Chapter 1: Rebirth
In the fifth year of Yuanqi, during the Longevity Festival, it was early spring.
At that time, past the hour of you, palace attendants had filled the waterside pavilion before the hall with lotus flowers. The rippling water in the pond accompanied the elegant and melodious music as several dancers dressed in pink robes with soft white silk draped over their shoulders followed the rhythm to the edge of the pond.
On the platform before the hall, a woman clad in crimson robes, adorned with a pomegranate flower hairpin and draped in a golden-red shawl, slowly walked to the very center of the platform.
As the music and dance gradually unfolded, the woman’s flowing ribbons danced in the wind, and the golden bells fastened around her ankles chimed with every movement she made—one step, one chime, her figure gradually advancing forward.
The majesty of the imperial family was such that even in such a lively occasion, no one dared utter a word carelessly. They all watched the central performance with varied expressions, their gazes eventually settling on the most conspicuous dancer among the crowd as she made her way step by step from the center of the pond.
Until the music ceased.
When Lan Wu opened her eyes again, what lay before her was a palace carpet woven with golden-thread embroidered patterns. The faint, cool fragrance that wafted into her nostrils was one she had smelled many times before. The exhaustion and the alternating sensations of heat and cold that coursed through her body made her unconsciously continue the words she had only half-uttered: “…May Your Majesty enjoy boundless longevity and eternal well-being.”
Not long after these words were spoken, a dignified and deep voice echoed from above. Lan Wu had heard this voice many times—in the bedchamber, in the warm rooms, or on the day before her death, when she had pleaded in vain, her heart withered in despair. The other had always been like this—devoid of tenderness, devoid of emotion, like a composed and detached observer, uttering the most chilling words.
And now, the other said: “Reward.”
Reward?
Reward what?
Lan Wu trembled, struggling to suppress her fear. She still remembered the agony of the soft cloth tightly strangling her neck, snapping her slender, fragile neck like a tender bamboo shoot. She remembered the figure with an unfamiliar face standing at the doorway before her death, covering their nose, saying she was born lowly, that even her bones carried an inescapable foulness, and the expression of disgust on their face.
But now, her neck was intact. The surroundings were unfamiliar, yet carried a faint sense of familiarity from her memories, pulling her back from the despair and pain of death—she had died, but now she was alive again.
In her memory, this scene had occurred during her first dance for the emperor, the beginning of all her misfortunes.
After the word “reward” was spoken, she had not reacted.
The chief eunuch beside the emperor, Chen Kangan, seeing this, chided softly: “How audacious! His Majesty has bestowed a reward, yet you do not accept the decree and give thanks.”
Lan Wu wore a crimson short robe, her outer garment light and alluring. In this early spring season, even with hundreds of charcoal braziers warming the hall, it was difficult to dispel the bone-chilling cold within her heart.
But after so many years in the palace, after bowing and scraping as a servant for so long, she naturally knew what to do at such a moment.
And so, she lowered her head even further, her voice trembling as it emerged from her throat, unable to conceal its quiver.
“This humble servant kowtows in gratitude for the imperial favor.”
The surrounding consorts, seeing her timid demeanor, sneered in amusement. They had thought she was bold and eager to flatter her way upward, but never expected her courage to falter at the critical moment.
Yet, this face of hers was truly exquisite.
The phrase “alluring yet not seductive, charming with a touch of purity” perfectly described Lan Wu’s face. Now with makeup applied, what was originally eight parts allure became ten, but her timid and gentle voice evoked an involuntary sense of pity.
As the dance and music ended, Lan Wu retreated with the others. Upon reaching the doorway, she sensed something and instinctively glanced upward. Across a distance of several zhang, she once again clearly saw that cold, emotionless, and supremely noble face.
Chu Mingheng was also looking at her, but unlike the deep fear and indescribable complexity hidden in her eyes, his held only a dense, impenetrable calmness like thick fog.
In that fleeting glance, Lan Wu froze as if petrified, her mind lingering on the illusion of that momentary exchange of gazes. Within his serene and indifferent eyes, there seemed to be an additional layer of inexplicable darkness, like a calm butcher waiting for prey in the night.
Today was the Longevity Festival. Besides the dance and music prepared by the Music Bureau, officials and imperial consorts from the rear palace had also come to present gifts.
Everyone retreated to the small hall to change clothes. After the ceremonies in the main hall concluded, they could still receive rewards, and most were unwilling to leave at this time.
But Lan Wu was not among them.
Lan Wu clearly remembered that after performing her dance at the Longevity Festival, before she could return to the Music Bureau with the others, Yuzhu from Consort Li’s side had come to invite her to Consort Li’s Jinghua Palace.
Inside Jinghua Palace, thick incense filled the air. Consort Li, dressed in a honey-colored brocade skirt embroidered with silk-floss flowers and colorful butterflies, reclined on a soft couch as palace attendants massaged her shoulders and neck.
Hearing the attendants announce Lan Wu’s arrival, Consort Li opened her eyes and saw her. Without waiting for Lan Wu to perform the proper courtesies, she helped her up and warmly expressed her admiration for Lan Wu’s dancing. Only after speaking a few more words did she dismiss all the attendants.
At that time, Consort Li had said Lan Wu was exceptionally beautiful and that it was a pity for her to remain merely a dancer in the Music Bureau. She claimed to have a way to present Lan Wu before the emperor, but whether she could seize the opportunity would depend entirely on her own abilities.
Lan Wu was not hearing such words for the first time. Sisters in the Music Bureau often expressed similar astonishment and regret when looking at her face.
But as someone in the Music Bureau, even if she dreamed of becoming an imperial consort and rising like a phoenix, the emperor was not so easily approached. She possessed a heart eager to charm her way upward but lacked any opportunity.
Thus, she regarded this Longevity Festival dance performance as a chance for a favorable fate. She had practiced the dance with utmost dedication, hoping the emperor would take a liking to her and accept her as a consort.
After that, when Consort Li offered her the opportunity, she did not immediately agree.
Foolishly, she had thought perhaps the emperor would remember her even without someone else’s help.
However, the reality was that she returned to repeating the same monotonous dances day after day. Eventually, she grew anxious. When Consort Li’s people came again to inquire, she quickly nodded in agreement.
Afterward, things proceeded smoothly. She became the emperor’s consort, the lowly Lan Meiren in the rear palace.
But it lasted only a year before she died on a certain day after the emperor left the palace.
Calculating the time, it was perhaps approaching soon—Yuzhu would be arriving before long.
Lan Wu quickly composed herself, pressed a hand to her chest, and sought out Aunt He from the Music Bureau, claiming she felt unwell and wished to return early to rest.
Dancing is an extremely strenuous activity, especially when performing before the emperor. Even if Lan Wu claimed to be unwell, He Ying would understand, yet she still felt somewhat displeased. Glancing at Lan Wu’s pale face, she waved her hand dismissively. “Fine, go ahead. The palace rules are strict. If you wander off and take the wrong path, don’t blame me for not warning you.”
“Yes, Auntie, Lan Wu understands.” With that, Lan Wu turned and took another path along the side, heading toward the exit of Taiqing Palace.
However, she hadn’t gone far when she ran into an acquaintance, who was followed by two palace maids. It was clear they had come specifically for Lan Wu.
Luo Yun happened to block Lan Wu’s path as she emerged and addressed her, “Miss Lan Wu, His Majesty has issued an order. Please come with me.”