Dawn is evident as the first peaks of light shine through the windowpane, gradually brightening the room. I was up long before the signs of morning appeared, and so far, I've just been sitting on my bed, watching as the palace wakes up with the sun.

It is serene moments like this that give me time alone with my thoughts, and I began thinking about the Emperor, Emperor Huang Fu. I had never paid much attention to the rumors surrounding him. His character and methods of governing the country did not concern me when I was an ordinary village girl. However, seeing that I will most likely be his concubine, I do wish I knew more about him. I have only heard that he is an incredibly dangerous and ruthless man... perhaps not a man at all. They say that he has not a drop of humanity remaining in him; he killed it off a long time ago. After all, the word man is written in humanity, so what kind of man is he with no humanity? I suppose that is how they developed the idea that he is more demon than man. It's rumored that demon blood courses through him as evil has no use for humanity when evil aims to destroy it. Him being the evil.

Numerous terrible rumors surround him, but besides on the battlefield, I have never heard of any evidence proving that he is as vicious as they say. I have, however, heard a rumor about not his cruelty, but his pettiness. Once, on my way to the market square, I heard two older women gossiping about a public execution ordered by Emperor because a single decorative flower petal was missing on his dish, throwing him into a fit of rage. Supposedly, the Emperor ordered the execution of the servant serving the meal. At the time, the two women were frightened because they believed the punishment was cruel; however, I found it quite laughable. Surely, he cannot be this petty. It could not have been true, killing because of a flower petal?

I always believed that the rumors about him are built around lies being passed around. Rumors are, after all, just rumors. Of course, they do hold some truth, as they cannot come from nowhere; there has to be a foundation for them to arise. But it's always exaggerated, never wholly accurate. I, however, do know that he is extremely ruthless and vicious on the battlefield. I had witnessed him killing once when I was a child, only two years younger than Biyu. I was on a trip with my father, and we had to cross the Yuanlan mountains. There, we witnessed a gruesome battle between the Imperial Army and the rebels. I did not see much, as my father instantly shielded my view. But as he searched for a hiding spot, he was distracted for a moment. And it was then that I saw him, the Demon Emperor. Though I could not see his face, I knew it was him because he was the only one with gold accents on his armor. I saw him hurl a spear directly into a man's heart, killing him instantly. The spear exited from the man's back and kept cutting through the air for a great distance. I saw as the Emperor swiftly weaved through the bloody scene around him, effortlessly slaughtering many others as he ran, before slicing the man's head off clean with his sharp blade. I did not see anything after that as my eyes were once again covered by my father's hand. But the most chilling part of the whole ordeal was not the murder itself, but that he went back to degrade the man even further when he was already dead. So much hatred was aimed towards that man; it was frightening. I had nightmares for months after that, terrified of the ruler of our country. The man who's harem I will be a part of.

Suddenly, the door opens with a jolt, and I am met by a small and rather thin girl, not much younger than me. She is dressed better than a palace servant. However, she doesn't seem to hold a high ranking. Her hair has but one hairpin, however, decorated with two large flowers on each side. Her hanfu is also rather simple, an orange color, though, fancier than the one I wore when we first arrived. Behind her, I see five female servants, all dressed the same in a light blue hanfu.

When she sees me, her eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"Nubi greets Imperial Concubine Zhao," she and the servants behind her greet in unison, slightly curtsying and bowing their heads.

Imperial Concubine? When did that happen? The girls in front of me still haven't risen from their curtsy position, and I am unsure of what to do. "uh... please rise," I finally say, feeling uncomfortable as I am usually the one inferior to those around me.

"Forgive my intrusion. My name is Huiqing. I am your personal servant. Nubi (I) is here to bring niang niang* (a substitute word for concubine) to the Angelica Wisteria Palace," she says as she rises. "I see that niang niang is already dressed."

"This is actually the same dress from the previous night," I admit sheepishly.

I look around the room. "I don't have much stuff, there really is no need for this many people to wait upon me," I say, referring to the servants in front of me. "And please, call me Xiulan."

"But the palace regulation..."

"Nevermind that. I will not punish anyone for simply saying my name. That would be absurd."

"Yes, niang nia- Xiulan."

"Er... before we leave, would you give me a few moments to leave a note from my roommates? I do not want them to be worried when they wake up."

For a moment, Huiqing doesn't seem to know how to reply. I suppose it is because I had asked for her permission rather than demanding to leave a note.

"... Of course. Nubi will wait patiently for as long as you like."

I write the note, bidding my farewells to each of them. For Zhirou, I thank her for being the best company and friend during this whole time, from the start of the trip to now. For Ciufan, I thank her for trusting me, despite all the chaos around us. And, of course, for lending me her beautiful dress. Finally, for Biyu, I give her the address to my home, just in case her family does not accept her back with open arms. 'I hope I will meet you all again' I finish the note off before placing it on my bed.

"I am ready," I tell Huiqing. She nods and smiles. "Please follow me."

As we walk out of the the building where all the concubine candidates are housed, I realized that we were never in the Forbidden City. We were in the city walls, but we were on the outskirts of the city. It's in the inner part of the Forbidden City that is truly forbidden, at least to the public. It's the central area of the city. As we near the entrance of the Forbidden City, I notice dozens of guards lined up, ready to defend.

It is only now that I realized, once I make it past this stone wall, I would truly be trapped. There really won't be any going back. I would most likely never leave.

"State your business," the guard at the front said.

"By the Empress Dowager's orders, we are to accompany Imperial Concubine Zhao to the Angelica Wisteria Palace." Huiqing shows the Empress Dowagers seal of entry to the guard.

They move aside and let us enter. I hesitantly step past them... and into the Forbidden City.

