After an indeterminate time, a familiar sound broke the silence—the sound of wood being pushed open, the only sound heard besides the rats. Following this, a bowl of food arrived. The person outside placed the bowl in a small opening, saying nothing and seemingly waiting for the person inside to retrieve it.
After nearly half a tea’s time, an extremely thin, bony, and pale hand slowly reached out. The food deliverer couldn’t help but shiver.
He had been responsible for bringing food to this person for decades but had never heard a single word spoken.
Pulling the valve down, darkness engulfed the space again, but her eyes remained fixed on the spot that had just emitted light. The food was carelessly placed aside—only extreme hunger prompted eating. Consequently, most meals were consumed by rats, which explained their frequent visits.
Slightly turning her head, her face, hidden by disheveled hair, became visible—pale and gaunt. Slowly, rats began to smell the food, cautiously approaching, sniffing, and then happily eating.
She sat nearby, with rats crawling over her body, yet human and rodent coexisted peacefully, seemingly accustomed to this interaction. If the light were brighter, one could see her lifeless eyes watching the rats feast, with a hint of tenderness and joy.
For years, without these creatures in such endless darkness, she would have gone mad—though in reality, her current state was not far from madness.
In the darkness, time had lost all meaning. She would sleep when exhausted, wake and open her eyes, with no distinction between waking and sleeping. Her life had ended decades ago when the heavy curtains fell before her eyes—or perhaps even earlier.
After an indeterminate time, despite her current tolerance for hunger, she was beginning to struggle.
Yet the food deliverer had not appeared. Was she to die like this? Abandoned and ultimately becoming rat food—after feeding them for years, would she now be their meal? Her thoughts drifted, hazy.
Time passed. Nearly unable to open her eyes, a loud noise startled her, making her look at the door. Successive loud bangs followed, as if someone was striking it with a heavy object. With each strike, her heart jumped; for someone long accustomed to silence, such sudden noise was overwhelming.
Just as the repeated strikes hammered her heart, a final massive sound erupted, and the wooden door burst open. Light, seemingly from another lifetime, appeared before her.
“Who are you?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the light.
Someone carefully looked around and gently picked her up. “We are here to rescue you.” After speaking, they nodded to the people behind them and quickly disappeared.
Somewhere –
“Who are you?” the white-haired woman asked calmly.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
The person waved for them to leave, and it was Xu Qiu’er. “I am Xu Qiu’er, the principal wife of Long Hanxie.”
“
The woman was surprised and looked at Xu Qiu’er, “Why are you saving me? Aren’t you afraid of provoking the Empress?”
Xu Qiu’er regarded the woman, remembering a man from her past who resembled her.
”I will help you.”
Red leaves without flowers painted the maple forest brilliant, blazing like fire and burning the sky’s azure, leaving only dazzling red. Sunlight leaked through the maple leaves, tinted crimson, mingling with a warm breeze and woody fragrance. Backlit, the leaves seemed transparent, almost dripping blood, beautiful and vivid.
On this tranquil autumn morning, no birds chirped, and no insects buzzed. Sunlight on the ground was silent, wind brushes were quiet, and fallen leaves rustled soundlessly underfoot.
”Your Highness, the Empress has lost her pearl necklace and is searching the palace.” Cang Yue retreated.
Xu Qiu’er coldly laughed, “A pearl necklace? How could she think of that? Where is the person?”
Cang Yue assured, “Please be assured, Your Highness. The person is in a safe place, and we will find an opportunity to send her out of the palace.”
Kunning Palace –
”Useless, all useless.”
The Empress’s blue dragon cup shattered in her hand, and the palace maids rushed to stop the bleeding. Coldly, she looked at the kneeling person, demanding, “Find a way to locate her, or prepare to lose your head.”
The Empress’s mind raced as she questioned why the person had been taken and who opposed her. She feared the Emperor’s discovery would spell trouble for her.
“Who knows about this?” she asked.
“Only this servant and a small eunuch who delivers food, Your Highness.”
The Empress’s eyes flickered. “I believe you won’t betray me. Find a way to silence that little eunuch.”
“Yes.”
“No matter who you are, if you’ve chosen to oppose me, you’ll pay the price.”
In Ruo Qiu Hall, a palace maid interrupted, saying, “Pardon the interruption, Your Highness.” Xu Qiu’er smiled and replied, “Not at all, just following orders.” She called to Ning’er, “Let’s take a walk in the garden.” Ning’er assisted Xu Qiu’er as they walked.
“Do you think I’m a good person?” Xu Qiu’er asked.
Ning’er responded, “Your Highness is more than good. Who in the palace doesn’t know you have the heart of a bodhisattva, kind and soft-hearted?”
To this, Xiao Rong interjected, “This servant believes kindness is least appropriate in the inner palace.”
Xu Qiu’er raised an eyebrow, “What did the Empress lose that requires a thorough search?”
Xiao Rong lowered her eyes, “This servant thinks the Empress isn’t looking for a necklace, but something she doesn’t want others to know. Making such a show is just to create a pretext.”
Xu Qiu’er stopped walking, and Xiao Rong knelt, declaring, “Thank you for your grace, this servant will be loyal to death.”
Ning’er quickly caught up with Xu Qiu’er, whispering to Xiao Rong, “Congratulations on your promotion.”
Guan Yue approached Xu Qiu’er, the two speaking with lowered heads. Xu Qiu’er appeared in a good mood, laughing openly as they walked along the palace garden’s lakeside. It was spring, with flowers blooming everywhere—peonies, daphne, begonias, cherry blossoms—all competing for attention. Rare varieties were cultivated here, creating a vibrant scene. Xu Qiu’er carried a small lotus basket, carefully selecting unblemished petals.
The sunlight was exceptionally bright, the sky a clear blue without clouds. She was dressed simply for garden walking, wearing a purple-blue open-front robe dress with a white cloud brocade inner garment with silver edges, tied elegantly in a butterfly knot.
Her hair was styled in a low bun, with a strand draped over her shoulder and secured with a hairpin decorated with colored jade.
As she admired the garden and picked flowers, she suddenly heard Xu Qing’er’s laughter from the lake. Xu Qiu’er looked through the begonia branches towards the lake, shaped like a teardrop and flanked by pavilion towers. A floating rock pathway crossed the lake, partially submerged, leading to a delicate water-crossing pavilion surrounded by a diamond-shaped railing.
She remembered that Long Hanxie was hesitant to confine Xu Qing’er for too long. Xu Qiu’er lowered her eyes, scattering blue petals at her feet. “Return to the palace.” Their footsteps crushed the petals into flower mud.
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, two banquets were held: the Emperor hosted a feast in the Yongchun Palace for his officials, while the inner palace celebrated in the Lianyan Hall with the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Concubine Ye among various concubines.
After the moon worship ceremony, the grand banquet began. There was a dedicated moon worship garden in the capital, but outside major festivals, it was usually a casual affair within the palace, saving manpower and expenses.
