You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

"The Emperor is a Tyrant in the Heavens, You Don't Understand My Happiness" is full of classic quotes, come and find resonance.

The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast long and short shadows of the eight women lying prone on the ground.

The lingering notes of the music seemed to still echo among the beams and pillars, mixed with faint, uneasy breaths and the occasional gentle trembling of the golden bells.

Lu Zuo's gaze slowly swept over the eight young women, each with a different posture.

Most of them kept their heads bowed deeply, not daring to raise them, as if trying to shrink themselves into the gorgeous dance costumes and the cold cracks in the floor tiles.

Only two or three of them, perhaps due to their personalities, or perhaps to grasp at that faint hope, suppressed their fear, slightly raised their eyelids, and glanced upwards with a mixture of ingratiation and panic.

His gaze fell on the woman in red who had led the dance.

Even kneeling on the ground, her figure remained stunningly beautiful, especially that part that was glimpsed briefly during the dance.

At this moment, her snow-white nape, partially obscured by her loose hair, gleamed with a fragile yet alluring luster against the backdrop of her red dress.

But what Lu Zuo noticed was that even when she was kneeling, her back still maintained an imperceptible stiffness that belonged to a noble lady of the past, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

"You," Lu Zuo spoke, breaking the silence, pointing at the woman in red, "what's your name?"

The woman in red visibly trembled, bowing even lower. Her voice, coming through the veil, carried a suppressed tremor and a strange chill: "Your Majesty, this servant... Wulinda Mingke."

"Ulinda Mingke?" Lu Zuo read the name aloud, then turned his gaze to Uleji, who was standing to the side.

Uleji immediately bowed, his face plastered with a fawning smile, and hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty is wise, this woman... this woman was originally Consort Rou from the previous dynasty's palace."

"She was born to the late Consort of the King of Zheng, Lady Wulinda. Because of her outstanding appearance and fluency in Chinese, she was selected to enter the palace last year."

"But...but later the country was in turmoil, and His Majesty...uh, the former patron has not yet been able to...visit him."

He spoke cryptically, but his meaning was clear: this Consort Rou came from a noble family of the Ulinda tribe. Nominally a consort, she was actually a virgin. Her status was noble enough, yet she was "clean".

Lu Zuo listened without comment, his gaze returning to the glaring red, and said calmly, "You stay. The rest of you, leave."

"Yes," Uleji quickly replied, giving a wink to the other seven women on the ground.

The seven women, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, yet also carrying a hint of barely perceptible loss and relief, rose one after another, bowed their heads, and followed Uleji, quietly and swiftly retreating from the main hall.

Only the concubine, who called herself Ulinda Mingke, remained kneeling on the ground.

The heavy palace doors slowly closed, separating the inside from the outside.

The hall instantly became even more spacious and silent, with the crackling of the charcoal fire clearly audible.

Ulinda Mingke felt as if the gaze falling on her carried a tangible weight, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She could feel her cheeks burning and her heart pounding in her chest, not from shyness or anticipation, but from a cold, almost suffocating sense of humiliation and fear.

She really wants to...

Should she serve the man who destroyed her homeland and captured her king?

Uleji's words, the image of Emperor Wanyan Dan kneeling outside the city gate, and the terrible rumors about the fate of Han princesses during the Jingkang era all intertwined, sending chills down her spine.

Time passed in an unbearable silence.

She heard the soft rustling of fabric from the throne, followed by steady footsteps descending the steps and approaching her.

Her body tensed even more, her fingertips digging deeply into her palms.

A pair of black boots with gold trim stopped in front of her lowered gaze.

……

The night wind was even colder in the long corridor outside the palace.

The other seven women have been taken away and placed in a suitable location by palace staff.

Wanyan Xue stood alone in the shadow of the pillars, gazing at the closed palace doors, her clear, cold eyes flashing with a complex and unfathomable light in the darkness.

Uleji dismissed the others, strolled over to her side, and sighed softly, "Princess, it's late, you should go back and rest early."

"Consort Rou... has her own destiny."

