Fiction: Group 4
She tried to run and find a place to hide. But her shoes were too large that hindered her speed. She even
dropped one of her shoes and she needed to go back and pick it up so as to not leaving a trail. Her hair kept
on blocking her sight and stuck on her lips that made her very uncomfortable. All these added onto her
physique, the guards quickly caught up with her and arrested her.
Her trial was postponed as she had to be transported to Guangzhou. Her act of disguising as a man to take
the Civil Service Examination caused an uproar in the country and therefore the Emperor Daoguang was
forced to have an open trial while he was visiting Guangzhou. Her trial attracted lots of attention from the
nearby towns.
Emperor Daoguang asked, “Are you well aware this is a first degree felony? You would be put to death.”
The girl answered, “Yes, I am.”
“Are you pleading guilty?” he asked, with his brown eyes piercing into hers.
“Yes, your majesty.”
“Tell me young girl, why do you need to pull such an act? Are you trying to challenge the crown?” he
grunted.
“No, your majesty. I am just trying to overthrow the suppression of womanhood.”
The politicians beside him all kneeled and exclaimed, “What the girl did was a shame to the throne. She
must be persecuted for our country’s stability and future!”
The emperor looked into her eyes. He has a same shade of chestnut brown as her. For a moment, she saw a
flash of pitifulness and hesitance but it was quickly masked by a sense of authority and solemnity. He cleared
his throat and spoke with calmness, “ I hereby announce the execution of Ah Qing from Zhongshan, being
guilty of disrupting social order, with the sentence of death.”
Her heart told her to scream and shout, to let everyone know what a terrible mistake they made, to let them
know how the society was in the wrong. But instead, she did nothing of that sort. She accepted her
punishment with dignity . She did not put up a fight or any struggle when carried out by the guard. As she
knew very well the minute she step out of her house that morning, the fight for women’s right came with a
consequence. Ah Qing’s trial was scheduled two days later. She was to be beheaded in the central square of
Foshan. It was a windy day and her hair blocked her face and stuck on her lips. When the time came, her
life flashed in front of her eyes. All she remembered was her mother whispered in her sleep, “Ah Qing, you
are special. Never forget that.” Her lips lifted upwards, prepared to accept her fate with grace.
A messenger on a horse suddenly arrived at the execution site, shouting, “Stop!”. People gave way to the
messenger and were curious about the intruder’s identity. However, the executioner ignored the men and
continued with the beheadal. The sparkle in Ah Qing’s eyes went off.
The messenger was enraged. He grabbed the collar of the executioner and shoved him forward, “You
should have waited!”
The executioner grinned, “She is merely a girl with no dignity and value . She is a worthless girl believing
in women’s right - as if they were smart enough to be in charge of the country. I don’t see any need to
hold up the execution for her.”
The messenger uttered, “Is a princess worthy enough to hold up the execution then? She is the lost princess
that the emperor has been searching for! A lead just came back stating Ah Qing was her daughter!”
The executioner couldn’t believe what a huge mistake he made. Instantly, he fled with his family and found
a place to hide in Hong Kong.
Emperor Daoguang regretted acting impulsively and that he cared too much about the power and his
throne. Every year since 1832, he mourned for his daughter’s death on 9 February by using the brush pen.
