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Perhaps this is retribution. Empress Dowager Cixi harmed countless people throughout her life, pushing China to the brink of destruction. She enjoyed immense wealth and luxury in life, but less than 20 years after her death, her body was thrown out of her coffin, stripped naked, and, according to legend, even defiled by soldiers. From another perspective, it truly is a case of Heaven having eyes and evil reaping evil; it is a case of using the hands of evil to subdue evil, akin to "fighting poison with poison." As for Emperor Qianlong, although he is portrayed as infinitely glorious in folk tales and even depicted as a kind father in the popular TV series starring Qiong Yao, in reality, he was nothing more than a tyrant who instigated numerous literary inquisitions. The so-called "Kangxi and Qianlong Prosperity" was merely China's last gasp before its demise.

I continued searching for a while, but the information available online was actually limited. It was all here, mostly repetitive, with no more detailed information. I pondered for a moment, recalling what I'd seen in the ghost stories of the ancient tombs. Why was the most important item in Tongzhi's tomb? It should be said that among the imperial tombs in the Eastern Tombs, because Tongzhi died so young, his Huiling Tomb was the most inconspicuous and crudest. What I found wasn't enough; something must have been missed. Did that "she" refer to Empress Dowager Cixi? Or someone else? I had to figure it out.

The sky outside the window was overcast, and I felt a chill creeping into my heart.

January 17

It rained heavily today.

Heavy rain in winter is a rare treat, but Shanghai has seen more frequent winter rains in recent years, perhaps because it hasn't snowed in the city for a long time. I walked along the street, umbrella in hand, the rain pattering against it, splashing droplets onto my face. Looking around, the distant streets, the yellow and white plane trees, the checkered buildings, were all shrouded in a misty rain, hazy and indistinct, like a watercolor painting fallen into water. Then I remembered a poem I wrote when I was nineteen, "Heavy Rain Taps the City's Forehead."

I arrived at Dr. Mo's clinic. Before leaving, I made a special phone call, and Rose said on the phone that Dr. Mo was out seeing patients and not at the clinic, so I came. If she had said Dr. Mo was there, I definitely wouldn't have come. Yes, I came to see Rose.

I rang the doorbell, and Rose opened the door for me. I was soaking wet, and I took off my coat, feeling a little lighter. The room was filled with a damp atmosphere, seeping into my very being.

She still made me a cup of hot tea. The steam from the hot tea covered my face.

"Dr. Mo went out and said he might not be back until four or five o'clock."

"It's okay, I came here because I wanted to—" But I was too embarrassed to speak.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I want to ask you something." I suddenly became stammering.

"Ask away." She smiled at me.

"Please don't mind, there are some questions I shouldn't ask, like my age. I know it's inappropriate and might even cause you to misunderstand, but—"

"I'm 22 years old," she said first.

"Oh, so you've been here for a long time?"

“It’s only been a few months; I just graduated from university last year.” She answered much faster than I asked the question, which made me feel embarrassed.

"Is the question I'm asking stupid? You don't think I'm here to do some boring market research, do you?"

"You're really funny."

"Why work for Dr. Mo? Someone like you could find a better, more suitable position." My tone sounded like something you'd hear at a job fair.

"Because the work here is quiet and leisurely. I don't like the kind of work where you're busy all day long, racking your brains over trivial things. I just want to be like this, sitting alone, undisturbed, looking at the banana leaves and flowers outside the window, and the misty rain, quietly listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves and eaves. You know what? It's a very pleasant sound, much better than listening to a CD. Calm down and listen carefully."

I could hear it clearly: the sound of raindrops outside the window, and the rushing water from the drainpipe, like a miniature waterfall. The empty room was now empty except for her and me. We both fell silent, listening to the rain outside and watching the flowers swaying in the wind and rain, lost in thought.

"How do you feel?" she asked me.

I then came to my senses and said, "You're right, working here is indeed a pleasure."

"I like a simple life. The simpler the better, like a raindrop, coming quietly and going quietly, unnoticed by anyone. To people, this raindrop doesn't exist. If to you I don't exist, then I'll be very happy."

She really is a girl unlike any other. I would describe her as having a calm and serene mind. I said softly, "I really envy you. You know, my mind is a mess right now. I'm entangled in so many troubles. If I could see things the way you do, I wouldn't be here for this inexplicable treatment."

She smiled slightly: "You'll get better."

"Thank you, but with Dr. Mo's treatment method, I'm afraid I'll only get worse. I'm sorry, I was too blunt."

"He's a PhD in psychology."

"Is he really a doctor?" I shook my head, incredulous. He seemed more like a charlatan. I continued, "Have you seen his treatments?"

