Empty White
The new emperor of our dynasty was born on the night of the Mid-Autumn Moon.
Since the beginning of the new dynasty, every time it is Your Majesty's birthday, people in Chang'an celebrate together, Taiji celebrates together, the palace gates are never closed, the city gates are never locked, and there is no curfew at night.
Now, it is the fourth year.
That Mid-Autumn Festival, the saint lived longer.
At the banquet.
I don't like drinking. I just recovered from an injury and shouldn't drink.
Xi'er was beside me, pouring me wine. She had never seen the Taiji Palace, nor had she seen the sage. She stared at the sage, both curious and fascinated. She filled the glass...
The wine was full, the glasses were overturned, the cups were smashed, and the holy carriage was disturbed.
Xier knelt on the ground, crying pitifully, and asked the saint to forgive her sins.
That night, the moon was full, and it was both the saint’s birthday banquet and the Li family’s family banquet.
Disturbing the Taiji Palace is no small crime.
I knelt on the ground and begged the Queen Mother for mercy for Xier.
The sage did not pursue the matter, and the queen mother forgave him as well.
At that time, the Saint and the Queen Mother were watching the show, and all the men and women of the Li family were looking at her.
Xier is beautiful, she is a beauty, and I like to watch her.
After leaving Taiji Palace, we returned to Xingningfang.
Xi'er's face was full of sorrow.
The Queen Mother and the Saint have already forgiven me. I tried to comfort her, telling her not to dwell on the palace affairs. She lowered her head, weeping silently. I couldn't let her cry. I was at a loss as to what to do when someone arrived from the palace...
They are Eunuch Zhu who is beside the saint, and Eunuch Dong who is beside the empress dowager.
At the night banquet, the saint fell in love with Xier at first sight.
The emperor and the empress dowager asked for a dancer from the marquis's mansion, and the empress dowager agreed.
Xier is just a dancer in my house. Everyone sees her that way, even Xier thinks so. Only I know in my heart what she really is.
Yang Yanji was a man, and he was the man I pretended to marry.
Wu Xier is a woman, a woman who has nothing to do with me.
Female dancers are not male musicians.
A dancer, favored by the Saint and desired by the Queen Mother.
The play was the same as before, and I had to let go.
Just as King Heng said, anyone in the world who is liked by the saints, regardless of gender, age, or status, I should be the groom to personally escort the opera into the Taiji Palace.
The Queen Mother sent Eunuch Dong to exchange a dancer for a fief of 2,000 households, and the Queen Mother gave me additional fiefdom.
Xier knelt on the ground, listening carefully to Concubine Zhu speaking the imperial edict. After he finished speaking a few words lightly, Xier beside me became the beauty beside the saint.
Xier took the imperial edict and burst into tears. She could only wipe her tears with the imperial edict.
The saint liked the play and asked her to enter the palace overnight.
Xi'er had to obey, so she hurriedly said goodbye and got on the saint's carriage.
The play is over, no, it is Concubine Wu who has been ordered to enter the palace.
A saint never breaks his oath; he simply disregards the promise of a gentleman.
But Your Majesty has long been a king and has never been a gentleman.
You said you wouldn't compete with me, but you still compete with me. Why should I give it to you with both hands?
I look down on the play in my heart, but I can't help but like it sincerely.
I want her to stay with me and accompany me every day.
The sage stopped in front of the Luoyang Marquis' Mansion, and the nobles of Chang'an came out one after another from the four districts of Changle, Yongfu, Daning and Xingning.
I ignored Ah Xiang and Yuan Xiao's attempts to stop me and rode my horse down the street to chase after him...
Just in front of the palace gate, I stopped Eunuch Zhu and Eunuch Dong.
I do not obey the imperial edict, I do not want a fiefdom, there are so many men and women in Chang'an, but I like drama the most.
He dismounted to grab the person, and Xier walked out of the holy carriage.
Lady Wu knelt down and bowed to me. She said to me, "I am of humble origin and once performed in southern opera. Without your help, I would never have been able to set foot in Taiji Palace. Tonight, I have been favored by Your Majesty and have the honor to accompany the King and serve the Saint. I will never forget your support. Tomorrow, when I achieve wealth and honor, I will repay the Marquis of Luoyang a hundredfold for his kindness..."
After Xier said this, she turned around and was about to enter the Taiji Palace.
I grabbed her dress and told her not to leave. I begged her not to leave.
On that full moon night, my tears could gather into a spring.
Eunuch Dong supported me. Eunuch Zhu, seeing me pestering the Emperor's beauty, said, "Last time, because of that nameless musician, the Emperor felt guilty towards you... When I came here, the Emperor said that if you really couldn't bear to part with Concubine Wu, Your Majesty wouldn't want to take her away, and the Emperor's edict wouldn't count. Don't take it seriously..."
"Beauty...why don't you go back with your wife?" Eunuch Zhu said to Xier.
I wiped my tears and grabbed Xier's dress tightly, "Xier, don't go into Taiji Palace. Come back with me..."
I begged Xier desperately.
