Eternal Love: A Love Story Chapter 1 - Pitiful Death..

"My head aches," Zhao Ming moaned, her eyelids still shut. Before she could fully awaken, the sound of sobbing reached her ears from beside the bed. "Young Mistress, please wake up. My lady is so pitiful, trapped in a loveless marriage."

"Even in her coma, he hasn't visited her once in the last three months. Whatever the reason, she is still his wife. He ought to have come to see her," the maid cried, her heart aching for her mistress.

"Boohoo."

Hearing the girl's lament, Zhao Ming found herself questioning, 'Young Mistress? What kind of situation is this?'

She suspected she had died and this was her afterlife, recalling the circumstances of her own demise.

She wasn't any Young Mistress, and no one wept for her in such a manner. She was the daughter of the military doctor Zhao Bai, whose entire family had dedicated their lives to the country, only to be met with humiliation, betrayal, and a painful end.

And then there was 'Zhao Ming,' who had inherited her father's medical prowess but had loved a man so deeply that she abandoned her family for him. Given that Zhao Bai was a trusted friend of the old Emperor, she was betrothed to the Crown Prince, Ji Cheng.

The first time she saw him in the old Emperor's chamber when they were both young, it was love at first sight for her, though he never reciprocated her feelings.

After the Old Emperor's passing, Ji Cheng ascended the throne. He never visited her chambers. She initially assumed he was merely busy and would come to her later.

However, after their wedding night, their marriage consummated, he never returned. Even that first night was not as she had dreamed.

She had longed to spend time with him, to know him better. But when he entered the room, his eyes were red and filled with lust. Their wedding night felt like pure torment for her.

They exchanged no words; he simply descended upon her as if desperate to possess her.

Still, she rationalized it, believing perhaps this was simply how things transpired, as she was rather naive about the dynamics between men and women.

A few weeks into their marriage, he departed for war. She was left to reside in a grand chamber, alone.

A new bride was expected to endure months without her husband. She was unfamiliar with the palace and its inhabitants, and now, he was absent as well.

Yet, she steeled her heart. As the Empress of the Ji Dynasty, she could not afford to appear weak. Her husband was the Emperor; she couldn't selfishly keep him to herself.

Her love for him was so profound that she endured all the humiliation heaped upon her by her mother-in-law, who disliked her for not hailing from a royal lineage.

She was the daughter of a military doctor and a soldier, lacking any noble family background.

Upon Ji Cheng's return from war one day, he brought back another consort, Xiao Li, the princess of L County. Zhao Ming presumed this was merely to solidify his power and his empire.

Her mother-in-law treated her new daughter-in-law, Xiao Li, with great favor. Xiao Li, being from a royal family, undoubtedly assisted Ji Cheng in bolstering his empire's strength.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ming, the Empress of the Ji Dynasty by decree of the old Emperor, could only bear the constant taunts from the Empress Dowager.

With the Old Emperor gone, only the Empress Dowager remained, demanding her respect.

Furthermore, Ji Cheng rarely stayed in the palace, frequently traveling to other regions and engaging in wars.

He was preoccupied with consolidating his power, having recently claimed the throne amidst numerous burgeoning rebellions across the land.

Many coveted his position as Emperor.

Consequently, she couldn't voice her grievances about her treatment within the palace during his absences, as she didn't wish to burden him.

She could withstand all indignities and humiliation, keeping them locked within herself.

Following the old Emperor's demise, she commanded no respect within the palace. Yet, she persevered through every slight, motivated by her love for Ji Cheng and her hope that he would one day return to her with the love and respect she deserved reflected in his eyes.

For years, she yearned to see affection in his gaze. But all she ever received was a chilling coldness.

...

One night, while strolling near the garden pond, anticipating a glance from His Highness, she was suddenly pushed from behind.

She plunged into the dark, deep water.

Despite knowing how to swim, her limbs refused to move as if held captive by an unseen force.

As she struggled for breath, her vision began to blur.

One by one, scenes from her life flickered before her eyes, like viewing a personal album. All she saw was her drab, exhausting existence, steeped in agony and regret.

Regret for marrying into the royal family and for not standing up against the humiliations she endured within the palace.