"No."

"It's alright, it's best not to watch it."

She suddenly chuckled, and I inexplicably laughed too. Our laughter echoed and clashed in the empty corridor and stairwell, reminding me of the past, of another person who seemed to have returned to me from many years ago. Then silence fell again. We seemed to have a tacit understanding, holding our breath as we listened to the sound of rain pattering on banana leaves, as if we were listening to a performance of traditional Jiangnan silk and bamboo music.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier.

"Where do you live?" I suddenly broke the silence.

“I live in this area and I rent a house.”

Do you live alone?

“Of course, did you think it was two people?” she asked me with a smile.

“No, no, I mean why you don’t live with your parents.” I tried to dispel her misunderstanding.

"We broke up a long time ago, why do you keep asking these questions?"

"It's nothing, I just felt—"

Suddenly the doorbell rang. Rose opened the door, and Dr. Mo came in, followed by someone—it was Huang Yun. Dr. Mo was surprised to see me, and Huang Yun was even more surprised. She gave me an extremely awkward smile.

"Why are you here?" Dr. Mo asked me rather coldly.

"I'm here for treatment," I replied coldly. His sudden return to the clinic was very disappointing. I had a good talk with Rose, and he ruined it all. Moreover, Huang Yun was with him. I found myself disliking him more and more.

"Don't come unless I ask you to. I'll let you know when you need treatment, understand?"

I turned my head away, looking at Rose, not wanting to talk to Dr. Mo. Suddenly, all four of us fell silent, the atmosphere becoming somewhat awkward. Finally, I spoke: "Huang Yun, hello."

"Hello," Huang Yun replied weakly.

Are you going to the Ancient Tomb Ghost again tonight?

Her expression suddenly changed, and she shook her head vigorously, but remained silent. Only then did I notice Dr. Mo's gaze; he was staring intently at me, seemingly very nervous. Perhaps I had said something I shouldn't have, I didn't understand.

"I'm sorry, the clinic is closing early today," Dr. Mo said curtly.

He was practically telling me to leave. I looked at Rose, who was still smiling at me and waving: "Goodbye, and welcome back next time."

I smiled at her, then glanced at Huang Yun's beautiful but pale face. Rose and she each had their own beauty, and I really couldn't tell which one was more charming. But in my heart, I always felt that Rose was more approachable, kind, and understanding. I picked up my umbrella and, under Dr. Mo's disgusted gaze, finally left the clinic.

The rain outside was still heavy. I opened my umbrella and walked into the rain alone. After walking a few dozen steps, I looked back at the clinic building, which seemed to be shrouded in mist and rain, gradually turning into a phantom.

January 18th

I went to the library.

The weather was still gloomy and cold today, and it was much quieter than usual, despite the usual crowds. I first used the library's computer search system to look for books about the Eastern Qing Tombs and the Tongzhi Emperor, especially those related to the Huiling Mausoleum. Then I went to the reference reading room, where there were fewer people, and I thought I might find some things that weren't available online.

Like a headless fly, I searched through a vast sea of historical materials, perusing various books recording the life of the Tongzhi Emperor, and found some content that interested me—in the eleventh year of Tongzhi's reign, preparations were underway for the emperor's wedding. The Empress Dowager Cixi, the Western Empress Dowager, chose a fourteen-year-old woman, the daughter of Fengxiu of the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner, from the Fuca clan, one of the eight great Manchu noble families, whose generations had produced generals and ministers. The Empress Dowager Ci'an, the Eastern Empress Dowager, chose a woman of the Alute clan, the daughter of Chongqi, a Mongol from the Plain Blue Banner and Minister of Personnel. Chongqi was the top scholar in the imperial examination of the fourth year of Tongzhi's reign, and served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. "In the more than two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, only Chongqi, a Manchu or Mongol, has been appointed to a compiler position through the Hanlin Academy examinations; scholars consider him extremely honored." Alute was two years older than Tongzhi. Tongzhi did not favor the Empress chosen by his own mother, Cixi, but instead chose Alute, chosen by Ci'an. This greatly angered Cixi, but Tongzhi persisted in his choice and, with the support of the Eastern Empress Dowager, finally achieved his goal. Finally, Alute was made Empress, and Fucha was made Consort Hui. After their marriage, although the Emperor and Empress were deeply in love, Empress Dowager Cixi constantly interfered and repeatedly made things difficult for the Empress. In some folk tales, the Tongzhi Emperor and Empress were forcibly separated by Cixi. Unable to bear the loneliness, the young Emperor secretly ran away from the palace to seek pleasure with prostitutes, contracted syphilis, and dared not speak out, delaying treatment. By the time the imperial physicians arrived, it was too late, and the Tongzhi Emperor died in agony at less than twenty years old.

