I was born with superhuman strength. On the first night the emperor summoned me to his bed, I broke his tailbone, and was immediately sent to the Cold Palace.
1
The young eunuch who brought my food was called Xiao Luzi. He tossed the food box onto the stone steps, spilling soup all over the ground. "Eat up, you criminal who offended His Majesty." He pinched his nose, his face full of disgust.
I ignored him. I pushed open the rickety door, and a wave of mildew hit me. There was only a bare bed frame in the room. The food box held nothing but a cold steamed bun and a bowl of thin rice porridge. I swallowed it in one bite, but only felt hungrier. That night, lying on the bed frame, I felt the hard wood digging into my bones. I remembered my father's words: There is no path from which Heaven bars escape. I, Wei Lian...
