In the twenty-first year of my mortal tribulation, my emperor husband made a woman who called herself a goddess his Noble Consort. She wanted the throne of empress, and in front of everyone, she claimed I was a fox spirit and an omen of the dynasty’s ruin. The emperor believed her lies and ignored our marital bond, letting her hang me beneath the Meridian Gate and torture me at will. She broke my hand, ground my face beneath her foot, then cut open my chest and tore out my heart while I was still alive. “Do you see? Your husband and your son both love me.” “Admit it, you’ve lost.” “Once I eat your heart, I’ll be a true goddess!” I lifted my head amid countless rotten vegetables and stones as purple-red lightning came hurtling toward me. She wanted to eat my heart? As if she were worthy.