Wanyan Xue didn't move, her voice somewhat unsteady: "Chief Steward Wu, I... I want to see my imperial brother. Is that alright?"

Uleji paused for a moment, carefully examined her expression, and nodded: "His Majesty has decreed that she be strictly guarded, but has not explicitly prohibited visits."

"This old servant will take you there, but... it can't take too long, and we can't let anyone else know."

"I understand. Thank you, Steward."

The two avoided the patrolling Song army sentries and, guided by Wuleji, made several turns until they arrived at a secluded hall in the northwest corner of the palace.

This place has been temporarily converted into a prison for high-ranking prisoners. It is guarded by Song soldiers on the outside and by surrendered former palace guards and eunuchs inside, creating a solemn atmosphere.

Uleji showed his waist token and stuffed some silver into his pocket before he was able to bring Wanyan Xue inside.

After passing through several iron bars, we arrived at the innermost cell, which was relatively clean but had its doors and windows tightly closed.

Inside, a disheveled figure dressed in a white prison uniform stood with his back to the door, staring blankly at a tiny, wooden-latched vent on the wall.

"Brother..." Wanyan Xue called softly through the fence.

The figure jolted, then abruptly turned around; it was none other than Wanyan Dan, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty.

He was so haggard he was almost unrecognizable, with sunken eyes and cracked lips. The air of pampered nobility he once possessed had vanished, leaving only a deathly grayness.

Upon seeing Wanyan Xue, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, only to quickly dim again. He lunged at the fence, gripping the cold iron bars with both hands, and hissed, "Xue'er?"

"It's you? What brings you here?"

"What's happening outside...?"

"Where are the Empress Dowager and the others? What about the other members of the imperial clan?"

His voice was urgent and hoarse, carrying the last glimmer of hope.

Looking at her brother's appearance, Wanyan Xue felt a pang of sadness. She forced back her tears and whispered, "Rest assured, Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and the other women have been temporarily housed in the warm pavilion and are not in any immediate danger."

"only……"

"But the Emperor's concubines... including Consort Rou Mingke, tonight... were chosen by Chief Eunuch Wu to perform a dance before... the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty."

The color drained from Wanyan Dan's face instantly, his knuckles turned white from gripping the iron bars too tightly, and he made a strange "hoarse" sound in his throat, as if someone was choking him.

Imperial concubines performed a dance...

This is an absolute disgrace!

Especially Consort Rou, Ming Ke, who was his nominal consort!

"Mingke, she...she..." Wanyan Dan's lips trembled, unable to utter the question.

Wanyan Xue smiled sadly, tears finally welling up in her eyes: "Sister Mingke... has been left behind."

"At this moment, he is probably...serving."

"puff--!"

Wanyan Dan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered backward, crashed into the cold wall, and slowly slid to the ground.

He clutched his head with both hands, letting out a wild, suppressed sob, his whole body trembling violently.

humiliation!

An unprecedented humiliation!

Not only did they lose their country, but even their own women had to submit to the enemy's pleasure in his bedchamber!

This is a thousand times more painful than killing him!

But what can he do?

He is now just a prisoner whose life is in the hands of others!

A profound sense of powerlessness and deep-seated hatred intertwined, almost tearing him apart.

"Brother! Brother, take care!" Wanyan Xue called out anxiously through the fence.

After a long while, Wanyan Dan's sobs gradually subsided. He raised his head, his face blurred with tears and blood, his eyes vacant as he looked at Wanyan Xue, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "Xue'er...you...you must be careful..."

"That old dog Ulji will never let you go... and you... can't escape either..."

Wanyan Xue wiped away her tears, shook her head, and her smile grew even more sorrowful: "Escape? Where can we escape to?"

"Brother, this is our fate."

"What dignity can a person from a vanquished nation possess?"

"Today it's Sister Mingke, tomorrow...maybe it'll be my turn."

"The story of the Jingkang era is simply being repeated now."

"To be alive, to barely cling to life, is perhaps... the best possible ending." Her voice calmed down, but carried a deathly stillness born of resignation.

