Taiji Palace, within Lizheng Palace where the Empress resided, was empty and desolate, no longer possessing the vitality it once had. All the maids served on the outside corridors, and inside the hall was only a man dressed in yellow silk with wide-sleeved robes. He sat on the edge of a soft couch, thin brocade scattered about. His hair and beard were tinged with frost, and the occasional drops of water from the tips of his hair fell on it, blooming like small flowers.
In front of him lay the neatly folded twelve-tailed robes of Empress Zhangsun.
Gazing at the patterns, he didn't know how much time had passed when he reached out to gently touch them, wanting to say something, but his throat seized up.
