Lament at Long Gate Palace

Two

Disclaimer: This is a translation of the Chinese novel 长门怨 by Qiao Xi/乔夕 and not my own work.

Translated by: Catharcity
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Changmen Palace was the golden palace you built for me. I had always thought that it was a castle representing our love story – a fairytale where we had a lifetime of happiness ahead of us.

Then, you were still a young man. So young. It was during my father’s banquet at Guantao Palace where we first met. Your mother held onto your hands as you observed the entire room, your eyes lit with childlike curiosity.

Eventually, your stare landed on my face. A pair of clear and bright eyes met yours, reminiscent of the lakes in the imperial gardens.

My mother, the Elder Princess Guantao, was a woman with great ambition. She viewed me as a tool in her bid to vie for more power and influence.

She told me that my face was enough to subdue the hearts of all men.

Except, in one early morning, my face was powerless in conquering the woman named Li Ji. Li Ji was the mother of the Crown Prince, Liu Rong. When my mother proposed for Liu Rong and I to wed, I was rejected owing to the longstanding enmity between my mother and Li Ji.

If I hadn’t been rejected in such a manner, my mother would never have been so angered and humiliated. Neither would she have joined hands with Wang Zhi, your mother. Then, we would never have met.

Many years later, as I stood within the cold palace of Changmen and stared in the direction of Changle Palace, I still remembered, that year, you once promised to built me a golden palace and treasure me with all your heart if I gave mine to you.

You must have forgotten your words.

When you said to me that you wanted to make Wei Zifu your consort, you must have already begun to forget.