In the seventh year of Longhe's reign, an autumn osmanthus banquet involved five women with completely different life experiences and personalities involved in a deep palace chess game set by the emperor.
Xie, a noble concubine who was born in a century-old family and abided by rituals; Su Wanqing, a gentle and prudent concubine who came from a poor Confucian family; a virtuous concubine who was well versed in forbearance and planning and sought peace at every step; a noble lady who was enthusiastic and bright, who was greedy for glamor and attention; and the scholarly widow Wanrong, who was indifferent and alienated and loved peace and quiet.
The king used favor as bait and used the gaps in people's hearts to stir up endless internal friction, making them suspicious of each other and restraining each other. They were trapped in a small space in the harem and spent several years facing each other tit for tat. Everyone thought they were the unique exception, persistently pursued false expectations, and became a pawn to consolidate the imperial power.
In the ninth year of Longhe, Beilin's cavalry went south and came to Yong'an Gucheng. When the city gate was shattered, the scam was suddenly revealed - the emperor who had set up the chess game had secretly fled the city with his treasures, leaving behind all the people in the capital and the women in the palace.
Past grudges disappear. The five people who gave up their obsession chose to pretend to surrender and lurked in the undercurrent of Yong'an City for a year, secretly gathering martyrs and weaving a secret network to restore the country. On the eve of raising troops, they each put on their most beloved costumes and rushed to the battlefield with pride.
Fate has gone round and round, and all half-life obsessions have come to a reverse end. In the smoke of gunpowder, five people sacrificed their lives and ended calmly in their costumes, leaving no trace of embarrassment.
The official history is frivolous, hastily defining them as mediocre harem women, and burying all their heroes. Only the surviving maid told the truth buried in the dust.
Women who were once trapped in a deep palace chess game and fought with each other broke free from love and shackles, and used their weak bodies to carry up the broken mountains and rivers.
The palace walls were burned down, and the troubled times turned to ashes, but only a proud body remained in the world and was worth remembering forever.
Purpose: to break the stereotyped narrative of "women in the harem only being jealous and clinging to imperial power", and writing about women who are treated as pawns by power, break free from the chess game, tear up the scam, and achieve self-awakening and spiritual independence; contrasting the selfish escape of those in high positions, it illustrates that character has nothing to do with status, gender, or gender, and true integrity is never defined by status.