The Ancient Melody

"A mere woman who traveled through time—how could she possibly rival a noble lady who has been groomed for over a decade by an aristocratic family?"

Imperial Consort Su gazed at me, her expression dripping with contempt.

She came from a prestigious lineage, was deeply favored by the Son of Heaven, and had stood unshakably in the imperial palace for nearly a decade.

Yet I felt no fear. I leaned close to her ear and whispered softly.

"Too bad, Your Highness. Your noble lady background is entirely fabricated."

Consort Su's face froze instantly.

I curled my lips. Yes, I had long known that this woman, who claimed to be the daughter of the Governor of Qingzhou, was actually of lowly birth—once the lowliest dancer in a music house.

And she would never know that my identity as a time-traveling woman was also a fabrication.

I was, without a doubt, a genuine ancient.

01.

In the eleventh year of the Qianyuan era, I entered the palace through the imperial selection.

The harem was filled with beauties, and I was not particularly striking.

Thus, for three full months after entering the palace, the Emperor never once set foot in my chambers, let alone bestowed his favor upon me.

It wasn't until the Spring Banquet, when I stunned the entire gathering with a song, that the Emperor, upon hearing the lyric *"The sky is waiting for rain, and I am waiting for you,"* slammed the table in admiration.

That day, I was the center of attention. Consort Su, seated beside the Emperor, wore a face as dark as iron.

Afterward, I wrote three hundred poems, some in classical style, others in forms the world had never seen.

Among them, the line *"Facing the sea, with spring blossoms blooming,"* delighted the Emperor the most.

When envoys from the Western lands visited our court, no one could understand their language.

Only I stepped forward, conversing fluently with them, bringing glory to our dynasty and earning the Emperor's boundless joy.

Thus, I was granted the title of Lady of Talent and became Consort Su's greatest threat.

The elderly maid who served me was named Liang. One morning, as Aunt Liang combed my hair, her face was filled with worry.

"Lady Shen, your brilliance shines too brightly. It may not win you favor," she said, frowning, her voice lowered. "Have you heard of Consort Wen and Lady Li in the palace?"

I smiled faintly.

"Of course, I have."

The fact that time-traveling women had appeared in our dynasty was no longer a secret.

Consort Wen and Lady Li were the ones before me.

Both had dazzled this era with their talents—Consort Wen excelled in inventions, while Lady Li was passionate about reform.

Yet both met the same fate—defeated in the harem struggles by Consort Su.

Now, Consort Su intended to use the same tactics against me.

02.

One day, the harem concubines gathered as usual at Qingyun Palace to pay their respects.

The position of Empress had long been vacant, and Consort Su, who resided in Qingyun Palace, held authority akin to a deputy empress. Just as everyone was about to bow together, Consort Su smiled and waved at me.

"Sister Shen need not perform such formalities. I know that in your homeland, everyone is equal."

At these words, the other concubines smirked maliciously.

It was said that Consort Wen and Lady Li had once refused to bow to Consort Su, preaching equality for all.

They were waiting for me to repeat the same mistake.

I adjusted my robes and performed the full ritual with precision. "I thank Your Highness for your kindness, but this is the imperial court, where hierarchy must be observed. I dare not overstep."

The folding screen was drawn back, and the Emperor stepped out, smiling.

The concubines were startled. The Emperor had been in Qingyun Palace all along, and Consort Su had not revealed it.

A cold sweat trickled down my spine.

Indeed.

Consort Su had staged this for the Emperor's benefit. She wanted me to acknowledge the concept of equality in his presence.

How could the Son of Heaven tolerate being considered equal to commoners? Even if he didn't punish me on the spot, I would lose his favor.

But Consort Su never expected my response to be so tactful, which only endeared me further to the Emperor.

"Lady Shen is very sensible," the Emperor said, patting Consort Su's hand. "She is talented and respects you deeply. Why not let her assist in managing the harem?"