Wanyan Dan looked at her, opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't say anything. He simply buried his head deeply in his knees, his shoulders heaving silently. Inside and outside the prison cell, only despair silently spread.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the exquisite windows into the bedchamber, dispelling the ambiguity of the night.

A faint, lingering sweet scent, belonging to the woman, mingled with the crisp aroma of ambergris in the air.

Lu Zuo had already woken up and was sitting up against the headboard.

Roufei Wulinda Mingke struggled to get up from the disheveled brocade quilt, her whole body aching and sore.

Especially the waist and legs, which are almost unresponsive.

She suppressed her shame, lowered her eyes, and dared not look at the man beside her. With slightly trembling hands, she groped for Lu Zuo's clothes scattered on the ground.

She carefully helped Lu Zuo get dressed, her movements clumsy and awkward, clearly indicating that she had never done such a thing before.

She put on her inner garment and tied the belt; every touch made her fingertips burn.

When she finally knelt on the footstool, picked up Lu Zuo's boots, and prepared to put them on him, the cold patterns on the black boot surface made her momentarily dazed.

Just yesterday, she was Consort Rou, who needed palace servants to kneel and serve her; today, she has to serve the conqueror in such a humble manner.

Lu Zuo lowered his eyes and looked at the woman kneeling at his feet.

Her long, black hair was disheveled and draped over her shoulders, with a few strands clinging to her sweaty forehead.

She lowered her head and looked down, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her pale cheeks, her lips slightly swollen, and a lingering trace of dampness between her cool and aloof eyes.

This intertwined state of brokenness and submission possesses a breathtakingly fragile beauty in the morning light.

She didn't speak, but bit her lower lip and silently slipped the boots onto Lu Zuo's feet, carefully adjusting the boot tops. Her movements were very light, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Dressed neatly, Lu Zuo stood up and stretched his limbs.

The night of indulgence had no effect on him; on the contrary, his mind became even clearer.

He glanced at the slender woman still kneeling on the ground and said, "Get up. Show me around the palace."

Ulinda Mingke was taken aback, seemingly not expecting such an instruction.

She stood up as instructed, but her legs went weak again, and she quickly grabbed the bedpost to steady herself.

A blush of embarrassment swept across her face, and she whispered, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"This servant...is quite familiar with the paths in the palace."

She hurriedly gathered her clothes and hair, not bothering to tidy herself up properly, and went ahead to lead the way.

Lu Zuo followed half a step behind, his steps leisurely.

The two walked out of the bedchamber one after the other, stepping into the slightly chilly air of the late autumn morning.

Sunlight shone on the golden glazed tiles of the palace, reflecting a cold luster.

This palace, which once belonged to the Wanyan clan, was now quiet. Only the patrolling Song soldiers marched by in orderly steps, and when they saw Lu Zuo, they silently saluted.

Ulinda Mingke walked along the familiar palace road, his feelings extremely complicated.

Every blade of grass, every tree, every pavilion, and every building was once a symbol of the majesty of her family and her homeland.

Now, however, she must act as a "guide," leading the man who destroyed all of this on a journey through it all.

As she passed each palace, she would whisper its former name and purpose, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"That is the Chongzheng Hall, the place where the previous dynasty held its grand court assemblies in the past."

"That's the Imperial Garden, which has running water and doesn't completely freeze over in winter."

"Ahead is the library, which houses some Han Chinese classics and... our own ethnic documents."

Lu Zuo listened quietly, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent buildings.

The conqueror's footsteps tread upon the palace of the conquered, accompanied by the nominal concubine of the enemy monarch.

This delicate relationship and setting left him with little emotional turmoil, only a sense of indifference as if he were in complete control.

He would occasionally ask a question or two about the building's age or the old system within the palace, and Ulinda Mingke would answer as clearly as possible, in a respectful tone, without a single fault.

As the sunlight gradually rose, it stretched the shadows of the two people onto the smooth stone slabs of the imperial road, where they walked in silence, one in front of the other.

The palaces of the former dynasty remain, but the rosy cheeks have faded, and things have changed.

Explore the myriad treasures of the heavens; this is your haven for book hunting.