The rain poured and the winds swept through the beautiful man-made gardens, like angry ocean currents touching the coastline of the small country of Hmagol. Four men in black uniforms, each carrying a person on their left shoulder, rushed into the garden, walking towards the small temple that stood not far from them. When the four approached, they saw a eunuch dressed in red waiting for them in front of the temple with a dim lantern.
When the four of them reached the door, Nugai said, "Her Highness is waiting inside." He opened the door, and the four of them rushed in quickly, with wet footsteps stepping on the white ceramic floor. After the four men entered the temple, Nugai closed the door and followed them into the inner chamber.
Inside the inner chamber of the temple, an upper-class woman knelt in front of the statue of a four-armed woman. Nugai walked up to the well-dressed woman and said, "Concubine Erhi, what Your Highness requested has arrived."
Erhi turned around and smiled, "How is the queen?"
Nugai lowered his head, not daring to look directly at Erhi. He said in a soft, high voice, "It is expected that Her Highness will give birth tonight." He bowed in front of Erhi.
Erhi stood up from her knees and faced Nugai and the four guards. "Prepare my offerings to the god of death," she commanded, before kneeling in front of the four-armed statue.
The four men quickly untied the ropes that bound the mouths of the four bags, and the heads of the four women came out of the bags. Four naked women appeared to be asleep. Their lifeless bodies fell to the ground. The four men carried the women and placed them in front of Erhi. The four men then pulled out their knives from their waistbands and stabbed their knives into the four females' left chests. Within minutes, the four men had dug up the hearts of the four women, placing the fresh human hearts on the statue's palms.
Erhi lit four incense sticks and knelt down again. After three bows, she handed four burning incense sticks to Nugai. Nugai walked to the statue, put the four burning incense sticks into the incense pot, and then walked back and stood behind Erhi.
Inside the queen's royal chamber as angry thunder rumbled in the night sky, in a room lit by hundreds of candles, numerous servants were busy entering and leaving the chamber. The noise in the chamber was as loud as that of a morning market crowd. The wind whistled through the bedroom, and the open wooden windows slammed heavily against the window frame with a loud bang. The wind blew out most of the candles by the window.
Gan, the queen's maid, was nearly forty years old. She rushed to the windows and shouted at the servants who were still lighting the candles on the table, "Help me close these windows!"
The ten servants quickly put down their work and rushed to help Gan close the windows.
The delicate and beautiful woman reached out and grabbed the wooden stick hanging from the ceiling. Throughout the night, thunder rumbled, and the woman screamed and panted in pain.
The midwife rubbed Qara's hard abdomen and urged, "Push, Your Highness, push!"
Qara, who had been panting in pain for two days, said, "I don't think I can do it," panting, "I don't think I can do it."
Gan stood beside Qara, holding her hand. She said, "Your Highness, just a little longer, the prince will be here at any time."
The midwife said, "Yes, senior housemaid Gan is correct, please push, push Your Highness."
Qara grabbed the stick and pushed hard. She was sweating profusely and let out a scream. Then she suddenly fell into Gan's arms, who was standing beside her.
Qara asked weakly, "How is my prince?"
The strong baby cried as loud as thunder. The midwife slowly covered the newborn baby with a red cloth, then quickly knelt in front of Qara.
Qara looked down at the midwife and asked, "What's going on? Don't tell me my prince didn't survive or was stillborn. I heard him cry. I... I heard him cry."
The midwife's lips trembled slightly and said, "Your Highness, congratulations on giving birth to a princess."
Qara sat up suddenly and said incredulously, "I don't believe it." She held out her hand. "Bring me the baby. I want to check it out myself."
The midwife slowly climbed onto the royal bed and placed the little princess in front of Qara.
Qara slowly lifted the red cloth, and when she saw the baby's private parts, she immediately fell back into Gan's arms and sobbed.