Consort Su forced a smile and agreed, but her gaze at me was icy and venomous.

She couldn't understand why my thinking differed so much from the previous time-traveling women.

Soon, she devised a new plan.

"The palace is about to embroider a tapestry of the empire's mountains and rivers. Each concubine will embroider a section. Since you are assisting in managing the harem, you should set an example and embroider more," Consort Su said, sending a bundle of silk threads and fabric to my chambers, with a deadline of one month.

Embroidery was a required skill for ancient noble ladies, but time-traveling women were generally clueless about it.

A month later, at the Emperor's birthday banquet, Consort Su, after a few drinks, smiled and suggested to the Emperor.

"Lady Shen has finished embroidering the tapestry and wishes to present it as a gift to Your Majesty."

She looked at me with a smirk. "She's too shy to say it herself, so I'll speak for her. Go ahead, Sister Shen, present your gift."

I met Consort Su's mocking gaze and curled my lips. "Thank you, Your Highness."

I rose calmly. Aunt Liang had already brought the scroll. I walked to the center of the hall and unfurled the embroidery.

The magnificent landscape of the empire unfolded before everyone's eyes.

Consort Su froze, staring at me in disbelief.

"Lady Shen's embroidery skills are truly exquisite," the Emperor said joyfully. "I thought this wasn't your forte."

I smiled sweetly. "As long as Your Majesty likes it, I am willing to learn anything."

After the banquet, I crossed paths with Consort Su in the imperial garden.

With no one else around, Consort Su dropped her pretense of grace, leaned close, and hissed through gritted teeth.

"You time-traveling women are all audacious."

"Not only do you covet the position of Empress, but you also dream of abolishing the harem and enforcing monogamy."

"I advise you to give up. Only I will ascend to the throne of Empress..."

I interrupted her.

"Su Lian'er, I have never desired the position of Empress."

As an ancient person, I had spent nearly a decade perfecting the facade of a time-traveling woman for one purpose.

To take your life.

03.

Our dynasty had only three time-traveling women.

Consort Wen, Lady Li.

The third was not me, who came after them.

But the one before them... the Empress who had died years ago.

I was eight at the time. My family had been convicted of crimes, and I was reduced to servitude, working in the laundry bureau, beaten and starved daily, like a withered yellow bean sprout.

By chance, the Empress saw me. She pitied me, took me to her palace, gave me winter clothes and warm meals. When I fell ill, she personally cared for me, spoon-feeding me medicine.

"I owe Your Majesty my life," I said, kneeling after recovering. "I am willing to be your servant forever..."

She smiled and lifted me up.

"No one should be a servant," she said. "I've always wanted a little sister. I never thought I'd find one in ancient times."

Back then, there were few concubines in the palace. The Empress and the Emperor lived like an ordinary couple.

To this day, I believe the Emperor loved the Empress most among all his women.

Consort Wen and Lady Li gained favor later because, as time-traveling women, they reminded him of her.

But the Empress was not happy.

When she accompanied the Emperor to the southern provinces and saw officials seizing land and refugees everywhere, her heart ached.

She wanted to push for reforms, to weaken the feudal lords, to eliminate corrupt officials, and to allow women to take the imperial exams.

But all this only darkened the Emperor's face day by day.

He began staying overnight in the music houses of the south.

I later learned that it was there that Su Lian'er, the future Consort Su, had entertained him.

The Emperor loved the Empress more, but Su Lian'er made him feel at ease.

Originally, when the Emperor was still a prince, he had met the Empress. She had agreed to help him ascend the throne on the condition that he abolish the harem—as a modern woman, she could not tolerate her husband having other women.

The prince had sworn to do so, but now he had broken his promise.

When Su Lian'er threw a tantrum, the Emperor brought her back to the palace.

That night, the Empress didn't sleep. I stayed by her side, urging her to rest.

She just shook her head and smiled at me. "A'Ling, have you learned everything I taught you?"

"I review it every day," I replied obediently.

