Poem on a Paper Fan
My eyes flew open even before the eunuchs came down to Shen Li Gong to hit the gongs.
I didn't sleep well. I had been plagued with nightmares of Father being tortured by Prince Lang. Grandmother had come to me in my dreams several times too, smiling fondly down at me.
None of these dreams made me feel good.
Getting out of bed, I went over to my drawers, shivering in the morning air. My items were packed. I had placed them all in the same cloth bag I had on me when I first entered.
The only thing left untouched was the jade bracelet that had poisoned me. Zheng had returned it to me after removing the needle.
It was, after all, a supposed gift from a higher-up. In case it offended them, it would be best for me to keep it.
But I would have no use for it when I left. It would only be a burden. So I would leave it here in the drawer.
After checking that everything was still in place, I brushed and rebraided my hair.