I lived a carefree life. I had neither peerless beauty nor a knack for scheming. I thought I would live out my days quietly. When I came of age, my younger sister’s dazzling beauty attracted wolves and brought disaster. My family fell into ruin, and I went from a young lady of means to a palace maid. Once you enter the palace gates, it is as deep as the sea. As a servant, you have to swallow every grievance, every insult, and every blow to your pride. In the palace, if you cannot adapt, you die. Some people laugh, some cry, and some will do anything to climb higher. Those at the very bottom are the most genuine of all. I saw all the palace’s intrigues and suffered more than my share. Meeting Lin Xun, the imperial painter, was the most beautiful thing that happened to me in the palace. Together, we watched the mandarin ducks fly side by side and painted the beauty of the world hand in hand. Less than a year later, he got married and became a prince consort. It was because of a painting of a sea of fragrant snow blossoms, the painting I had given him. But I wasn’t the bride. I suppose all I can do is quietly remain a palace maid, a palace maid who knows how to paint. Perhaps there is no destined love for me.