She lowered her head and smiled. A tear slipped from her eye.

"Forget it all," she whispered. "Perhaps in this era, not knowing those things is a blessing."

But she couldn't follow her own advice.

She couldn't stop pitying the lowly, couldn't be at ease as a noble. She wanted everyone to live like human beings.

And Su Lian'er exploited this, whispering in the Emperor's ear every night.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is so resourceful. Everyone says you owe your throne to her."

It was the truth, but the Son of Heaven could not tolerate such a truth.

So, one night, when the Empress tried to discuss state affairs with the Emperor, I heard him ask coldly.

"Empress, I've told you many times: the harem must not interfere in politics."

"What, do you want to take my place?"

The Emperor stormed off, leaving the Empress sitting alone in her palace for a long time.

I timidly entered to serve her tea. She smiled at me, took out a bundle of gold and silver, and placed it in my hands.

"Go, A'Ling," she said, gently stroking my head.

I sensed something was wrong. "Your Majesty, I won't leave."

She smiled and coaxed me. "Go to the south first. Find a village and wait for me. I'll come soon."

She lied to me.

When I reached the south, I heard the news.

The Empress had rebelled.

She raised an army to seize power from the Emperor and was ultimately defeated and killed.

She became the first female rebel in our dynasty's history.

As a rebel, she had no title. Her body was thrown into a mass grave, and her name became taboo, never to be spoken again.

Su Lian'er was granted the title of Imperial Consort, and the harem grew ever more crowded. The Empress was forgotten by all.

But I would never forget.

I remembered her smile, the warmth of her embrace when I was sick, the way she called me "little sister." For the first time, I felt I had family in this world.

I left the palace because of her, and I returned for her.

Ten years had passed. I had grown into a woman with delicate features and flowing black hair.

No one could recognize me as the sallow, scrawny girl who had once been by the Empress's side.

I had learned all the skills of a time-traveling woman from her, but I had none of their weaknesses.

I had no interest in harem intrigue.

I only knew one thing.

Su Lian'er and the Emperor...

You both deserve to die.

04.

The deeper my hatred, the calmer I appeared on the surface.

Every afternoon, the Emperor would spend time in his study, reviewing memorials or reading.

He liked having a woman by his side to grind ink and serve tea. Previously, Consort Su had handled this duty, but recently she had volunteered to let me take her place.

"Your Majesty, I've been unfairly accused of jealousy," Consort Su said, tugging at the Emperor's sleeve with a pitiful expression. "I'm delighted that there's a sister who pleases you more."

"Lady Shen is the most agreeable of the younger concubines. Why not let her accompany you in the study?"

Consort Su looked at me with a beaming smile. "Lady Shen is clever and insightful. Perhaps she can even help you with state affairs."

Here it was. The same old trick.

She had used it to bring down the Empress. Then Consort Wen and Lady Li.

Now, it was my turn.

Cold inside, I smiled meekly and accepted.

The study was surrounded by lush greenery. I ground the ink, heated the tea, and stood quietly like a plant.

The Emperor sat beside me, reviewing memorials. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he frowned. After a long frown, he tossed a memorial to me.

"Lady Shen, what do you think of this?"

The scene was painfully familiar.

Years ago, I had stood in the shadows, holding a candle, as the Emperor handed memorials to the Empress in the same manner. She always offered brilliant insights.

Back then, I thought the Emperor would love her even more for her wisdom.

No one knew that behind his praise and admiration, jealousy and suspicion were growing like a malignant tumor.

I knelt respectfully, picked up the memorial, and handed it back to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the harem must not interfere in politics. I dare not."

"Oh, that's for ordinary women," the Emperor said, waving his hand. "Ordinary women have no insight and would only talk nonsense. But you're different. I'd be happy to discuss matters with you."

His tone was gentle, but my expression grew even more serious.

"Your Majesty, I am unworthy of your trust and appreciation."

"But I am powerless. I have no interest in state affairs. In the harem, I only wish to serve Your Majesty well."