As for Empress Alute, she suffered even more abuse from Empress Dowager Cixi after the emperor's death, possibly because Cixi believed that this disliked empress had caused the death of her only son. Feeling desperate, Alute committed suicide by swallowing gold in the palace on February 20th of the first year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, just a few months after the Tongzhi Emperor's death, at the young age of 21.

In the fifth year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign, the Tongzhi Emperor and his empress were buried together in the hastily completed Huiling Mausoleum. I also noticed a detail: during the funeral, Wu Kedu, a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel, was overcome with emotion, recalling the short lives of the emperor and empress, and felt deeply saddened by the cruel twist of fate. On his way back to Beijing, he spent the night in Jizhou, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He even resolved to die for his cause, writing a final poem before taking poison: "Looking back on sixty-eight years, I've only talked of love and loyalty in vain. A cup of earth has already sealed the emperor's head, and the previous star wished to bless the Purple Palace. I've met so few elders, and everywhere I go, I'm treated like a gentleman. Like a lonely soul yearning for its home, I find myself in the wind and rain east of Jizhou at dawn."

Under the soft white light of the library, as I looked at these words, I couldn't help but sigh unconsciously a few times. After a long while, as I decided to leave, I noticed a section in the table of contents: "Chapter Nine: The Disaster of the Eastern Tombs in 1945." Why 1945? Wasn't Sun Dianying's tomb raiding in 1928? I turned to this chapter—it turned out that during the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese army and the puppet state of Manchukuo had protected the Eastern Tombs (after all, they contained the remains of Puyi's ancestors). After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese and Manchukuo troops guarding the Eastern Tombs withdrew, and a group of bandits seized the opportunity to plunder the tombs, excavating the Jingling Tomb of Emperor Kangxi, the Dingling Tomb of Emperor Xianfeng, the Huiling Tomb of Emperor Tongzhi, and even the tomb of the Empress Dowager Cixi. I couldn't help but sigh again; even the brilliant and ambitious Emperor Kangxi was not spared, suffering the fate of having his coffin smashed and his corpse disturbed.

I paid particular attention to the section on the robbery of the Huiling Mausoleum in this chapter. The tomb robbers opened the underground palace and dragged out the body of the Tongzhi Emperor from the coffin. The young emperor, who had died prematurely, was now just a pile of bones. When they opened the Empress's coffin, they were astonished to find her body perfectly preserved, as if she had just passed away. They lifted her out of the coffin and found that her joints could move freely, her complexion was radiant, and her skin was still elastic. The tomb robbers stripped her of all her clothes, stole all her jewelry and burial goods, leaving the Empress naked in the underground palace before leaving. Soon after, another group of bandits broke into the underground palace. Realizing they were too late, they frantically cut open the poor Empress's stomach, severed her intestines, and meticulously searched for the small amount of gold she had swallowed more than sixty years earlier when she committed suicide. Several days later, when another group of robbers entered the underground palace, they found the naked empress with her long hair disheveled, her face lifelike, without any expression of pain, except that her stomach had been cut open and her intestines were spilling out.

I couldn't read any further. I closed the book, shut my eyes, and quietly imagined the scene. But I simply couldn't picture a dignified empress being dragged from her coffin, stripped naked, her intestines spilling out onto the ground. Humans are so greedy, not even sparing a weak woman who has been dead for many years. If Cixi's tomb robbery was divine retribution for her heinous crimes, then what sins did Empress Tongzhi, Alute, commit? She suffered enough, experiencing little happiness in life before hastily ending her short life by swallowing gold. She died at twenty-one. What are twenty-one-year-old girls doing today? I thought of Rose and Huang Yun; they are both over twenty-one. Twenty-one-year-old girls are in college, surfing the internet, clubbing, and bowling. Alute was an empress, yet she died young. This world is truly unfair.

Several hours had passed, and I finally lifted my head from the pile of old papers, wanting to take a breath of fresh air, only to see that the sky outside the window was already dark; winter nights come especially early. A librarian came up to me and said, "I'm sorry, it's closing time."

I slowly left the library.

Night finally fell, and the name of Alute lingered in my mind. Actually, this wasn't her name, at most just her surname. Historical records and various materials don't even record this girl's given name. Did she have a name? She certainly did, but she was a woman, and even an empress, she didn't deserve to have her own name passed down through the ages. At most, she would be remembered with a posthumous title—Empress Xiaozheyi. In the winter night, in my dazed state, I seemed to see her walking through the streets of Shanghai.

