An Shutong returned to Huayang Palace, seething with frustration. The more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. Her face turned ashen as she leaned against a soft pillow, trying to catch her breath. Unconsciously, tears began to stream down her cheeks.
'I should never have held onto false hope. If only I'd stuck to my original resolve and refused to enter the palace... Maybe I would have married someone outside. It might not have been a great family, but at least I wouldn't be stuck here, seeing the Emperor only a handful of times all year.'
'Even when I do see him, I can only watch as the Emperor dotes on the Imperial Concubine. The rest of us concubines are just furniture in his eyes.'
An Shutong hated herself for not being more resolute, and for her greed for glory that had led her to this fate.
