New World's Empress

Liu Mei stood in mid of road frozen as the carriage rushed towards her. ''Stand aside you peasant.''

The yell made her move to the bushes a few steps while her big eyes stared at the horses that passed her.

''Wait.... what is going on? I just walked the main street and now I am on a strange road, the carriages passed me. Is this kind of hallucination or did I hit my head and have some kind of strange vision.'' She shook her head as she loudly spoke.

It was anyway no one there. She then stepped on the dirt road and held tightly the bag in her hands. If this is a hallucination, it's quite realistic.

Instead of the sound sod cars and people, she heard wind strolling between leaves and chirping of birds. Instead of heavy air and burning sun, she felt the light breeze, fresh air and the soft sun shining upon her.

Just like all housewives she liked dramas. This is strange. She felt like she just jumped from her real-life in one of the dramas and was about to get an experience something strange.

''Of course, you will.'' A tiny voice suddenly resounded from somewhere.

She jumped almost and looked around searching for the person who spoke but couldn't find anyone. ''I am invisible to you. Actually, I have no idea how you lived in that world that long and survived. The world didn't suit you at all. Your life is strange. Really. You choose to do so much but no one appreciated it. Did you know on end only your ex-husband was looking for you as he felt a bit sorry? Not even your children or your family cared. Liu Mei, I had to take you away from there.''

Her eyes still darted around and she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. ''Good. I know. What is going on and where am I now?''

''People have the vision to go back in past time, but that would be impossible. If you change even a bit of past the future they had would be completely different if not destroyed. So what I did is to send you to the parallel universe, where the Westerner never laid their hands on eastern culture and where kings and Emperors still fight with swords and spears and not with guns and bombs. But the only change is that women have a bit more rights than in the past times. They can work, open their own business if they want to support themselves.''

His little voice was kind of vane and broken she spoke. ''I exhausted my power by sending you here. This is, unfortunately, the only thing I can do for you. With your current knowledge, you will be able to live nice and respected life here. And if that doesn't help you, I will turn you into immortal and bring you with me as my sister to live here. But I don't think you would like this place. Sigh. Just enjoy that place. By the way, before I go I have to tell you a few things.'' He started coughing making Liu Mei scrunch her eyebrows. What kind of immortal coughs?

''This world has Emperor, but that man is unreasonable. So be careful not to meet him...ever. Oh yes, the set of bluestone accessories I turned into one stone. I implanted it into your head as it is a rare treasure. When you want to escape and there is no other way, use the stone and escape in your private space. No, it can't grow. But you will be able to stay inside for a long time if you have enough supplies. There is enough air inside. No planting, or gardening or such things. Just think of it like storage that can contain you as well.'' His cough got worse and she wanted to stop him, but his voice cleared suddenly.

''Stop worrying about me. Survive at least ten years, then I will see what is going on over there. Liu Mei, I wish you a wonderful new life, really. See you in ten years.'' He started coughing again and then his voice was gone.

Liu Mei turned around and saw inside the forest one tree stump flat as a table. She rushed over there and opened her package. And truly, the bluestone accessory was gone. she closed her eyes imagining the blue stone on that necklace and suddenly she heard just little voices from outside.

Her space was not big. Maybe the size of a big living room. 10mx10m. She smiled and turned her head. She could see the forest through something like gauze but when she tried to touch it it was stopped by a wall. She saw her bag open on a tree stump and her heart went happy.

She closed her eyes and wished to be outside, then she wished to be again in space and let the bag inside. She took out an only a small roll of bronze coins and stuffed them by her belt.

She went out of space and started looking around. When she was younger she gathered some wild plants for one old doctor of Chinese medicine. He even made her drink dreadfully bitter medicine when she was sick and it helped her straight after one night.

Since then she chooses to drink that kind of medicine whenever she could. So she searched the forest and found some common herbs. Nothing special. Bt she still foraged it carefully. Then she found some wild healing mushrooms. Even if she is not able to sell these she can still eat them, right?

She put as many plants as she could inside the bag she had and then even more inside her space. When she went onto the street she saw many people going the same direction and she chooses to calmly go the same way. She would from time to time stop and gather more herbs that stood by the street and then continue, making those people just give her few glances.

Soon an opening on end of the forest could be seen, and as everyone rushed there she joined in. But seeing the sight in front of her she froze for second and then recomposed herself Making her expression turn calm.

As she silently followed the group of people she realized how huge the town is. And those gates as well. They all stood in line and one of the women that were walking before her curiously stared at her.

''Where are you from? Your clothes...''