Die Schönheiten des kalten Palastes Eine subtile und verführerische Frau

Kapitel 19

Time was of the essence, so I busied myself with work. I needed to end this nightmare, stop the howling of the vengeful spirits, and free those innocent, beautiful souls before the proceedings of the Forbidden City's 80th anniversary celebration began.

I gathered almost anything that could burn—old silk, moldy dry grass—and piled it up in the windward side of the cave. Then I lit a match and set fire to a piece of silk and a black palace maid's dress, which I knew were the final props for the disrobing.

The flames leaped up painfully, and with the cold wind from the well, the fire flew towards the withered, swaying human skin. My vision blurred, and I seemed to hear heart-wrenching wails; it was a sea of weeping fire.

A beautiful and peaceful night at the Forbidden City welcomed the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Palace Museum. The newly renovated Wuying Hall and other restored ancient buildings of the Forbidden City opened their doors to the public, and the first public exhibition of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was a resounding success. On the evening of October 10th, a grand celebration gala was held at the Forbidden City. That was my last night at the Forbidden City. I had no interest in seeing the exhibitions, nor in watching the song and dance performances or cultural entertainment. Instead, I followed the paths I used to patrol within the Forbidden City, heading towards the place where I had encountered the haunted house.

In the secluded courtyard, gazing at the eaves and carved beasts radiating a chilling aura under the starlight, my heart felt as desolate as the frost on autumn fields. My cousin, Luo Yi, Tang Yuqing, and my nightmare—could they really end like this, in a story that seemed to be entirely my own making?

Occasionally, the melodious songs of cultural celebrations and entertainment can be heard from the Forbidden City under the cover of night. However, I seem to prefer to imagine those sounds as the fleeting splendor and melodious music that once graced this place. Whether it was Emperor Chongzhen or the abdicated emperor, they were both creators of the greatest joys and sorrows here. The corner towers with their green tiles, the palaces with their soaring eaves, and the illusion that one could vaguely see palace maids climbing walls if one were to wander a hundred feet down—all these things truly make me feel that there is nothing left to cherish in this imperial palace beneath its golden bricks and silver tiles.

Suddenly, a scene of lights and voices appeared ahead—it must be Chuxiu Palace! When I reappeared amidst the lights, filled with a mixture of trepidation and confidence, a familiar yet chilling sight suddenly appeared before me, blocking my path:

It was that Qing Dynasty film crew again, another farce, wasn't it? Hadn't my experience been enough for a ghost story? Just as I was filled with astonishment, a beautiful girl with long, black hair reaching her eyebrows walked towards me. Her elegant and graceful demeanor, her beautiful face, were like melodious notes flowing from a stringed instrument. Her short hair, white blouse and black skirt—the student uniform of the May Fourth Movement era, something only seen in movies—startled me into a state of complete focus.

She stood in front of me with a smile, tossing her hair:

"Director! Who said I couldn't find anyone to act with? He's the boyfriend who saved me!"

"Who are you……"

"Don't you remember me? I've been looking for you everywhere! Hey, why did you leave during the last filming? Were you afraid of being shot? The director said your temperament and melancholy eyes were perfect for playing my secret admirer. You really look like the leading man of that era!"

Then I realized that this girl was the same actress from the Republican era I had seen filming, but her eyes and small mouth looked so familiar! Oh, how could she look so much like my cousin!

Chapter 56 My Girl from the Republican Era (The End)

"Excuse me, miss, what's your name...?"

Before anyone could speak, a burst of silvery laughter rang out:

"Ask me! My name is Luo Yi, but it's a new stage name. Isn't it nice? Come here. Today we've been given special permission to reshoot that escape scene. You have to pretend to be my boyfriend again, and then you'll get shot... and die!"

She tilted her head and smiled as she told me the ending of "death." I stared at her in astonishment, a surge of warm emotion instantly coursing through my body. I wanted to rush over, hug her tightly, and call out, "Luo Yi! She is Luo Yi! She is also Pang Zhen!"

"You're so lecherous! Why are you staring at me like that? Don't let anyone see, or the director will get jealous!"

She smiled charmingly, then beckoned to the film crew. Before I could even hide my surprise, I was pulled into the shot by the crew members.

"Fireworks and lights, get ready!" the director shouted through a megaphone.

