The Jade earring

Deep Inside the inner palace lived a woman known as The Raven Consort.

Despite being a consort by title, the Raven Consort was special. She never provided any sort of nighttime entertainment to the emperor, and instead kept a low profile, spending her days in- side her jet-black palace and rarely emerging from its doors. Some claimed to have seen her, but their reports were inconsistent-for every person who said she was an old woman, there was someone who said she was a young girl.

In hushed tones, people speculated that maybe she was immortal, or possibly a fearsome ghost. They even said she had mystical magic powers, and rumor had it that she'd take on any task you requested of her. From putting a deadly curse on some- body you hated to summoning the spirits of the dead to finding missing items, she could do it all.

Even though she was a consort who resided in the inner palace, she never received any visits from the emperor...or at least, she wasn't supposed to.

One night, however, two shadowy figures made their way toward her palace.

"Ironic that it's called the Yamei Palace, isn't it?"

The Yamei With hanging lanterns illuminating the walkway he traveled,Ka Koshun gazed at the palace in front of him. Palace-meaning "the palace that shone brightly at night"-had jet-black walls that seemed even darker than the darkness that enveloped it. If the moon were out on this night, it would have lit up its blue, lustrous glazed roof tiles, but unfortunately, tonight's moonlight was blocked out by the clouds.

"That's just because the lanterns haven't been lit, remarked Eisei, who was holding a lamp. He was a eunuch. His voice was high yet clear, and his features were just as beautiful Lanterns adorned the front of the Yamei Palace, but none were aflame.

"None from the palace eunuch institute dare get close to the Yamei Palace. They're too scared. I did warn you," Eisei continued.

"How come?" Koshun's voice was also quiet as he posed this brief question. He wasn't making a concerted effort to lower his voice because of his surroundings, though—it was just his usual way. As deep as his tone was, his voice wasn't cold. Instead, the sound of it brought to mind images of the light seeping through the trees on a winter's day.

"They say there's an ominous bird inside, waiting to take flight."

"What kind of bird?"

"A large, golden one. They say that if you get too close to the palace, it'll attack you."

"Oh." Koshun acknowledged Eisei's musings, but he didn't seem very interested. His eyes were fixed on the jet-black palace. There was no light coming from inside the unassuming building, so it looked completely abandoned.

Eisei glanced up at Koshun's fearless expression from beside him. "Are you really going to visit the Raven Consort, master?" "That's what I'm here for," Koshun replied bluntly.

When a eunuch referred to somebody as such, there was only one person in the land of Sho that they could be talking to-the emperor.

"I don't see anything wrong with me paying one of my consorts a visit."

"But the Raven Consort isn't like your other consorts. If you meet with her, disaster will befall you."

Koshun let out a deep chuckle. "I never thought you'd fall for those rumors, Sei."

Eisei held his tongue.

"When it comes to the Raven Consort, the rumors vary from plausible theories to complete nonsense, but I know..."

Koshun stopped in his tracks. In front of him stood a cobble- stone staircase with large jet-black doors at the top, closed tight to ward off any potential visitors.

"We can worry about the details later. I'll find out whether the Raven Consort is an immortal or a ghost when I see her with my own eyes."

He placed his foot onto a cobblestone step. Eisei had taken the lead and pushed against the doors, and they opened slightly without making a sound. Surprised, he backed away, but at between the doors, accompanied by a piercing screech.

Eisei dropped his candlestick, plunging their surroundings into darkness. He could still hear the peculiar cry and the sound of flapping wings, but it was so dark that he couldn't make our what the creature was.

"Stay back, master," Eisei said as distinct, harsh wingbeats and cries echoed through the air.

He soon fell quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the bird feebly flapping its wings. Once Koshun's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that Eisei was holding the large bird by the scruff of its neck.

"A...chicken?"

The creature that was writhing in Eisei's grip looked similar to a plump chicken, but its wings glistened faintly in the dark. They looked like they had been drenched in gold dust.

"This bird was a hair's breadth away from harming you, master. Would you like me to wring its neck?" Eisei suggested, prepared to strangle the creature.

"No, wait," Koshun replied in an effort to stop him. At that moment, however...

"Hey, you lout. Let go of Shinshin," a voice called out. The doors opened wide, and that calm voice had come from inside.

It sounded like the voice of a sweet young girl-as calm as ripples on water—and it lingered pleasantly in the men's ears.

Eisei was so distracted by it that he let the chicken get away.

The bird flew back inside. Before them was a spacious room with rows of thin silk curtains draped from the ceiling. At the far end, white hand peeked out from between a gap in the fabric.

Before those curtains hung lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers. Each one emitted a small amount of light that poured down on the individual who emerged.

For a few moments, Koshun and Eisei were both speechless.