The Deep Palace of Chu

I stood with my sword atop the towering Zhanghua Terrace, my gaze passing over tier upon tier of gray stone steps below. The late-autumn scenery of Jiangnan stretched beneath my feet, desolate and bleak. Plants had withered, and frost clung to yellow leaves. Not far away, the deep, mournful tones of ceremonial bells drifted through the still air, layer by layer, from within the palace of jeweled towers and pearl-studded halls. The afternoon sky was gloomy. No one was in sight, and not a bird called. Deep within the Chu Palace, all was silent.