We believe they had prior knowledge of her schedule and orchestrated the abduction two weeks ago, He Wen reported tersely.

Lu Bei absentmindedly stroked his beard as he pondered his next move. Have the Tufan made any demands?

No, Prime Minister. We have yet to receive word. But we believe they will ask for the four garrisons of Xiyu that we captured.

A low murmur broke out among the officials at the mention of Xiyu – the victorious battle that had been achieved at the cost of a blood bath. Acceding to the demands of the Tufan would mean relinquishing the four cities they had fought so hard to claim.

He knew all his officials were of the same thought that it would be a huge blow to both the kingdom’s position of power and the morale of the people if they were to lose the four cities. Would losing the Empress Dowager be as devastating? Of course, none of them dared voice their thoughts for that was tantamount to rebellion. All he needed to do was give them a little push in the right direction and they would latch on to the idea.

We can’t accept their terms for that will be sending a wrong message to all our enemies. Negotiating with the Tufan will only lead to the eventual downfall of our kingdom and I will not let that happen, he proclaimed, proud of himself for intelligently navigating the situation.

Many officials frantically bobbed their heads up and down in agreement. How easy it was to lead these people; much like herding sheep. If this was all it took to convince them, the route to the throne was much faster than he had thought. He could feel the sweet taste of power on his tongue when He Wen’s voice interrupted his pleasant dream.

Indeed I agree with Prime Minister Lu that accepting our enemy’s terms is equivalent to admitting defeat. But without the Empress Dowager, our kingdom will also descend into chaos.

His blood boiled as he narrowed his eyes at He Wen. How dare this puny junior minister question his judgement and also insinuate that he would not be suitable for the throne. The fact that He Wen did all that in a way that seemed like he was in agreement with Lu Bei meant that he couldn’t even reprimand the man.

He studied He Wen closely, committing that squarish clean-shaven face and wide, unblinking eyes to memory. Once he became the Emperor, he would be sure to rid himself of He Wen. Keeping his tone even, he said, So what would Minister He suggest then?

With all due respect, Prime Minister, your humble servant thinks that a small troop of soldiers should be sent to rescue the Empress. We can stall the Tufan by pretending to accede to their demands and while they celebrate, the soldiers would attempt the rescue.

Lu Bei leaned forward while an idea formed at the back of his mind. And how many soldiers should we send?

Not many, Prime Minister, He Wen replied. Too many would be too conspicuous and alert the Tufan to our plan. I would say three to four of our best men would be enough.

As his plan came together, Lu Bei spoke slowly, That is indeed a good suggestion, Minister He. However, I’m still not too happy about how the abduction of the Empress was so well planned. To make sure that news of our operation does not leak out, I will personally choose the men who will attempt the Empress’s rescue and I would like everyone present here to remain in their respective quarters as well.

He smirked as he noticed the officials’ discomfort and anxiety at his decree, although what gave him more pleasure was the grim look on He Wen’s face as the young man realised that he had been outsmarted.

He leant back on his throne and stroked the dragon's head. Ascending the throne would be a cinch. All he needed to do was wait. When the sword fell on the Empress’s neck, everything would be his.

Everything.

Chapter 1

To die at the hands of the Tufan was a fate I had never imagined for myself. Yet after three and a half weeks, here I was. Strapped to a pole with my hands bound above me in a small tent in the middle of a wide plain and my scraped knees digging into the dirt. My garments were muddied and torn in places unbefitting an Empress, my hair ornaments were taken, save the one hairpin holding my matted hair together. And worst of all, there had been no news from my people.

It didn’t take too much effort to guess why I had been abandoned. My deceitful prime minister Lu Bei must have been appointed as my stand-in as only he would have done such a spiteful and utterly ridiculous act.

If he thought that being the emperor was such an easy job, then he was welcome to try his hand at it. Shaking my head at his stupidity, I could only imagine the speed at which he would undermine all my hard work in building up the Zhou kingdom. If not for the decree of the late emperor, I would have eliminated Lu Bei at the start of my reign.

Maybe if I had done so, I wouldn’t be walking to my death now. Just thinking about my situation only left me with more indignance than fear. Fear would cripple me but anger was an excellent motivator.

Left with ample time to myself, I relived my abduction again. Something about the ease at which I was captured nagged at the back of my mind. My monthly visits outside of the TianDi Palace had always been planned to perfection; nothing was left to chance. What were the odds that a group of highly trained Tufan spies were in the vicinity and had known my identity?

And yet it was only after I had visited the jewellery shop to get my golden bracelet fixed that they had made a move. Thinking back, they had plenty of chances before that to strike. Nothing stood to gain for them by waiting till such a late time to strike. Unless.... they had not known who their target was.

As it dawned on me what had identified me to my abductors, I tilted my head up. The soft silk sleeve that once covered my arm now hung loosely at my elbows, exposing the black tattoo of a dragon which sat above my wrist. The mark was bold and thick, engraved on the skin as if it was a birthmark.

My eyes traced the curves of the dragon tattoo, entranced by its intricate and elegant design and at the same time, repulsed by its significance. The tattoo was a reminder of my sacrifices and the duties that I was bound to – a lingering curse that would follow me to my grave. And apparently, it had also