The Emperor put down the memorial, his expression indifferent. "You don't trust me?"

"I wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't staying in the harem waste your talents?"

"Your Majesty jokes. Under your rule, the empire is prosperous and peaceful," I said. "There's no need for my meager abilities."

Silence.

Fortunately, my dress was thick enough to hide the cold sweat on my back.

Consort Su's plan was brilliant. She had placed me on a tightrope, with cliffs on either side.

As a time-traveling woman, the Emperor would inevitably ask for my opinion. Refusing to answer would be defiance, angering him as it almost had.

But if I gave in and discussed politics, I would follow the fate of the previous time-traveling women.

I was gambling, walking the tightrope, hoping to find a way out.

After a long silence, the Emperor asked quietly.

"Why are you different from the others?"

"They all had grand ambitions, but you only want to be an ordinary concubine?"

I looked up, tears glistening in my eyes.

"Because of my feelings for Your Majesty."

The Emperor gazed at me for a moment, then pulled me into his arms.

The scent of aloeswood filled my nostrils. I took a deep breath, knowing I had passed this test.

But it wasn't over.

"Has Consort Su... been making things difficult for you?"

I was slightly startled.

He said calmly, "I know some things, even if I don't say them."

"Accompanying me in the study every afternoon is a coveted duty. It often leads to dinner and more."

"Over the years, Consort Su has only given up this opportunity three times."

I said nothing, understanding completely.

Consort Wen, Lady Li, and now me.

The first two had both been convicted of interfering in politics and died in the cold palace.

After a moment's hesitation, I asked timidly, "And the first two times..."

"I knew Consort Su's intentions, but those two women were also troublesome," the Emperor said, rubbing his temples. He smiled at me. "It's fine. You're different from them."

I mustered all my strength to produce a gentle smile.

"Consort Su is too intolerant. Even though you're so obedient and gentle, she still schemes against you," the Emperor said. "I've spoiled her too much over the years."

The Emperor's favor for Consort Su waned. He spent his nights in my chambers. Consort Su feigned illness to summon him a few times, but he ignored her.

One night, under the moonlight, I served homemade peach blossom wine. The Emperor drank too much and soon became drunk.

He grabbed my hand and gazed at the moon with bleary eyes.

"Zihan..."

My body trembled imperceptibly.

That was the Empress's name.

The Emperor was very drunk. His slurred words recalled the early years.

When he was an unloved prince, and she was a palace maid. His father had made him kneel in the snow as punishment, and she had quietly held an umbrella over him.

That was the beginning of their love.

He had begged her to be his wife. They had enjoyed the happiest days. He took her to high places to admire the moon, sharing ambitions he had never told anyone. She believed he was the one who could change the world.

So she stood behind him, plotting and strategizing, using her wisdom to solve crises and earn him recognition. She helped him ascend the throne.

After his coronation, he made her Empress. Holding her hand, he felt he had everything he wanted.

The moon hid behind the clouds.

The Emperor fell silent, asleep on the couch. A tear slowly rolled down his cheek.

He didn't finish the story, but I knew it all.

Men are cruel creatures. The saying *"Once the rabbits are caught, the hounds are cooked"* must have been their invention.

They could conquer a kingdom with their brothers, then eliminate them all after becoming emperor.

They were even more ruthless with women.

As for the guilt that followed, it only moved themselves, not me.

I covered him with a blanket, rose coldly, and slipped past the attendants to the Imperial Hospital.

I had my own business to attend to.

When I returned, dawn was breaking.

I rested for a moment before the Emperor woke.

He had sobered up and asked if anything had happened the previous night.

"Your Majesty fell asleep after drinking. I told you the peach blossom wine was potent," I said gently.

Later, the Emperor praised me in the palace, saying that among all his concubines, Lady Shen was the gentlest and most understanding.

I sneered inwardly.

Consort Su, growing impatient from lack of favor, had miscalculated.

