Harem 1

Author: Liu Lianzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-09
Features: The highest-predicted winning work of the Tencent Writer's Cup competition. Its Sina Blog has garnered more attention than "Ming Dynasty: A Story of Power and Passion." The online hit "Golden Branch and Jade Flower" is its sister series. The struggle between women is always the most cruel struggle. The harem is a dense place of cruelty. In Liu Lianzi's portrayal of the harem, those flower-like women may come from noble families, possess exquisite beauty, or have cunning intelligence. They fight for love, for wealth and status, for a man who may not be worth it. They scheme and deceive, wasting their youth and beauty in this endless struggle. Though they are beautiful like flowers, they hide danger. However, no matter how fierce their struggles, they still hold onto hope for beauty. In Liu Lianzi's world, Zhen Huan is unparalleled, with a gentle and elegant heart, extraordinary charm, and unwavering belief in true love. She is not a perfect, otherworldly woman. She seeks extravagant love in the harem but always worries too much. When the curtain falls, her loneliness becomes exceptionally cold and piercing. The struggle between women is always the most cruel struggle. The harem is a dense place of cruelty. What I wanted to write was simply a story of love and struggle in the silent depths of the harem. The day I first entered the palace was a very sunny day. The 20th day of the eighth lunar month in the 12th year of the Qianyuan era, a lucky day according to the Yellow Calendar. Standing in the vast courtyard of the Zi'ao Palace, I could see an incredibly clear sky, blue and deep like a piece of jade, without a single cloud. Occasionally, flocks of wild geese flew overhead in perfect formation. High-flying wild geese were said to be a very auspicious sign. But... I couldn't help but tears welling in my eyes, fearing this life, longing would be longer than dreams. I feared that I might gaze through countless autumns, or that I would never see each other again in this lifetime.