January 20th

Once again, I disobeyed Ye Xiao's instructions and entered the Ghostly Tomb. I didn't enter the maze game; I figured Ye Xiao was probably still monitoring me from inside. So I went to the message board, and as before, I decided to post first, typing the title—"Does anyone know about the Arute clan?"—and then posted the thread without typing anything.

Next, I flipped through dozens of pages, trying to find past comments from Huang Yun, Lu Bai, and Lin Shu. Huang Yun's comments were few, all from before Lu Bai's suicide, mostly just summarizing a horror movie she'd watched and sharing her thoughts. Her comments were always followed by Bai Bai's replies; as I mentioned, Bai Bai was Lu Bai's online name. In a reply dated December 8th, Lu Bai wrote: "Huang Yun, how about we go bowling tomorrow night?"

Huang Yun followed with a reply: "Bye, I'm not free tomorrow night. Don't bother me anymore."

Those days, Lu Bai did tell me that his relationship with Huang Yun was very strained. I flipped back a few pages and found another post, made by Bai Bai, dated December 11: "Huang Yun, marry me. I'm proposing to you publicly online."

Huang Yun replied, "Bye, I can't agree to that."

Bai Bai: "Huang Yun, I can kneel down and beg you."

Huang Yun: "You've gone too far! Who do you think you are? You're mentally ill!"

She went a bit too far, but Lu Bai was also too impatient. Judging from the current situation, there was no possibility that the two of them would ever reconcile. But I flipped through a few more pages and saw a post from Huang Yun on December 20th: "Bai Bai, I have seriously considered your proposal these days. I apologize for my rudeness and I have decided to accept your proposal."

Bai Bai replied: "I'm so happy, so happy, so happy, so happy! We'll announce it to the whole world on Christmas Eve."

Looking at these posts, something felt off. Huang Yun's attitude towards Lu Bai was initially very cold; she flatly rejected his proposal and even said hurtful things, yet she inexplicably accepted it. Although she explained the reason to me at the coffee shop last time, I still find it hard to understand.

I then flipped through the pages again, searching for their posts. Fortunately, "Ancient Tomb Ghost" was incredibly fast; after about ten minutes, he had already reached the earliest page. Bai Bai (Lu Bai) didn't post much of his own; most of his posts were echoing Huang Yun's. "Three Trees" (Lin Shu) posted even fewer posts; he was constantly reposting electronic versions of *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*. I noticed the posting time of the first post on the message board: November 1, 2000. The poster was "Ancient Tomb Ghost," and the title was "The ancient tomb has been built; tomb raiders, please enter," with no content. It turned out this website had been online for less than three months.

I went back to the most recent page, only to find that my comment had disappeared. It was deleted so quickly. Perhaps my posts were taboo for the moderators, which conversely means that "Arute" is taboo for them. I think I've finally found my direction. I decided to post again, titled "Moderator, what are you so afraid of?". This might be risky, but worth a try. After typing the title, I clicked "post," but a message popped up on the screen: "Sorry, you have been disqualified from posting."

"Are you kidding me? I've never encountered a moderator like this before." I was a little angry, so I closed the message board and entered the Tomb of the Dead chat room. I still couldn't find Huang Yun in the chat room, and I didn't dare to casually approach anyone. Suddenly, someone spoke to me: "You're looking for Huang Yun, right?" I was secretly startled; the ID was quite difficult to pronounce—"Grass Says Big."

Me: Who are you?

Grass said: Guess.

Me: How would I know? You know Huang Yun?

Cao said: That's right.

Me: Do you know me?

Cao said: Of course I know.

Me: Are you Dr. Mo? You know me and Huang Yun. "The grass radical is '艹' (grass) on top, and below it are '曰' (sun) and '大' (big), which together form the character "Mo".

Cao Yue Da: Hehe, you really guessed right.

Me: I didn't expect you to be a netizen here too.

Cao said: There are many things you haven't thought of.

Me: Don't you think this website is weird?

Grass says: It's not strange, it's different from others, extraordinary and unconventional.

Me: Did you know? Huang Yun's fiancé, who committed suicide, was also a netizen here.

Cao said: I know, this is normal. Suicide is an act that psychologically fragile people cannot bear the pressure. If he had come to me for treatment earlier, he might have been saved.

Me: Why are you all so unreasonable?

Cao said: Your inability to understand us indicates that your mind is no longer normal.

Me: I'm not normal? Who's the abnormal one here?

Cao said: It's obvious that you still need to continue treatment.