She had sent me to the study to harm me, but I had seized the opportunity to gain favor, alienating the Emperor from her.

My spies in her palace informed me that she was practicing dance daily, preparing to perform at the Mid-Autumn Crab Banquet to regain favor.

I dismissed all the attendants and smiled alone in the silent hall.

Perfect.

The opportunity I had been waiting for had finally arrived.

05.

Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, the moon as round as a silver platter.

All the harem concubines gathered, each with a plate of plump crabs, pastries, and wine.

As the banquet reached its peak, Consort Su excused herself. Moments later, she reappeared, dressed in a flowing gown of soft silk, adorned with glittering jewels, her face breathtakingly beautiful.

Consort Su knelt gracefully. "I haven't danced in a long time. Today, with Your Majesty and the sisters in high spirits, I humbly offer a performance."

The Emperor hadn't visited Consort Su in a long time, and the sight of her brought a sense of novelty. He nodded approvingly. "I've always loved your bamboo branch dance. I remember when you danced after drinking, your waist swayed like a willow in the wind, exuding natural charm."

Consort Su's expression flickered.

The title of "music house dancer" was unsavory. After entering the palace, she had always claimed to be the daughter of the Governor of Qingzhou, a noble lady.

Now, the Emperor's casual remark had publicly exposed her origins.

He hadn't meant to humiliate her. He simply... didn't care about her feelings.

For nearly a decade, he had only indulged her, never loved her.

I watched coldly. Consort Su's face darkened only for a moment. She was determined to regain favor, so she quickly put on a radiant smile. "If Your Majesty wishes, I will recreate the scene."

She raised a cup of osmanthus wine, drank it all, and walked to the center of the courtyard to begin her dance.

It must be said that Consort Su's long-standing favor was well-deserved. Under the moonlight, her dance was enchanting. The Emperor was mesmerized, and the younger concubines exchanged helpless glances—it seemed Consort Su would return to her former glory.

I pretended to drink, hiding my smile behind the cup.

The timing was perfect.

Consort Su's dancing figure suddenly faltered.

She stood still, clutching her lower abdomen, her face contorted in pain.

"Lian'er..." The Emperor rose just as Consort Su collapsed and fainted.

"Summon the physician! Now!"

06.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Consort Su is pregnant."

The physician bowed to the Emperor.

The Emperor was overjoyed.

The other concubines stood behind him. I noticed some younger ones couldn't hide their despair.

"How many months?"

"Over a month, Your Majesty."

The Emperor's expression froze.

He didn't need to check.

He hadn't visited Consort Su's chambers in two months.

To everyone's shock, he strode into the inner chamber.

Consort Su was still unconscious. The Emperor grabbed her by the hair and dragged her off the bed.

She woke in pain, screaming in terror, not understanding what was happening.

"Take this adulteress to the cold palace and torture her until she reveals her lover!"

The night seemed to grow colder. The wind carried a biting chill.

I stayed in my chambers. Aunt Liang returned with news.

"Consort Su refuses to confess. She claims she's innocent."

"I see," I said. "Aunt Liang, you have connections in the cold palace. I want to see her."

"Easily arranged. Just a few silver coins to smooth things over."

Late at night, I arrived at the cold palace.

Aunt Liang withdrew with the others, and I sat across from Consort Su.

She was tied to a pillar, her hair disheveled, staring at me.

"It was you... you framed me, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

My quick admission stunned her.

"I framed you," I said calmly. "You weren't pregnant."

"I knew you drank before dancing, so I tampered with the osmanthus wine, causing you to faint mid-performance."

"This created the biggest spectacle. The Emperor and all the concubines gathered in your chambers to congratulate you. Then the physician I bribed made his announcement."

"With so many witnesses, the Emperor, who values face above all, had no choice but to send you here for torture."

She glared at me, her eyes bloodshot. "Lady Shen, you think you're clever? Come dawn, the Emperor will come to see me, and I'll demand another examination!"

