Chapter 1

Chapter 1

On the day of the Emperor and Empress’s grand wedding, the ceremonial robes stretched for miles, and the air was filled with the thunderous beat of drums and gongs.

Shen Si’s features were sharp and clear. He looked exceptionally handsome in his opulent, gold-threaded red wedding robes.

I stood at the very back of the crowd, watching from a distance as the two of them received the homage of the masses on the high platform.

I felt a bit dazed, a bit regretful.

I wondered what kind of transcendent being that person-the one who shared sixty percent of his looks-would have looked like in these wedding robes.

After the investiture ceremony concluded.

I was ordered to walk before the red palanquin, holding a lantern to welcome the new Empress, He Yi’an, as she took up residence in Weiyang Palace.

As soon as we entered the hall, I was tripped by the senior maid serving He Yi’an and forced to my knees.

The floor of the hall was scattered with festive five-colored grains.

My kneecaps had been broken once before. Kneeling on the grains, the pressure grinding into the old injury caused a piercing, heart-wrenching pain.

He Yi’an looked down at me and tilted my chin up.

She scrutinized me for a moment, then wiped her fingers with a silk handkerchief, asking contemptuously, “What is your name?”

“This servant is called Shan Que.”

She gave a mocking laugh. “So, you’re that dog who voluntarily gave up her status as a female official just to stay by his side for four years?”

I was in such pain that I broke into a cold sweat. I remained prostrate on the ground, eyes lowered, and did not answer her.

She was clearly looking to make an example of me, all because I had stayed with Shen Si through thick and thin for four whole years.

“I have just entered these palace walls and am not yet entirely clear on many of the palace rules. For instance, is it true that whatever I say, you must do?”

He Yi’an sat regally upon her high seat, her tone cold and arrogant.

“Yes,” I replied, my gaze fixed on the floor.

“Then tonight, I must trouble you to kneel outside the hall and keep watch, to serve as an example for everyone in Weiyang Palace.”

A Zhu, a palace maid who had followed me since childhood, tried to plead for mercy on my behalf, but I cut her off by loudly voicing my thanks for the command.

…

Shen Si had quite a bit to drink.

By the time his procession arrived at Weiyang Palace, I had already been kneeling for six hours.

He stood behind me for a while.

A Zhu, who was waiting nearby, seized the opportunity to explain the situation and beg for mercy.

However, Shen Si walked straight past me, his voice indifferent. “She offended the Empress; she deserves to kneel.”

I stared blankly at the floor in front of me. Even after Shen Si had walked far away, I didn’t make a sound.

A Zhu’s eyes were red because of Shen Si’s refusal to help.

“Back then, to save him from a high fever, you didn’t hesitate to break out of confinement to find a physician. You were punished with broken knees and shattered bones for it. It seems he’s forgotten everything.”

Shen Si’s footsteps paused slightly upon hearing A Zhu’s indignant words, but he still stepped into Weiyang Palace.

I smiled faintly. “Don’t say any more, A Zhu. The new Empress has just taken charge of the Six Palaces; he cannot undermine her authority.”

“How can you still speak for him? You’ve stayed by His Majesty’s side for so many years without any status or recognition. What exactly are you after?”

A Zhu stamped her foot in frustration.

I remained silent for a long time. Even after A Zhu was summoned to the Embroidery Workshop for her shift, she never received my answer.

Late into the night, a strong wind picked up.

Carried on the wind were the sounds of flirtatious laughter and soft moans from inside the hall.

I don’t know when I lost consciousness.

I only remember a faint, soothing scent of pine and cypress drifting past my nose.

And then, I had many strange and vivid dreams.