"Stay?" Xier asked in surprise.
"No...never...I will never stay."
Lady Wu told me this.
That night, many people gathered in front of the palace gate. They were not common people, but noble men and women, most of whom were from the Li family.
"In the past, we had some friendship between master and servant. Now, if you dare to stop me and hinder my advancement, don't blame me for being ruthless! I will settle the score later!"
Lady Wu pulled her dress back from my hand, and Xier's face suddenly changed, becoming a look I didn't recognize.
She spoke in my ear, and Eunuch Dong and Eunuch Zhu listened together.
"On the night of Qixi Festival, Zong Shaoqing said he wanted to marry me, and Hong Shaoqing also wanted to marry me. They were competing to redeem me, but the Zong family would not tolerate me. Zong Shaoqing wanted to break with the family and abandon his family and his business. He would lose his family property and his wealth. Why should I marry him? I would suffer if I married him? Hong Shaoqing's wife is the daughter of the prime minister. He was able to rise to prominence thanks to his wife's family. He wanted to divorce his wife and marry me, giving up his powerful wife and returning to being a poor commoner. How could I follow him into poverty? The whole of Chang'an belongs to you. No one can compare to your power. I would rather be your slave than be the wife of two of them. That night, I saw it clearly and rushed into your arms."
I should have known this a long time ago, but I don't want to delve into it.
"Tonight, I risked my life to pour wine. Although I disturbed the emperor, I was fortunate to have gained wealth and honor in this dangerous situation. I was awarded the title of beauty. The emperor has good taste and will not let my beauty down."
At that moment, if it weren’t for Eunuch Zhu and Eunuch Dong supporting me, I would have almost fallen to the ground.
"Although my appearance may not be as good as yours... I will be humble and subservient. Who in the world doesn't like a delicate beauty? The Saint likes me, and I like the Saint. We are in love with each other. This is a match made in heaven. It won't be long before the Saint loves me as much as you do. In the past, you were the master and I was the servant. From now on, I will be the monarch and you will be the subject. Today I am a beauty, tomorrow I will be a noble concubine, and the day after tomorrow I will be the empress."
“No…no…no…”
I said.
She looked at the jade flute on my waist and chuckled. "My lady has everything: looks, family background, power, wealth, etc. I envy her so much... I love this. One day, I will have you kneeling on the ground offering me this. One day, I will replace the Marquis and become the most powerful lady in the world, the mistress of Taiji Palace."
"Taiji Palace is not a good place." I said crying.
"It's a good place. I will never leave it even if I die," she said.
"Once you step into the palace, you can never get out again," I advised.
"I couldn't ask for more." said Lady Wu.
After saying this, Lady Wu happily rode the imperial carriage into the Taiji Palace. Her figure disappeared from my sight.
"Xi'er, Xi'er... don't leave me... don't leave me... I beg you... don't leave me..."
I crawled on the ground, begging but unable to get what I wanted, crying uncontrollably.
Once she entered the palace, she was no longer my play, she was just the saint's Concubine Wu.
That night in front of the palace gate, it was silent and I only heard a few idle words.
"The sage prefers his son, and the marquis prefers his wife. They can't compromise, but they have the same tastes and like the same things. No wonder they have disliked each other since childhood, and have always been at odds with each other and fighting. The most promising sons and daughters are the least promising in matters between men and women. How can the Empress Dowager of Xingqing Palace stand it?" Princess Heng asked in confusion.
"Shut up, don't say anything more!"
Prince Heng stopped the princess from speaking.
After the show, my ears became much worse and not as good as they used to be.
Tears covered my eyes, and I fell down crying on the flat ground. I hurt my hands and broke the skin.
When someone came to help me, I didn't know who they were and pushed them away.
That night, I didn't hate Xier, I just hated that I wasn't a saint. I couldn't give Xier the power that she wanted, the power that a saint could give her.
Henu's occasional kindness towards me forced Xier to turn against me.
He stole what I loved, he had sinister intentions, he had evil intentions, and he did a lot of harm to me.
On a full-moon night, the men and women of the Li family gathered on Chang'an Avenue, all watching me weeping in pain.
They are happy or angry, crying or laughing.
I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything, and I couldn't care less.
I couldn't bear to scold Concubine Wu, so I could only curse the saint in anger and rebellion.
"Li Junqing..."
"A tyrant..."
"Li Junqing..."
"A tyrant..."
"Li Junqing..."
"A tyrant..."
"A tyrant..."
"Li Junqing..."
The Jinwu Guards didn't dare to chase me away, and the two princesses Huayang and Anyang let me curse in the streets. I cursed as I walked, with only these five words in my mouth. Because my ears were damaged, the curses became louder and louder.
That night, I walked all night long until dawn, and walked through the streets of Chang'an. I don't know how I walked back to the Marquis of Luoyang's Mansion, and I can't count how many times I cursed the tyrant.
Zhu Buxiu followed me all the way, counting and recording again and again. There is no doubt that when he returns to the palace, he will report my crimes to the saint.
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