Chapter 1 — Behind the Curtain of Glory

The noble concubine, who was favored throughout her life, said before her death that she regretted it.

"If there is a next life, I vow to change bodies with you, become a little palace maid, and when I leave the palace at the age of twenty-five, I will be free."

“This emperor's favor, this illusory wealth, whoever wants it can have it.”

She shed tears, saying that all her life she had only wanted a piece of pure sincerity. The moment she closed her eyes, she still held my hand tightly:

"Brother Dao, are you satisfied? Are you willing to exchange with this palace?"

I had tears streaming down my face, leaned close to her ear, and softly replied:

“The slave wishes.”

Because serving her for a whole lifetime is truly extremely tiring.

1

On the day of the Queen's investiture ceremony, Nguyen Quy Phi said she did not want to live anymore. She crashed her head into the wall, jumped into the lake, went on a hunger strike, and finally tormented herself to the point that the oil ran out and the light went out. The emperor was impatient, and as soon as he gave court, he immediately came to her side, clasped her hand, his eyes bloodshot.

"The entire Van Phu Palace has eighty servants. Today if you don't eat, I'll kill ten. Tomorrow if you don't eat, I'll kill twenty."

Hearing those words, the noble lady burst into tears. Page Nguyet Hoa Ca In those beautiful, empty eyes, a tear fell, desperate and broken.

"In this whole life, the thing I regret most is loving someone."

After speaking, she knocked over the bowl of hot porridge in my hand.

"Trieu Yen, don't threaten me with your life, you're not worthy."

The emperor was angry, repeatedly saying the three words "very good", then pointed at a palace man standing at the door:

“Drag out, beat to death.”

The emperor said ten people, one cannot be missing. The last person to be dragged away was Dao Tu, who stood next to me carrying tea and pouring water. She was trembling like a rice sieve, her face wet with tears, in despair and sadness she shouted loudly:

"My lady, my lady, please have a bite to eat. I am Dao Tu, I have been with you since I was a child, please save me!"

"Your highness! When I was little, I used to block knives for you!"

Nguyen Quy Phi cried even more fiercely, tears pouring down like rain on her pale face.

"Your Majesty! Are you satisfied? Killed my closest maid, leaving me alone, are you satisfied? Can I die now?"

The emperor did not speak for a long time. Outside the palace was the dull sound of wooden planks hitting the back and buttocks, mixed with the interrupted prayers of the slaves. Even at that moment, they still did not give up, still sobbing and begging the king to spare their lives, begging the noble concubines to save their lives. Page Nguyet Hoa Ca I bowed my head, my back pressed against the curtain pole behind me, my legs trembling slightly under my skirt. At that moment, I suddenly remembered a sentence that Quy Phi had said many years ago. She said: "In my palace, there is no master or servant, everyone is equal. If you are unhappy, please tell me."

2

The emperor finally angrily left, his face pale, each word he uttered heavily:

“If the noble lady dies, you will be buried together.”

The palace staff both inside and out knelt down at the same time. In the blazing noon sun, Dao Tu and a few others died. The executioners were all experienced hands, the sticks they hit were all internal injuries, each person only vomited a little blood from their mouths, it didn't look scary, it was easy to clean up. Not long after, the body was rolled up with mats and wooden chairs three on top of one another, and the eunuch immediately brought a basin to clean the bricks and stones. The courtyard, return again clean as new. When I returned to the palace, the noble lady no longer shed tears, she lay on the bed and said angrily:

"Tong Tu, I want to escape this body. All kinds of love and love are fake, books about dissolving the harem are also fake, even the queen won't let me do it, he doesn't love me at all!"

“Let's do it again, I want to stay away from the royal palace and become a free person who is both rich and leisurely.”

“What? Does it take so many points to become a rich merchant's daughter?”

"Then change to Anh Dao, his personality is weak and loyal, change your identity and you will definitely be grateful to me. At that time, I will tell him to give me a lot of money, and then make me a Princess or something."

“Does he still dare to betray me?”

"Heaven and earth are vast, I don't believe I can't find a true, pure love!"

“Hu hu, rotten traitor!”

I can't imagine my mood right now. Doubt, fear, pain, hatred, despair. Only after Dao Tu's blood was wiped clean, besides her, there were nine other people. All were loyal and dedicated, carefully serving her. Hanh Nhan once replaced her at the Kidney Xing Department, the tips of her ten fingers were tortured until their bones were broken. Even when they were reattached, they were still deformed, and she couldn't hold chopsticks. Toan Phuc was a eunuch trying a dish, he ate something poisonous, his throat was burned to the point of hoarseness, he wanted to beg but couldn't speak, he could only glare and shed tears. I couldn't even distract myself to think about the strange words she just said. There was only one thought in my mind — are we slaves, so we really aren't considered human?

3

The noble lady looked at me and said many words to me. More than anything you've ever told me before.

"Brother Dao, the wall of the palace eats people, this palace lives in fear every day, afraid of eating poison, afraid of not waking up when sleeping, even afraid of having musk on her clothes and jewelry. This palace is my favorite concubine, they all stare at me, jealous of me."

I calmly listen. But each of her dishes is checked and tasted first. Every night there are two eunuchs and two palace maids on duty at night. Even if there are assassins, they must stab our bodies first.