7
In recent years, the Empress Dowager had always been at Mount Wutai praying to Buddha, and had never returned to the palace.
I met her only once, on the day I was crowned empress.
At the time, I brought a plate of plum blossom cakes I’d made myself to pay my respects.
The moment I stepped into the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, I saw Lục Yến kneeling before her.
The Empress Dowager was reclining on her bed, reading a novel and speaking indifferently:
“Choose someone else. This girl will die young, and His Majesty will be heartbroken.”
Lục Yến’s body trembled, but he remained kneeling in silence.
I went forward to pay my respects, set the cakes beside the bed, and knelt down as well.
“Did you have someone bring me this novel?”
“Your Majesty, life in the palace can be dull, so I sent someone out to collect some interesting books. If Your Majesty likes them, I have more and can have someone bring them to you.”
The hall was strangely quiet, with only the rustle of pages breaking the silence.
No one could tell whether the Empress Dowager was pleased or displeased.
After a long while, she sighed and picked up a plum blossom cake to eat.
Lục Yến was overjoyed and secretly squeezed my hand.
“For the novel and the plum blossom cakes, I’ll give you this jade pendant as a gift to mark our first meeting.”
The Empress Dowager took an antique jade pendant from her sash and had a lady-in-waiting bring it over.
I thanked her respectfully and put it on.
Lục Yến was moved and wanted to say something, but the Empress Dowager waved him away.
At the time, I thought the Empress Dowager probably didn’t like me very much.
I never expected to hear such words from her after I died.
8
When I came to my senses, Tô Chi was still sitting in the rain, letting the water run over her pale face.
【Plot Deviation Warning】
In the silence, the system’s piercing warning rang out unexpectedly.
“System, can I give up on winning over the male lead?”
The cold rain beat down on her as Tô Chi frowned and tentatively spoke.
“This is a mission you chose yourself, Master. You’re not allowed to abandon it. Besides, to set the plot in motion, we forcibly made the White Moonlight die of illness five years early. If the mission fails, you’ll pay a terrible price.”
“What price?”
Tô Chi grew even paler. She bit her lower lip and pressed on unwillingly.
“The obliteration of your soul.”
At that, I perked up and pulled out my little notebook to take notes.
Soul obliteration—so the body would still be there?
That was useful information.
“Master, the system has detected an error interfering with the plot. Once the error is removed, everything will return to normal.”
The system’s cold, mechanical voice rang out, though it sounded a little uncertain about its own words.
Tô Chi nodded with difficulty, a flame of survival igniting in her eyes.
Her frail figure staggered through the curtain of rain, then collapsed after only a few steps.
The moment she lost consciousness, my soul was dragged into the void.
At the center of the void was a white orb of light, frantically checking for errors.
I took the initiative and greeted it:
“You’re looking for me, aren’t you?”
“…”
“How about we make a deal?”
9
After the incident in the imperial garden that day, Tô Chi was placed under tight confinement in the Imperial Medical Institute.
I lay on the roof, listless, basking in the sun until the system showed up again.
It said the plot had reached a pivotal turning point in the relationship between the male and female leads, and told Tô Chi to be ready tonight.
Tô Chi carefully made up her eyebrows and put a small flower between them, making herself look even more like me.
Half-asleep, I followed her as she sneaked into the ranks of the palace maids.
Today was the Lantern Festival, and Lục Yến would be leaving the palace incognito.
Before getting into the carriage, he spotted Tô Chi in the crowd, but only frowned and let her follow him.
It seemed… remarkably indulgent.
Night fell, and beyond the city walls, the streets were aglow with lanterns.
By the river, Lục Yến dismissed all the serving palace maids, leaving only the guards to follow discreetly from a distance.
Tô Chi took several deep breaths, then boldly approached him.
Here we go again. Here we go again.
Compared to these plot points, I’d still rather admire the lanterns!
In the past, I was usually bedridden during the Lantern Festival.
Lục Yến would make me a lotus lantern with his own hands, then send people everywhere to find all kinds of lanterns to hang in my bedchamber.
That was how we celebrated together.
Now that I was dead, I could finally go out and enjoy the world beyond the palace, free as I pleased.
This feeling of freedom was wonderful!
I floated in midair, curiously poking at all the unusual lanterns.
Gusts of cold wind blew by, making passersby turn around again and again.
“Empress, do you think this lantern is pretty?”
Suddenly, Lục Yến stopped in front of a lotus lantern.
He lowered his voice and, looking dazed, spoke to himself.
Out of habit, I moved closer, wanting to touch the lantern, reluctant to let it go.
But my hand passed right through it, so I could only answer awkwardly:
“It’s beautiful…”
“Your Majesty has mistaken me for someone else. I’m not the Empress.”
Before I could finish speaking, Tô Chi cut in with a cold voice.
Only then did I realize they were already standing shoulder to shoulder, their shadows entwined beneath the lantern light.
And Lục Yến couldn’t hear me at all.
Before I could interject, Lục Yến had already taken a step back, his voice edged with anger:
“I’m not blind. The Empress is much prettier than you.”
The crowd jostled past, knocking Tô Chi off balance. She bit her lower lip, looking flustered, and tried to comfort Lục Yến:
“When one door closes, another opens. The late Empress has passed away, and Your Majesty is too deeply attached to her. You should let go…”
“If you like talking about the Empress so much, I’d be happy to send you down there to join her.”
Something must have touched a nerve, because Lục Yến’s expression suddenly turned appallingly dark.
He swept his sleeve and strode off alone toward the riverbank.
Tô Chi meant to follow, but the guards stopped her.