I interrupted her. "You're dreaming."

"You think I'd let you live until dawn?"

Fear crept into Consort Su's eyes. Her lashes trembled. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because you did it to her."

"Who?!"

"She never wanted to rebel. Even at the end, she couldn't let go of her feelings for the Emperor. Otherwise, she could have simply left."

"But you kept feeding his suspicions, exploiting his paranoia, until he forced her to raise an army."

Consort Su's eyes widened. "You mean... the Empress..."

"Yes," I said softly. "I'm not a time-traveling woman. I've been in the palace for ten years."

"Why do you blame me?!" Fear of death made her reckless. "I may have stirred trouble, but the one who killed the Empress was the Emperor!"

"Don't worry."

I smiled softly.

"He's next."

07.

News of Consort Su's death spread through the palace.

It was said she had hanged herself in the cold palace, refusing to name her lover.

The Emperor stripped her of her title and had her body thrown into a mass grave.

The incident enraged him so much that he fell ill, unable to hold court for days. Despite the physicians' treatments, his condition worsened.

The concubines eagerly attended to him, but I claimed to be ill myself, fearing I might pass on my sickness. I stayed in my chambers.

Of course, this was a lie. I often disguised myself and slipped out through a small door to the cold palace.

At the darkest room, I knocked. A faint singing came from inside.

"Waiting for you to come back, but you gave up..."

I replied, "What kind of man are you, what kind of man?"

The code matched. The door opened.

Inside was a woman in a black cloak. She pushed back her hood, revealing a young face.

If anyone else were here, they would have screamed.

Consort Wen.

She wasn't dead.

When I visited Consort Su in the cold palace, I had found her there.

Consort Wen had been poisoned by Consort Su but, being a science major, had prepared an antidote and faked her death.

Later, she used the same method to save Lady Li.

Both bore an irreconcilable hatred for Consort Su. When they learned she had been imprisoned, they came to assassinate her but overheard my conversation with her.

The three of us joined forces.

"Lady Li is training an army," Consort Wen said, checking the walls for eavesdroppers. "These are people the Empress once saved, mostly from humble origins who suffered oppression."

"When we asked why they followed us, they said—"

She paused.

"The Empress once told them, 'No one should be a servant.' Those words saved them, so they would unconditionally follow anyone who spoke them."

My eyes burned. I remembered the Empress carrying me out of the laundry bureau.

"The Emperor is ill. I've instructed the physicians to prescribe ineffective medicine. He won't recover quickly."

"How did you win over the physicians?" Consort Wen asked curiously.

I shook my head. "It wasn't me. It was the Empress's legacy. Years ago, when the Emperor was gravely ill, he threatened to execute the physicians. The Empress saved them."

Consort Wen was silent for a moment.

"The Empress... was truly remarkable."

"Though I never met her, we've always lived under her protection."

She took my hand.

"It's time to avenge her—and ourselves."

The date was set for a month after Mid-Autumn. On the fifteenth of September, the moon appeared blood-red, an omen in ancient legends.

The battle began.

Consort Wen and Lady Li's army struck like a dagger aimed at the heart of the imperial city. Trained by Lady Li and armed with weapons developed by Consort Wen, they outmatched the imperial guards.

As arrows rained down, I thought to myself—

Empress, was it like this on the day you were forced to rebel?

I grabbed my sword and headed to the Emperor's palace.

Resistance was futile. The imperial guards, accustomed to leisure, were no match for the sudden coup.

When we stormed in, only two eunuchs remained by the Emperor's side. The rest had fled.

The Emperor sat in his golden robe, calm in the face of death. He looked at us without fear or anger.

"Lady Shen, Consort Wen, Lady Li," he said coldly. "Your treachery runs deep."

"Especially you," he said, looking at me. "You were the most obedient. Did they lead you astray?"

I laughed. "How could that be, Your Majesty?" I said, hatred blazing in my eyes. "From the day I entered the palace, I've thought of nothing but killing you."

