The Birth of the Son & Moon

    The Empress laid on the bed, tired. Terribly exhausted. She had just given birth to her son and daughter. They were twins, the girl was older than the son by one full day.

    “Tangyu, let me hold my daughter.” the Empress called from her bed.

    Tangyu obeyed and carefully let the Empress hold her daughter after she came to the Empress’s side. The room was lit with a few candles. It was quiet, very quiet. Even though there were maids rushing to clean the room.

    “Where is my son?” the Empress asked Tangyu.

    “Forgive me, your highness. I believe that Yanfei had just taken him to the nurse. Yanfei said he may be sick.”

    The Empress gasped.

    “You dare let my son be taken out of this room? He may be kidnapped! Why hasn't he returned yet?!”

    Tangyu fell to her knees, the other maids kneeled at the sigh of the head maid kneeling. “I’m sorry, your highness! I did not know, I did not think correctly. Please have mercy!”

    The Empress felt like throwing up, the world was starting to turn around her.

    “Get up, all of you! Find my son before I cut off all of your tongues!” the Empress shrieked with the strength she barely had left. The Empress fell unconscious and her daughter started to cry in fright. The other maids frantically ran through the palace, searching for her highness’s son. Tangyu stayed behind to soothe the baby.

    “You! Alert the Emperor and close the gates. Let no one cross the bridges between Heaven and Hell.” Tangyu called to the only maid left in the room. The maid nodded and ran to find the Emperor.

***

    The Emperor was a busy man. Ruling Heaven was not an easy job, it takes a wise immortal to rule. Emperor Changying sat on top of his throne and he waited for the news of his wife. Suddenly, a maid ran to the courtroom and fell to her knees right in front of him. The Emperor sat up, quickly.

    “Your highness, I have important news for you. The Empress has safely given birth to a son and daughter. But…” the maid lowered her head.

    “But what? Finish your sentence, I do not have all the time in the world.” The Emperor stared intently at the maid.     The maid gulped, scared.

    “Your son was given to a maid who may have potentially kidnapped him.” the maid closed her eyes in nervousness.

    “What?!” the Emperor shouted. “Close all the gates immediately!”

***

    Yanfei smiled in the darkness. The baby she held in her arms was the son of her majesty. Not just of any royalty, the boy was purely immortal; son of Heaven. The head maid was too slow to catch on to what she was doing. Yanfei had already crossed the gates and headed to the depths of Hell. There are seven depths of Hell. The first of which is The Sorrow of Death. Then there was The Weepings, The Unknown Forest, The Crow Orchid, The Sacred Laurels, The Unforgivable Punishments, and The No Return. Each depth had its own terrifying punishment. The worst punishment was last depth: The No Return. All you would ever hear is screaming. Everywhere. Yanfei kept walking and she could almost see the gates of Hell.

     Yanfei was a beautiful maiden. She fell in love with a demon who pretended to love her. The demon killed Yanfei one night and almost ate her soul. Fortunately, a fair angel saved Yanfei’s soul. However, it was too late. The demon already ate half of Yanfei’s soul, leaving her other half gone, forever. Yanfei could not reincarnate, nor become an angel. She was sent into the first depth of Hell. After thousands of years, a demon was sent to take her to see the Lord of Hell. The Lord of Hell ruled mercilessly and was hungry for power. He despised Heaven, especially its rulers. He had heard of the great Empress being pregnant and soon to give birth. The Lord’s plan would be to send a demon to pretend to work for the Empress and steal her baby. Once doing so, the Lord would hold the baby as hostage. Yanfei was promised to be able to reincarnate if she wished to after she took the job. That was the story of how Yanfei agreed and how the baby she was carrying was in her arms.

    The baby fell asleep in her arms. Yanfei stopped walking once she was in front of the gates of Hell. The baby was so young, innocent. A spark of warmth lit inside her dead heart. Did she even have a heart? Even after so many years of grief and misery? Yanfei did not know. During her mortal life she longed for a happy marriage. To start a family. Yanfei gazed at the sweet child. The boy did not deserve this. To be brought into this unjust world, it was too cruel.

    “Your name will be Zixin. I will be your mother now. I will protect, love, cherish, and even kill for you if I must.” Yanfei vowed, smiling gently. The time of darkness was over, she would be free to embrace love.

***

    Tangyu knelt in front of the Emperor. Thousands of immortals were watching her. Tangyu was chained and her mouth was taped. The Emperor stood in front of the throne, watching the maid. It had been 2 weeks since the kidnapping of his child. No sign of where or how his child was taken. The Empress was weak and could not attend the meeting the Emperor called. The news had shocked her greatly.

    “I call upon forth this meeting because my son was kidnapped.” the Emperor announced. The crowd gasped at the news and started talking all at once.

    “My son was kidnapped but we must continue on. We will find him, one day. For now let us punish the maid who dared to let my son be kidnapped!”

    The crowd cheered. Tangyu was flogged by wooden planks. She could not cry out and she was lashed by the lightning whip. Finally, she was sent to the lightning prison to stay forever.

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