Northwest of the Imperial City, Anle Hall.
This place had originally been used to house elderly, low-ranking eunuchs with no one to rely on. From the thirty-first year of Jianping onward, the struggle for succession had grown increasingly fierce. Many consorts, palace maids, and servants of the inner palace became embroiled in it, and with nowhere else to put them, they were sent to Anle Hall for confinement.
By the thirty-sixth year of Jianping, although Emperor Guangde had formally ascended the throne, the Retired Emperor still held great power. No one dared alter the affairs of state in the slightest, much less such minor matters.
Thus, Anle Hall was officially converted into the Cold Palace.
Over the following decade or so, more than a hundred women were thrown inside, squeezing the old eunuchs out to other places instead.
Clang~
Rattle...
"Get in!"
Several young palace maids dressed in white mourning clothes trembled as they stepped over the threshold amid impatient shouts. Before they could even take stock of their surroundings, there came another dull bang behind them.
Click~
Rattle...
As the iron chains outside fell slack, so too did the hearts lodged in the women's throats, each one plunging straight into a bottomless abyss.
Within moments, sobbing broke out everywhere.
Though the leading palace maid was equally pale as death, she was somewhat older and had once held a position of responsibility. Pinching her sleeve, she forced herself to calm down.
Just as she was about to offer a few words of comfort to the sisters beside her, she sensed that something was wrong. She hurriedly looked up, only to meet more than a dozen pairs of icy eyes.
Knowing the newcomers meant no good, the older maid hastily forced out a humble smile. She took several quick steps forward