After listening to the conversation between Qara and the midwife, Tong, the king's most trusted eunuch, walked out of Qara's bedroom chamber and said to one of the servants, "Blow the horn twice."
In the small temple, Erhi was still kneeling and praying, when a loud noise suddenly made her open her eyes quickly. She was breathing heavily, listening for a second or third signal. As if waiting for a long time, the second sound suddenly resounded throughout the palace. Erhi's laughter echoed in the small temple.
Nugai walked up to Erhi and said, "Concubine Erhi, congratulations. Today, fortune is on your side."
Erhi turned around and said happily, "Human sacrifice is indeed very effective." She walked to the table full of candles. She stared at one of them. "There's a saying that mothers are blessed because of their children." She mused, "You may be the Queen for now, but soon that position will be mine." She reached out and squeezed the flame of a small torch. "How can your disabled prince and princess be compared with my son, the soon-to-be Grand General of the Northern Army?" She laughed. "Ha-ha-ha! Queen Qara, cherish that throne while you still can, because soon it will be mine!"
After the princess got dressed and bathed, Gan put the nameless princess on the bed beside Qara. She said, "Her Highness has already been fed."
Qara said sadly, "Is the king here?"
Gan said, "My Queen, the King is not here. The person here is Eunuch Tong. He has news from the king."
Qara sighed disappointedly, "Let him in."
Not long after, the eunuch came in and knelt in front of Qara. The old eunuch didn't dare to look at Qara. With his head looking down at the floor, he said, "Long live Queen Qara, King Batukhan said, 'Please take care of your body.' His Highness cannot visit you at this time."
Qara said, "You can go back and tell King Batukhan, I thank him for his kind words." Tong slowly exited the bedroom. Qara sighed. "I know His Highness is disappointed that she is not a son."
Qara looked at the innocent princess, who was sleeping soundlessly beside her. Then the loud sound of pushing wheels entered her bedroom chamber. She saw that her son had been pushed towards her.
Bastaikhan smiled and said, "Mother, I want to meet the little princess."
Qara smiled and said, "Gan, take the princess to see the prince."
Gan picked up the princess and handed her to Bastaikhan.
Bastaikhan looked at Qara and asked, "Mother, what's the name of the little princess?"
Qara said, "I haven't thought of one yet."
Bastaikhan asked, "Will father give her a name?"
Qara knew that if the king showed up right after the birth, he would name the child. But if he refused to visit, it meant he did not want to name the newborn child. She looked at her son and said, "No."
Bastaikhan looked at Qara and said, "Mother, may I pick a name for the little princess?"
Qara asked with a smile, "What name do you want to give the little princess?"
Bastaikhan said, "I'm going to name her Chinua."
Qara was taken aback, "Chinua...?"
Bastaikhan smiled and said, "Yes, Chinua..."
Gan said, "Crown Prince, please consider a different name for the little princess."
Bastaikhan asked, "Why?"
Gan said, "If others hear of the princess's name, they might be offended."
Bastaikhan looked at Gan and Qara, "But that's the name I want to give her."
Qara said, "Tell me why you picked that name?"
Bastaikhan said, "When she was born, father didn't even come to see her. I don't care what people say when they know the little princess's name. I'll give her that name anyway." He looked at Qara. "You had four miscarriages, and two princes died. When you were pregnant with her, you were poisoned; every palace physician said you would have a miscarriage within three days, yet you didn't. She survived against all odds; she's truly a blessing from God." He looked at Qara. "Don't you think so, Mother?"
Qara knew exactly what her son meant. She had tried to conceive for a long time but couldn't get pregnant. When she finally did, it was either a miscarriage or the baby was stillborn. Over the years, she was getting old and thought she would never get pregnant again, but she finally did. She smiled at Bastaikhan and said, "It's settled, Chinua is the name of the princess."
Bastaikhan looked at Chinua and said, "You may be a princess, but don't let anyone look down on you, because in the future, you will be my legs."