"Our next scene is a re-enactment of the time when the Beiyang warlords occupied the Forbidden City. A group of progressive female students enter the Forbidden City, preparing to issue a declaration to the old monarchs, protesting their betrayal of national treasures to the Japanese devils. As a result, they are chased by the Beiyang army. The female lead, wearing a dress, is a progressive student from the Women's Normal University. She is running forward, and a male teacher who secretly loves her takes a fatal bullet for her. Action!"

I gazed longingly at the beautiful girl who suddenly appeared behind the pyrotechnician. Bullets whistled overhead, and before the assistant director could give any signal, I ran towards her, my arms outstretched in the deep blue night and the blue glow of the smoke-filled night, catching her as she fell into my outstretched embrace.

I was hit by a "bullet" and half-knelt there. My strong arms still supported the slender body of the Republic of China girl. Looking at her delicate and charming face, I couldn't help but kiss her.

She didn't resist, nor did she break free from my embrace because of the sudden change in the movie plot. She closed her hazy eyes, her red lips like lotus seeds stained with frost, or jade lotus flowers glistening with dew in a moonlit pond, her beautiful eyes drooping with long eyelashes. For a long time, I gazed at her, and she looked at me with misty eyes. Just as I was about to fall after being "shot" three more times, she tightly hugged my head and whispered sweetly:

"I love you!"

I mustered my courage with exhilaration, but according to the plot, I had to fall. Bullets rained down on my head, and suddenly my aching heart felt lighter. She really was my Luo Yi! No, she was Pang Zhen incarnate! No, she was Tang Yuqing! But no, she was so young. Could she be my little cousin who had grown up…?

"You're dead now!"

She smiled and warned me with her back to the camera, then struggled to her feet, turning back just as she was about to run forward, giving me a sweet look:

"Don't get up! And don't peek!"

Who exactly are you?

She ran off, leaving behind a trail of giggles. I lay there, the camera gliding past me. I closed my eyes in bliss, my arm still stiff where she had just been lying. Suddenly, something smooth and cold touched my hand, a sensation that sent a blissful spasm through my nerves once more.

"Mirror."

I muttered to myself,

"What kind of painting is inside?"

It seems my supernatural beauty will once again lead me to another hall of life. I really want to forget everything from the past: where is that place that caused my amnesia?

I stood up blankly, surrounded by the film crew's makeup artists. Dozens of young men and women stared at me with strange looks. When I bravely met their gaze with a hint of surprise, I finally realized that these people were none other than the mysterious ghosts who had been whispering among themselves in the Forbidden City with the Nine Linked Rings. Seeing my childish and foolish performance, the actors who were playing couples smiled and walked away, talking to each other as if they were discussing my secret.

"He's a bit of a nutcase, like a ghost; I always run into him in the Forbidden City!"

"Yeah, I heard he fell into the toilet last time, isn't that him!"

"No wonder he was so dirty. He doesn't look like a good person. He must be the guy who's been eyeing the national treasure. Look at his beard. The director really ruined Luo Yi. How could he let this guy hug a beautiful woman? ... Luo Yi is really something. How could such a beautiful woman be intimate with someone like him! This guy... is he out of his mind? ... He's been flooded by the well water in the Forbidden City, no, he's been flooded by the toilet. Look, he's all wet..."

"I disagree. If you let a beautiful woman hug you once, it's no wonder you're all wet. It's not easy to do a cameo role. You must have never been able to get married in your past life! And you're taking it so seriously! Look at his attitude. Next time, let him play the Grand Eunuch Li Lianying. No need for a stunt double! ... Sigh, is Li Lianying really a eunuch? Let him play Qin Wuying instead."

The crew moved on, and the girl in the fallen clothes didn't come back to look at me. But her words, "I love you," shone like the brightest star in the night sky, inspiring me to retreat in the opposite direction of my dream. One step, two steps, ten steps... I wanted to relive my passionate encounter, I wanted to find my bride from my past life. Whether I was Li Lianying, Qin Wuying, or the eunuch who hanged Chongzhen, as long as I could protect a suffering princess in that era, as long as I could hold the fallen-clothes maid's hand and walk out of the Forbidden City, as long as I could... say goodbye to that nightmare.

"Would you rather castrate yourself? Qin Wuying!"

A soft, delicate voice seemed to echo in my ears.

"I can consider it, as long as I can see the true face of the person I love, as long as I can... see my ghost bride."

I took my last step back onto a step, and with a thud, I fell into a dry dream, clutching four red ink bullets. That was a fucking good well.

(End of article. Thank you for your support.)