As we walk to the Angelica Wisteria Palace, I notice Huiqing step back slightly, so while we were still walking side by side, I was just slightly in front.

"Huiqing may I ask you something?"

"Niang niang can ask nubi anything" she replies.

I turn towards her and give her a pointed look. "You are my friend now, Huiqing, and friends call each other by their names."

She smiles and nods. "Yes, you are right."

"I wanted to ask you. When did I become the Imperial Concubine? I woke up, and suddenly I have a title," I exclaim, turning forward once more so I wouldn't accidentally trip like the clumsy person I am.

She giggles. "The Emperor gave a decree early this morning, naming you Imperial Concubine Zhao."

The Emperor? It was probably through the suggestion of the Empress Dowager then. I doubt the Emperor would name a new concubine so simply without meeting me first, well, unless the Empress Dowager influenced his decision...

"Ah, I see..."

"This is Shenyang Imperial palace. It is where the Emperor resides," Huiqing announces, gesturing to our right as we pass it. I couldn't see much, as massive walls enclose around the palace. However, the entrance gave a little opening, allowing me to see part of the palace.

"Huiqing, do you know what the Emperor is like?"

"The Emperor? Oh, no, never. Not many people in the palace have ever seen the Emperor, and only a lucky few ever will." She begins giggling, and I turn to her, confused. "Do not worry niang- Xiulan. You will meet the Emperor in time," she finishes.

Sighing, I look ahead of me. "No, it's not that, I do not want to meet him- no, well, of course, I would love to meet- no, I mean..."

I was becoming flustered. My face was heating up, and I could just imagine that my cheeks were reddening. The servants behind me start giggling. Innocent, not in an unfriendly way.

"What I meant is, I am not in a hurry to meet the Emperor. I understand he has other more pressing matters to deal with," I finally say, straightening out my words.

Huiqing smiles. "Mhmm... yes, we have arrived at Angelica Wisteria Palace, your new residence, " she announces as we turn the corner.

"Nubi greets Imperial Concubine Zhao," the palace staff welcomes in unison as I step in through the entrance and into the courtyard.

The palace is magnificent, bright, and colorful. What stands out the most is the garden. Assortments of different kinds of flowers blossom in flower beds, sprouting from the lush green grass. Numerous ginkgo trees also grow around the palace. I notice that some of their bright yellow leaves have drifted onto the ground, leaving most of the stone cement no longer visible.

Huiqing sees me gazing at the ground.

"We only had one day to prepare, and we did not have much time to sweep up," she tells me. "You girls, over there," she shouts to a group of servants standing by the flower beds, "get rid of these leaves!"

"Oh, no. Do not worry about that." I stop the girls. "The golden color of Ginko leaves on the ground makes the scenery of the palace quite beautiful, actually. It reminds me of the Yuanlan mountains." I pause. "Well, shall we go in?"

The interior of the palace is beautiful as well, though, it is a bit too extravagant. Ah, listen to me. Criticizing it because it is too extravagant, I sound ungrateful, I should be glad I have a roof over my head in the first place. Nevertheless, the palace is indeed impressive while also unique.

"This is beautiful Huiqing," I exclaim.

"Yes, the Empress Dowager assigned Angelica Wisteria Palace to you herself. She said that it is a place of good fortune and harmony," she replies as I sit down on one of the seats.

"Noble Consort Hua has arrived!" a eunuch outside announces.

A girl in a pure white hanfu gracefully walks in. Her dress is decorated with intricate designs and patterns. However, unlike the other women I have met in the palace, her clothing has little color. Her hair is also adorned with little jewelry. Nonetheless, the muted tones of her appearance do her favor as it gives her a rather innocent and humble look.

I quickly rise from my seat. "Chen qie (I) greets Noble Consort Hua," I welcome, slightly curtsying.

She smiles. "Please, sit."

After we both get situated, a maid comes in with a pot of tea.

"Jie jie (older sister), how are you enjoying the palace so far?" she asks, with a smile gracing her lips.

"I arrived only a few moments ago, but the staff here has been very welcoming, and I find the palace extremely beautiful." I pause for a moment. "Forgive my manners; I am not yet knowledgable in palace etiquette. As niang niang provably guessed, I did not grow up in such a lavishing household."

"Oh, not to worry. We all have something to learn... I have an idea. I could teach you! We could have lessons every day. That way, we would get to know each other better. The other two consorts aren't the most friendly, and I could never socialize with them, but you seem much nicer."

I'm not sure what to make of her. She is the second in rank here, and I am the fourth. Is she only wanting to make friends? She doesn't seem to have an ulterior motive, and I can't detect a hidden expression from her, unlike Imperial Noble Consort Li.

"That would be lovely, thank you." I decide to accept her invitation.

She takes a sip of her tea. "We have a harem gathering in half an hour" she states, looking at my dress.

"Oh, I just got here and I did not have time to change" I explain, slightly embarrassed.

"I could help pick out a hanfu for you if you like?" she offers.

"Thank you. That would be wonderful."

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Nubi (nú bì)

I, your servant

chén qiè

means 'I' as well, but is used by concubines and consorts when talking to a higher rank.

jiě jie

older sister

Here's the harem ranking (I found it off of Wikipedia) :

1. Empress (huáng hòu)

2. Imperial Noble Consort (huáng guì fēi)

3. Noble Consort (guì fēi)

4. Consort (fēi)

5. Imperial Concubine (pín) XIULAN

6. Noble Lady (guì rén)

7. First-Class Female Attendant (cháng zài)

8. Second-Class Female Attendant (dā yìng)

There isn't always one of each; for example, there could be four consorts. However, there can only be one empress and one imperial noble consort.