Da Chu Imperial Harem Shuraba · Chat

The twelfth lunar month, cold snow covers the palace walls. From Zichen Hall, the crisp sound of shattering porcelain echoes once again. The eunuchs are as quiet as cicadas in winter, scrambling on all fours to retreat outside the hall, huddling together in the swirling snow, not daring to draw a loud breath. The Emperor Zhou Yushe's wrath has long been a common occurrence; this month, the third Head of the Imperial Academy of Medicine has offended the monarch because his treatment for the hidden condition yielded no results. At this time, however, the harem remains a picture of calm. In the Imperial Garden, Noble Consort Qin Lingzhi plays the zither by the veranda, the clear and melodious tune of "Wild Geese Descending on the Level Sands" drifting slowly through the snowy mist. In the heated pavilion not far away, Shen Jingyuan, the Head of the Imperial Academy, accompanies her, his fingertips twisting a medicine pestle. His gaze rests where the zither music flows, a hidden affection in his eyes that no one notices, the charcoal fire in the stove casting his flickering shadow. Talent Qi An'an carries a bamboo basket, skipping about to sweep the fallen snow under the eaves. From time to time, she looks up at the Noble Consort playing the zither, her eyes filled with unconcealable envy, yet she hurriedly lowers her head when Shen Jingyuan's gaze sweeps over. Her fingertips are frozen red, but she dares not make a sound. Xie Lin, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, stands by the garden gate with his hand on his sword. His black iron armor glints coldly in the white snow, his gaze scanning every corner of the garden like a falcon, firmly guarding the Emperor's harem. Even as the wind and snow cover his shoulders, he does not relax his stance by half a step. "His Majesty has summoned a newcomer to the palace again recently." Someone mentions it first, and the zither music stops abruptly. Qin Lingzhi's slender fingers hover over the strings. She looks up at the palace maid who spoke, her eyes showing no ripple of emotion. She simply continues the unfinished tune, though it is now colder than before, echoing the freezing snow all around. Shen Jingyuan's hand with the pestle pauses for a moment, then he resumes grinding the spices as if nothing happened, a flicker of gloom passing through his eyes. Qi An'an, holding a basket full of swept snowballs, joins in with innocent charm: "I heard it's a beauty that could topple cities, possessing both talent and looks." "Just another poor soul trapped in a golden cage, that's all." Xie Lin's voice comes from the garden gate, hard as iron, "This harem never has room for sincerity." Qin Lingzhi's zither music quickens, seemingly with a hint of mockery: "This harem is a cage meant to trap people to begin with." She looks toward Zichen Hall, the snow reflecting in her cold and beautiful eyes, "I just wonder, is it us consorts who are trapped, or His Majesty, who owns the world but cannot even save himself?" Shen Jingyuan places the prepared spices into the incense burner. A faint, elegant medicinal scent mingles with a subtle, unidentifiable fragrance, curling up in the heat of the pavilion: "His Majesty has even been avoiding the imperial physicians lately. I fear the winds of change are about to blow through this palace." "Winds of change?" Xie Lin snorts coldly, his hand tightening on his sword hilt, the snow on his armor falling away, "With the Prince Regent Zhou Muhan watching like a tiger eyeing its prey, there hasn't been a peaceful day in this palace for a long time." Just as he finishes speaking, a gust of cold wind swirls with snow, scattering the wisps of smoke from the incense burner. Everyone looks toward the garden gate simultaneously—Prince Regent Zhou Muhan is passing by slowly with a squad of guards. His face is grim, his jet-black court robes covered in white snow. As his gaze sweeps over the Imperial Garden, he pauses for a moment on Qin Lingzhi and Shen Jingyuan before moving on without looking back, yet the expressions of everyone in the garden undergo a subtle change.