He stared at me, then let out a bitter laugh.

"Very well. All of you are remarkable."

"Every one of my women has exceeded my expectations."

He looked at the army behind us and smiled faintly.

"It seems I'm about to die."

"Then my concubines should accompany me."

He waved his hand. The palace doors were blocked from outside, and barrels of oil were poured from the roof, soaking everything inside.

My expression changed. The palace was mostly wooden. A single spark would ignite a blaze, and we couldn't break down the doors in time.

The Emperor drew his bow, an arrow aflame, and aimed it at the oil-soaked haystack.

"See you on the road to the underworld, my beloved consorts—"

In a flash, I charged forward.

The arrow pierced my chest. Flames engulfed me. I fell, using my body to smother the fire.

Pain overwhelmed me. The world went silent. I lay on the ground, watching scenes flash before my eyes.

Lady Li charged at the Emperor, driving her blade into his chest.

Consort Wen rushed to me, shouting, but I couldn't hear her.

I turned my head to look at the Emperor.

He wasn't dead yet. The blade still in his chest, his golden robe soaked in blood, he crawled toward me like a vengeful ghost.

Lady Li drew her sword to protect me, but the Emperor wasn't coming for me. He stared at me, his lips moving slowly.

I read his words.

"Was this... always how it would end?"

"If there's a next life... and I'm not born into royalty..."

"Could our love have a better ending?"

I understood.

He wasn't looking at me.

He was looking through me at another woman.

The woman he had killed in a coup ten years ago.

Now, karma had come full circle.

Blood gushed from my mouth, but I smiled.

The Emperor saw the gentlest, most obedient Lady Shen sneer at him with contempt and spit blood in his face.

"Who the hell would want to love you in the next life?"

"Disgusting."

His eyes widened in disbelief as he slowly breathed his last.

08.

Consort Wen and Lady Li held me, urging me to hold on. They would find a way to save me.

I shook my head gently.

The wound no longer hurt. I knew my blood was running out.

With my last strength, I whispered, "I want... to see..."

They leaned close to hear.

"I want to see... a world where no one is a servant."

They wept, tears falling on my face.

"Hold on! We'll show you!" Lady Li, usually fearless, sobbed. "Don't die! Just hold on a little longer..."

"We've succeeded! We have an army, the people's support. We'll change this world..."

I closed my eyes.

I saw it.

I saw a world where no one would be unjustly convicted like my father.

Where no girl would be imprisoned in the palace like me.

Where no one would be enslaved and beaten like my family.

I was just an ordinary person born in this era. Because of these women from another world, I had lived such a remarkable life.

I was content.

In my final vision, the Empress walked toward me in the morning light. She took my hand and looked at me with gentle eyes.

"No one should be a servant."

I smiled. I was eight years old again, holding her hand, following her without knowing where she would lead me. But I knew she would take me to a brighter, more hopeful place.

Lady Shen, entered the palace in the eleventh year of Qianyuan, died in the coup of the thirteenth year.

Bonus Chapter—

After a long darkness, I floated in chaos until I finally opened my eyes.

A white ceiling greeted me.

I sat up. The face before me was familiar.

"Empress... Empress..."

"My name is Qin Zihan." The girl smiled warmly at me, then called out, "Hey, you two! Your new roommate is here. Aren't you going to say hello?"

Consort Wen, wearing a pair of strange glass objects—later, I learned they were called glasses—approached me with a thick book, looking exasperated.

"I have a topology quiz tomorrow. Let me finish studying first."

Beside her, Lady Li was doing something even stranger, lifting two iron weights up and down.

"What do you think of my biceps? Not bad for a former athlete, right?" she asked me.

I didn't fully understand, but I stammered, "Not... not bad. You could take down three imperial guards on your own."

They exchanged glances and laughed.

"Stop studying and exercising for now," Qin Zihan said, pulling me along. "Let's take A'Ling to see the world."

(The End)