The noisy shouts from the poetry-recitation stage nearby caught her attention, and a new idea flashed in her eyes.
Tô Chi hadn’t gone far, so I could still linger near Lục Yến.
He sat quietly on the riverbank and lit a lantern.
Standing beside him, I couldn’t help reaching out to pinch at his wide sleeve.
I couldn’t grab hold of it.
10
I met Lục Yến when I was ten, during the Lantern Festival.
The emperor held a grand floating feast in the palace, and it was lively beyond measure.
My father was the sitting prime minister. He brought my mother and me—his two female family members—to a banquet at the palace.
At the time, Lục Yến and his mother were still living in the Cold Palace. He was the least favored prince.
The palace walls were deep and gloomy. Clutching my lotus lantern, I wandered everywhere looking for a little river, only to get lost.
“Hey, there are monsters around here that’ll eat you.”
A cold wind stirred the willow branches, and a boy’s voice, deliberately lowered, sounded in the darkness.
Terrified, I burst into tears right then and there, plopping down on the ground and calling for my parents in fear.
“You crybaby!”
Lục Yến stepped out from behind a tree, sword in his arms. He frowned, but he was still very handsome.
He used a match to light the flower lantern in my hands.
In the faint light, I finally noticed a little river not far ahead.
“Thank you for saving me… Here, you can have this flower lantern.”
Reluctantly, and full of hope, I gave him my prettiest flower lantern.
The night fell quiet for a moment.
Lục Yến crouched beside me, carefully setting the flower lantern on the water. His voice came with difficulty:
“I haven’t… set a flower lantern afloat in a long time.”
“Why not?”
Curious, I tilted my head and kept patting the water, trying to send the lantern farther along.
“They said my mother and I were monsters, so they locked us in the Cold Palace.”
“How long have you been locked up?”
“Ten years.”
His voice turned cold, and his expression was vicious.
But at the time, I wasn’t afraid. I only felt a little sorry for him.
The Cold Palace was pitch-black, old, and dilapidated. Could someone really live there for ten years?
“Why did they say you were a monster?”
I took a little notebook from my sleeve, intending to write down what he said.
The corners of Lục Yến’s mouth twitched a few times before he managed an awkward smile.
He said, “…”
The night wind was especially loud that night. I can barely remember it now.
But my instincts told me it had been a very important answer.
“You’re a good person, not a monster. I’ll ask the flower-lantern god to bless you and your mother!”
I smiled, a little embarrassed, and took hold of his wide sleeve to comfort him.
After hesitating for a long while, I also gave him the plum blossom cake I’d secretly tucked against my chest.
That night, Lục Yến went with me to set flower lanterns afloat and ate the whole cake, one tiny bite at a time.
He gazed at me for a long time, then left without a word.
Later, the Prime Minister’s residence was confiscated, and I wandered outside the palace. By chance, I fell ill.
Later, the Crown Prince was deposed, and the ruthless Sixth Prince became the new Crown Prince.
Later, His Majesty died suddenly, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne.
After I was brought into the palace, I discovered that Lục Yến was the ruthless tyrant the people said had rebelled.
Defying the objections of the civil and military officials, he made me Empress and left the harem empty.
Then, in front of everyone, he clasped my hand tightly and swore:
“Ngu Hà, I will protect you. I promise.”
I nodded and rose onto my tiptoes to kiss his cheek.
But in the end, he still couldn’t protect me.
I died.
11
“A horse with five-colored coat, a thousand-gold fur cloak—
Call the boy to bring out the wine,
And let us drown a sorrow that has lasted ten thousand years
…”*
Original: 五花馬，千金裘，呼兒將出換美酒，與爾同銷萬古愁
Tô Chi’s clear voice broke the rare quiet, pulling me out of my memories.
I floated up high and watched her stand on the poetry stage, radiant and proud as she recited exquisite lines.
Her gaze, tinged with pride, passed over the crowd and settled on Lục Yến.
Amid the crowd’s cheers, Tô Chi carried a beautiful hexagonal glass lantern down from the stage.
Step by step, she made her way to the riverbank.
“This flower lantern is for you.”
She smiled, pleased with herself and utterly confident, the flickering firelight making her look captivating.
It was much prettier than my lotus lantern.
I sighed anxiously and stood beside them, trying to blow out her lantern.
“I don’t like it. It’s ugly.”
Lục Yến didn’t take it. He kept his eyes on the plain lotus lantern he’d set afloat.
Tô Chi wasn’t one to give up easily. Ignoring everything else, she shoved the lantern into his arms.
Just like I had, back then.
Splash!
In the blink of an eye, the hexagonal glass lantern was hurled forcefully into the water.
It bobbed up and down a few times, its flame went out, and it sank to the bottom of the river.
Before I could take in what was happening, Tô Chi had jumped into the icy river.
Shivering with cold, she still kept feeling around underwater.
Lục Yến stood on the riverbank, calm and composed, with an amused look in his eyes.
At last, Tô Chi climbed out of the water on her own, clutching the broken lantern. She looked at him with tear-filled eyes, frail and pitiful.
Then she quietly left, her small face pale.
I was forced to follow her into the crowd. I couldn’t bear to turn back and look at Lục Yến; all I heard was his final instruction:
“Follow her. Don’t let her get lost.”
Such a wonderful story, deeply healing, with surprises at every turn. The author is truly talented.
So the White Moonlight really is irreplaceable [wpd-tenor full=’oz8JLoVM2W0AAAAM/ponke-ponkesol.gif’ preview=’oz8JLoVM2W0AAAAe/ponke-ponkesol.png’ width=’320′ height=’320′]
Oh my gosh, this story is so good, and so healing :33
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