Ying Chong

Chapter 1.1

In the middle of a heavy snow in winter.

The people in the capital are anxious about the disaster the snow may bring. It has been snowing for several days. Surprisingly, this day the weather cleared.

The yellow glazed tiles in the Forbidden City were still covered with layers of white, but the snow on the Palace Road and the corridor has already been cleared. As the saying goes, the snow does not thaw the snow. In such a cold day the palace maids and eunuchs were all in a hurry.

Today is Empress Dowager Yi An’s birthday.

The Empress Dowager was not suitable to have a grand ceremony for her birthday for the former Emperor has only been buried for a year. However, the Emperor wanted to be a filial son to her Empress mother so he still ordered to have birthday banquet albeit a simpler one. Only women who belongs to third rank official families and above plus relatives of the Emperor were selected to attend the banquet at Ci Ning Palace in celebration of the Empress Dowager’s birthday.

In the Ci Ning palace, a normal tranquil day has been changed to a day of festivity.

The ongoing play in the back garden was filled with the sound of gongs and drums. Empress Dowager Yi An doesn’t really like this kind of noisy play, but the palace maids around her persuaded her saying that this was a folkway to ask for the blessing of long life. It’s also the wish of the emperor and the empress. The Empress Dowager knew that the emperor and the empress only wanted her to be happy. So, she just let it be.

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After a busy day, the Empress Dowager was really tired. In the afternoon, she went back to the palace hall to rest.

Empress Dowager Yi An wore a yellow robe embroidered in gold with auspicious dragon and phoenix pattern. The crown and jewelry on her head were removed. She was so tired, she leaned on the soft pillow of the imperial concubine’s couch and closed her eyes.

The palace maid knelt in front of the couch and massage her legs gently. Seeing no movement above, the palace maid looked up carefully.

Just by looking at the Empress Dowager, who would have thought her grandchildren are all in the year of [1] wǔ sháo. It seems that the years have been kind to her, the Empress Dowager does not look like the Emperor’s mother but rather her sister.

Perhaps only such a woman can be deeply loved by the Emperor and be crowned queen of the six palaces. In the end, not only her son became the Emperor but she also became the most noble woman in the world.

The movement of the theater can still be heard faintly. The melodious and elegant song of the [2] Qīngyī ——

[The garden desolate for years is full of blooming flowers.

Spring confined in the doleful unattended garden keeps waiting for yet no one comes to appreciate.

How could I fully relish the enchanting sight on a fine day after knowing this?

Whose home has such a cheerful scenery?

In the morning and in the evening,

In the clouds and the green porch,

In the rain, in the wind, and in the mist.

I cannot bear to see the prime of my youth wasted.]

[原来姹紫嫣红开遍，似这般都付与断井颓垣，良辰美景奈何天，赏心乐事谁家院。

朝飞暮卷，云霞翠轩， 雨丝风片，烟波画船，锦屏人忒看的这韶光贱。]

The Empress Dowager suddenly remembered when she was young.