Chaos Of Beauty

ꦼ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ-sɪx

CHAPTER 26: Crushed Jade (Part One)

I need to leave the palace……

This thought has been repeatedly going through Gui Wan’s head countless times, but up to this very moment, she is still within the tall red tiled walls, looking at that strongly fragrant tree green and lush, she sighs her faint sorrows and clear worries, what is she waiting for? Repeating this over and over again, she self-stops, self-asks, self-sighs, the longer she stays in the palace, the more indistinguishable the entanglement becomes, increasingly coiled, virtually like a sticky spider web, coated with a body of foulness, and even carries the pain of rotting heart, eroding bones.

“The white gull [as though] asking me, mooring that lone boat, is the body being held back, [or] is the heart being held back? Should your heart remain [here], why are [your] brows knitted together……?”[1] Sitting in the back courtyard of Jing Ye, here, every little thing, every scene, is no different to the Prime Minister Estate, hooking up her long drawn out feelings, there is no one who does not speak within the palace, she softly sings out.

The Emperor has changed, since that bewitched night, it has been over a month, he seems to have been constantly changing. The detainment within Jing Ye has loosened, she can freely wander around the palace, the palace maids and eunuchs’ addressment have changed, “Madam Lou” has changed into “Madam Wan” overnight, softly sounding a laugh, Gui Wan’s singing voice turns a few notches higher, how could she possibly not understand the Emperor’s intentions, as they say, if the name is not right then the speech will not be in order, and if the speech is not in order then nothing can be accomplished. The Emperor deliberately blurs her ident.i.ty, for the four words of “correct t.i.tles proper words”.

A monarch’s feelings of pa.s.sion appears ruthless……

Waves of howling pa.s.ses by her ears, the scene of Li gong-gong’s death a few days ago once again appearing before her eyes. Originally thinking that leaving the palace still required the golden opportunity of eliminating Li Yu, who knew that she would actually happen upon such chance a few days ago, Li Yu has always been bending the laws and acted domineeringly within the palace, a few days ago, just when he was moving out the obsolete treasures from within Jing Ye, he ran into the big-bellied Consort Yin, perhaps Consort Ying truly is the pain in the hearts of all women in the back palace, even if it was only spotting a few things, it was enough to touch upon Consort Yin’s wounds, she flew into great rage, in addition to the long been over-provoked emotions, originally holding great dissatisfaction towards Li Yu, taking advantage of still carrying the dragon child (emperor’s son), she insisted on punishing him. Gui Wan upon receiving the news, headed to the imperial garden to check out the situation, just happening to run into the Emperor who also came having received the news.

He originally wanted to save Li Yu, in the end, for some unknown reason, he actually endured it, personally seeing his own trusted confidant Head Eunuch get beaten to death under the wooden stick. In this situation, Consort Yin was able to enjoy a round of glory, thus demonstrating she is the Emperor’s current favoured consort. Li Yu’s death, is favourable and harmless to Gui Wan, but to personally see him lose his life because of such offenses that can be deemed big or small, a sense of fox grieving over the death of rabbits evoked within her. When the Emperor was walking past her side, he softly says: “Since you wanted him dead, I granted you. As long as you wish, I will fulfil whatever you want.” This sentence, upon hearing it, a chill ripples through her entire body, howling in the cold, Zheng Liu ah Zheng Liu, are you truly this secretive and unpredictable, with everything in hand, exactly how much has he seen though?

These red walls forever unending, connecting together everywhere, this imperial palace, just like a pit of tigers and dragons. “Past travelling friends, are they still there? [Recalling] the building amongst the flowers, the boat under the willow trees. Dreaming, dreaming, even dreaming cannot bring me back, [only showing] the cold water and air of emptiness [before me].”[1] Words and tones painting vivid scenes, entangling of tender and grace, her beautiful figure in palace outfit, singing alone in infinite solitude, singing of opera, singing of people, singing of gut-wrenching love.