Walking past an unknown large tree and over a hundred meters of stone-paved road.
I arrived before a grand Chinese mansion.
The mansion was built within the mist of this mountain valley.
It looked very ancient and majestic, with white walls, black tiles, and a vermilion red main gate.
On the plaque, the words "Nine Sages Mansion" were inscribed.
Qing Dai was a princess in her lifetime, and her father was the Emperor.
"Nine Sages" was Qing Dai's posthumous title, so her mansion was named after these two words.
Looking at the tall and magnificent mansion, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
So Qing Dai lived in this house.
Qing Dai saw my eyes widen and smiled.
"Don't be so surprised, it's all an illusion."
Hearing Qing Dai say this, I came back to my senses, but I was also eager to see what the interior was like.
As soon as I thought of this, the vermilion red gate suddenly opened.
The next second, I saw an old woman in a black cotton jacket walk out of the mansion.
This old woman had a sallow complexion and looked to be in her sixties or seventies.
As I watched, I knew at first glance that this old woman was not human.
She was a ghost.
As soon as she stepped out, she hurried to greet us.
She spoke to Qing Dai with utmost respect:
"Miss, you're back!"
Qing Dai nodded:
"Yes, Granny Long. This is Qin Ze."
Hearing Qing Dai's introduction, I smiled and cupped my fists:
"Hello!"
The old woman, called Granny Long, looked at me a few times, then smiled:
"In my past life, I met you."
I was stunned, but before I could speak further.
The old woman called Granny Long extended her hand:
"Guest, please come in!"
I smiled and followed Qing Dai into her mansion.
Even though I knew it was a ghost mansion, and that everything I saw and touched now was an illusion.
I couldn't help but observe my surroundings.
But whether it was the sense of sight or touch, everything here was too real.
In the courtyard, there were pavilions, terraces, and waterside structures.
Although Zhang Chuyue's home was also a luxurious Chinese villa, compared to this ancient ghost mansion, it was significantly inferior.
However, within this ghost mansion, besides these luxurious decorations.
What made it even more eerie were the servants within.
After entering the ghost mansion, there were many gardeners and servants in the courtyard.
These servants were all busy with their own tasks.
Some were tending to the gardens, others were paving bricks and repairing roads.
They looked no different from ordinary people.
But upon closer inspection, I realized that not a single one of these servants was human.
In fact, they weren't even ghosts.
Because these servants each had slender arms, as white as snow.
They wore heavy foundation and blush.
They were all made from paper cutouts.
And these paper cutouts respectfully stood aside when they saw Qing Dai and us passing by, bowing to us.
Mechanically, they would call out, "Miss."
Qing Dai led me, constantly introducing me to the surroundings.
Finally, she said:
"All the scenery here, although fake.
However, the style of these landscapes and buildings are the same as the environment I lived in during my lifetime.
In the mansion, besides Granny Long and me, all the others are paper figures.
I hope you are not afraid."
Hearing Qing Dai say this, I quickly shook my head:
"No, no!
I'm just not used to it yet, not scared."
What I said was the truth.
I wasn't scared, just a little unaccustomed.
After all, I was used to living among the living.
Suddenly finding myself in a ghost mansion, with moving paper figures all around, was indeed a bit unsettling.
Qing Dai smiled:
"Alright! I'll take you to the Nine Sages Pavilion for some tea."
After speaking, Qing Dai led me towards a pavilion.
The pavilion was by a small lake on the side of the mansion, looking very elegant. The pavilion had nine corners, evenly distributed.
On the pavilion, there was also a plaque that read "Nine Sages Pavilion."
Generally, pavilions have only four, six, or eight corners.
A nine-cornered pavilion is extremely rare.
And being called the "Nine Sages Pavilion," matching Qing Dai's title, indicated that this pavilion had some significance.
After all, Qing Dai had said earlier that everything in this ghost mansion was from her living environment.
This meant that whatever her life was like,
This is exactly what it is now.
Looking at the Nine Sages Pavilion, I curiously asked:
"Qing Dai, does this pavilion have any special meaning or origin?"
Hearing me speak, Qing Dai stood in front of the pavilion.
Looking at the pavilion, she sighed with emotion:
"This was built for me by my father.
Although my father did not have great scholarly or military achievements.
He doted on me immensely.
When my father ascended the throne, he granted me a noble title and had this Nine Sages Pavilion built.
He also gave me care and great expectations.
Alas, I am but a daughter.
According to ancestral law, I could not inherit the throne..."
As Qing Dai spoke to this point, she sounded melancholic, even letting out a sigh.
And after hearing this, I felt deeply moved.
It felt like I had learned some historical secret...
After encountering Miao Nanzi on the rooftop last time, I actually researched history privately.
I revisited history, especially the Western Han Dynasty, and Qing Dai's father, Emperor Ai of Han.
The online encyclopedias had very little information.
Emperor Ai of Han truly did not leave many achievements in history.
He did, however, leave behind a rather unfortunate idiom.
And it was mentioned that he had no children.
But this point, there might be some discrepancies...
However, after Emperor Ai.
The power of the Western Han Dynasty fell into the hands of the treacherous minister Wang Mang, who became the emperor of the Xin Dynasty.
All in all, Qing Dai was not only a two-thousand-year-old female ghost.
But also a last princess of the Western Han Dynasty.
Yet, who could have known that such a princess would be by my side now.
Sharing with me her experiences from her lifetime?