When I was young, to repay the empress for her kindness, I did everything I could to protect the Sixth Prince in the Cold Palace.
Later, he became the supreme ruler with the power of life and death,
while I became the highly envied Court Lady in charge of the Imperial Bedchamber, always by his side.
Then, on the day the eldest prince turned one month old, the palace lit a thousand Kongming lanterns to pray for his blessings, and the emperor granted me one wish.
Everyone thought I would ask him to make me a consort.
But I knelt straight-backed and asked only to leave the palace.
No one noticed his fingers clenching beneath his bright yellow sleeves. They only saw him grit his teeth and refuse:
"You can forget it."
He thought I had grown accustomed to an easy life and needed to suffer a little before I would willingly stay by his side.
But he didn't know that I had asked to leave the palace only because
I was dying.
That's very well written!