chapter 1

Everyone in the world is sick.

Plagues run rampant across the land, but looking around, no one’s illness is more severe than that of Emperor Yan.

Emperor Yan is plagued by a stubborn disease, and his medicine primer is the brains of virgins.

The sovereign once said: Fine food is not as precious as fine vessels. And the skull that holds the brain is the vessel for this delicacy.

Apricot eyes, jade nose, cherry lips, snow-white skin-if the person is beautiful, so is the vessel.

A hole, perfectly matching the size of a human skull, was carved into the purple sandalwood table. The palace attendants ordered the beauties to crawl under the table and stick their heads through the hole.

The size of the hole was just right to trap half of a beauty’s head.

Momo struck down with an axe, Medicine Boy pried open the skull with tongs, and Emperor Yan stepped out from behind the screen, holding jade chopsticks, to enjoy this delicacy.

The people are like lambs, slaughtered without a sound.

Her life ended, but the feast did not. Like many virgins sold into the Yan Palace, I knelt in the hall, awaiting my fate.

When it was my turn to crawl under the table, something went wrong. I said the wrong thing.

Emperor Yan lay behind the screen; I could not see him. All I saw was the young boy at the foot of the steps, holding fire tongs, still childish, with jade-like features and golden complexion, like a celestial boy at Guanyin’s side. There was a tiny red mole at the center of his brow-a minuscule cinnabar mark.

Jinluan Hall was resplendent and magnificent, so different from my drafty home. I was busy looking around, and happily exclaimed, “It’s so warm!”

This remark made Emperor Yan suspect my brain was unfit for consumption, so he ordered me thrown out of the hall.