Autumn in Chang'an

Pearls of a beaded curtain, wine beside her, a hidden figure inspires pity Her lovely shadow, cloudlike robes, and coiffed hair are painted in the haze May the curtain not be drawn aside tonight As if drunken, she drifts through the flowers On Chang'an Street, people filled the air with noise. The red paint had worn away from the character "Li" on the old residence's sign. Spiderwebs covered the gate, and the roof tiles lay in broken pieces. The Li residence, once powerful enough to shake the court, had fallen into ruin. A woman with her face veiled in black gauze gently pushed open the wooden gate and stepped inside. She reached out to brush away a cobweb and let out a long sigh. Beyond the corridor lay the main room. She pushed the door open, revealing shards of porcelain scattered across the floor. "The hibiscus curtains of old, the autumn breeze in my sleeves this morning... So this is what it has come to," she murmured. Theme: