The sunset glow was like blood.
In the palace halls with carved beams and painted rafters, the slightly ajar window appeared desolate and tragic.
A few delicate whispers drifted from behind the glazed screen, the voices sharp and high-pitched, laced with deep malice, curses uttered as if they were the most natural thing in the world.
"This imbecile, the sooner she dies, the sooner she's reborn. Isn't she just dragging others down alive?"
"Xiao He, speak softer, lest someone hears you."
Another delicate voice chimed in, seemingly with a hint of worry, but the palace maid called Xiao He immediately let out a disdainful scoff.
"Xiuxiu, you tell the best jokes. Who would come to this desolate place? You know as well as I do, besides us four damned souls, who else would ever set foot here?
Think about how miserable our fate is. Why did we draw the short straw and end up in this place? I pray every day for this imbecile to die soon and be reborn, then we can be reassigned."
Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow. While this was indeed the shared sentiment of the four of them, speaking it so boldly was still inappropriate.
Xiuxiu was slender and petite, while Xiao He, standing beside her, was the opposite – tall and striking, with a beautiful face.
For a time, she had harbored dreams of soaring to the heavens and becoming a phoenix.
Even though that dream was shattered, at least she ought to be with a favored master, living a life of luxury, instead of being stuck with an idiot, being bullied and pointed at wherever they went. This life was simply unbearable.
"Xiao He, forget it. See if the Empress has woken up yet?"
"If you want to see, you go. Don't ask me," Xiao He abruptly flung away Xiuxiu's hand, and before leaving, she gave Xiuxiu a fierce glare, demanding through gritted teeth, "Tell me, are you truly resigned to this? And you, and you?"
She tapped Xiuxiu's head, then pointed to the two eunuchs, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Zhao. Hands on her hips, she moved past the three of them one by one, and without exception, saw a flicker of unwillingness in their pupils. Xiao He immediately grinned triumphantly.
"I knew it, you're all like me, unwilling to stay here. So who cares if this idiot is okay or not? Let's ignore her. Falling into the pond in this weather, she's practically dead even if she doesn't die.
We'll just check if she's dead by midnight?"
Xiao He spoke venomously. Looking up, she realized the sleeping chambers were shrouded in darkness. She couldn't discern the faces of others in the night. She waved her hand, ordering, "Go light the palace lanterns."
"Mm."
The individuals dispersed, some to light the palace lanterns, others to close the windows, working with swift efficiency.
At this moment, no one noticed that the person on the bed moved, and then moved again. The movements were stiff, as if close to reanimating a corpse, but soon ceased. The sleeping chambers were suddenly illuminated.
The dim yellow palace lanterns cast a vibrant glow, making the murals on the walls shimmer with shifting light and shadow...
On the bed adorned with gold inlay and jade carvings, a woman with a contorted face lay still.
Her face was contorted because various rouge and powders, having been soaked in water, were smeared in vibrant colors across a face whose features were indistinguishable. Under the lamplight, it lent a terrifying aura.
In reality, the person on the bed had woken up long ago, but her thoughts were muddled, unable to grasp the situation. A pervasive weakness enveloped her, and she couldn't even open her eyes, yet her mind was clear.
Therefore, she had heard every word the two palace maids had spoken, and her lips twitched, wanting to curse.
Her body felt sticky, as if she had been submerged in water. Her clothes clung to her, and the chill wind made her shiver uncontrollably. Recalling the words she had heard, these were clearly disloyal servants bullying their master.
Yun Xiao, without opening her eyes, cursed them inwardly twice. Immediately, bloody scenes flashed through her mind.
She, Yun Xiao, was still a doctor from the 21st century, a legendary figure in the medical field, having saved countless lives. Her expertise in both traditional Chinese and Western medicine had solved many difficult and complex cases, making her a figure widely reported by newspapers and magazines.
Unexpectedly, she, such an outstanding individual, had died in a car accident.
The cause was her impending participation in a major academic exchange conference, which was to be held at the Urumqi Art Museum.
However, a heavy snowfall the night before her departure caused the plane to malfunction. She had to change her travel plans. There was no train service between Urumqi and where she lived.
Thus, she had no choice but to take a long-distance coach to the city. Tragically, this coach collided with a large truck at a highway interchange, causing both vehicles to fly off the guardrail.
This resulted in the deaths of many passengers inside, and she had witnessed the blood-splattered scene of the passenger sitting in front of her.
As for her own appearance, it was likely no better. It was a pity she never had the chance to know, because she had forever fallen into darkness.
Yun Xiao thought of the collision between the coach and the truck, and her heart couldn't help but tremble slightly. She, who had saved countless lives, had ultimately met such an unconventional death.
But what was happening to her now? She, who should have died, could clearly hear people speaking. And she was certain that the people speaking were definitely not angels. Angels were not so malicious...
Yun Xiao abruptly opened her eyes. Her dark, bright eyes were like two brilliant black gemstones, shining with life, darting around as she surveyed her surroundings.
Above her head was a bluish-white silk canopy, with gentle waves of seawater patterns. The carved bed and the four vermilion pillars were adorned with auspicious clouds coiling around beasts, lifelike. The bed curtains, the dressing table with its bronze mirror, and the glazed screen – everything was present, and exceedingly luxurious.
"What a quaint and ancient room," Yun Xiao marveled. She suddenly sat up, her clothes still sticking uncomfortably.
Under the dim lamplight, her face was a ghastly mess of colors. Her black hair was disheveled, and she blinked her sinister eyes, gazing at a maidservant walking towards her with a candle holder.
In the bright, soft light, this maidservant was tall and striking, with a pretty face. Her hair was styled in a bun, with two small braids hanging down on either side of her face. She wore a slightly faded pink palace gown that swayed as she walked gracefully.
When she looked up and saw the person sitting stiffly on the bed, she let out a startled yelp.
"A ghost!"
She fumbled the candle holder, and in her panic, fell to her knees with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing and begging.
"Your Highness, spare my life! It has nothing to do with me, nothing at all! I didn't harm you. There are causes for every effect; find the one who harmed you, I did not!"
The one begging for mercy was the sharp-tongued maid Xiao He. She was now incessantly kowtowing. Her actions alerted the three people working on the other side of the sleeping chambers, and they rushed over.
As they looked up and met Yun Xiao's contorted face, they let out startled screams. They dropped to their knees with a thud, repeatedly pleading.
"Your Highness, spare our lives! Your Highness, spare our lives! It was not we who harmed you. You died with grievances unavenged; go seek revenge from Consort De! She is the one who harmed you!"
For a moment, the vast sleeping chambers echoed with their pleas. Yun Xiao, seated on the bed, watched the two palace maids and eunuchs begging below with a half-smile, not speaking for a long time. Her pupils rolled, and a playful smile curved her lips...