Prologue
Out of all people, Shu Yin never thought that this
will happen to her. Perhaps, this is
what they call retribution.
A pale and corpse-like young woman lies on her bed. The white silken nightdress that she always pranced around in is marred by blood; the same nightdress that was usually accompanied by her seductive smile. Everything suddenly feels so ironic.
The dull air of autumn envelops the entire Forbidden City and the colorful Lian Qing Palace suddenly seems so lifeless. Perhaps, this entire palace is dying along with it’s master.
Imperial Physicians runs and in out of the chamber, the last gasp effort to keep their heads intact. She quietly clicks her tongue in sympathy for those pitiful souls.
Shu Yin turns to the Empress Dowager who is sitting on the bedside, next to that sickly lady. The Empress Dowager that she remembers looks a lot younger than this one. Perhaps worrying incessantly has taken its toll on her. “Xi Guifei, how are you doing? Can you hear me?”
The woman on the bed does not respond, half-awake and half-gone.
An Guifei who is standing behind the Empress Dowager like she usually does appears unusually restless. She has a good reason to, Shu Yin mentally notes. Xi Guifei’s biggest competitor in the Back Palace is her. If anything happens to either of them, the first suspect will be the other party.
A maid rushes in hastily, “Your Ladyships, His Majesty is at the main gate.”
“Ah?” the Empress Dowager gasps before exchanging alarmed looks with An Guifei, “Isn’t the journey supposed to take three days? How did the emperor gets here so fast?”
A grave silence envelops the entire room. The Empress Dowager ponders for a while. “Xian Hui-“ she turns to An Guifei, “-you need to go. If anything happens to her, the Emperor will go after you first.”
The way An Guifei does not protest makes her feet runs cold. Don’t tell her------
“Bring Yu Changzai with you.” The Empress Dowager glances at her as she says that.
Sigh.
“Lu Kang!” she summons her personal eunuch.
A middle aged eunuch with only one eye quickly steps in from the door. “Yes, Your Ladyship.”
“Escort An Guifei and Yu Changzai out of the palace. Do it covertly, use the back doors. Take them to my broth- No, no. Take them to the Xun Huan Temple outside the capital. Quick! Do not bother to bring your things with you! Your lives matter more! Just go now! Use this pendant!”
Lu Kang accepts the pendant from the empress dowager and bows, “Yes.”
As they head towards the back gate, they can see the silhouette of a man in golden armor hastily making his way towards Lian Qing Palace. His usually impeccable and unhurried bearing is marred by anxiety.
The last thing Shu Yin thinks off as she weeps on the inside is: I should’ve change master when I had the chance to!
A pale and corpse-like young woman lies on her bed. The white silken nightdress that she always pranced around in is marred by blood; the same nightdress that was usually accompanied by her seductive smile. Everything suddenly feels so ironic.
The dull air of autumn envelops the entire Forbidden City and the colorful Lian Qing Palace suddenly seems so lifeless. Perhaps, this entire palace is dying along with it’s master.
Imperial Physicians runs and in out of the chamber, the last gasp effort to keep their heads intact. She quietly clicks her tongue in sympathy for those pitiful souls.
Shu Yin turns to the Empress Dowager who is sitting on the bedside, next to that sickly lady. The Empress Dowager that she remembers looks a lot younger than this one. Perhaps worrying incessantly has taken its toll on her. “Xi Guifei, how are you doing? Can you hear me?”
The woman on the bed does not respond, half-awake and half-gone.
An Guifei who is standing behind the Empress Dowager like she usually does appears unusually restless. She has a good reason to, Shu Yin mentally notes. Xi Guifei’s biggest competitor in the Back Palace is her. If anything happens to either of them, the first suspect will be the other party.
A maid rushes in hastily, “Your Ladyships, His Majesty is at the main gate.”
“Ah?” the Empress Dowager gasps before exchanging alarmed looks with An Guifei, “Isn’t the journey supposed to take three days? How did the emperor gets here so fast?”
A grave silence envelops the entire room. The Empress Dowager ponders for a while. “Xian Hui-“ she turns to An Guifei, “-you need to go. If anything happens to her, the Emperor will go after you first.”
The way An Guifei does not protest makes her feet runs cold. Don’t tell her------
“Bring Yu Changzai with you.” The Empress Dowager glances at her as she says that.
Sigh.
“Lu Kang!” she summons her personal eunuch.
A middle aged eunuch with only one eye quickly steps in from the door. “Yes, Your Ladyship.”
“Escort An Guifei and Yu Changzai out of the palace. Do it covertly, use the back doors. Take them to my broth- No, no. Take them to the Xun Huan Temple outside the capital. Quick! Do not bother to bring your things with you! Your lives matter more! Just go now! Use this pendant!”
Lu Kang accepts the pendant from the empress dowager and bows, “Yes.”
As they head towards the back gate, they can see the silhouette of a man in golden armor hastily making his way towards Lian Qing Palace. His usually impeccable and unhurried bearing is marred by anxiety.
The last thing Shu Yin thinks off as she weeps on the inside is: I should’ve change master when I had the chance to!
Here is the ranking of consorts for this story:
Huanghou, 皇后 (Empress): Only 1 at most.
Guifei, 贵妃 (Noble Consorts): Only 2 at most.
Fei, 妃 (Consorts): Only 4 at most.
Pin, 嫔 (Imperial Concubine): Only 6 at most.
Guiren, 贵人 (Noble Ladies): Unlimited
Changzai, 常在 (First Class Female Attendant): Unlimited
Daying, 答应 (Second Class Female Attendant): Unlimited.
