Prologue.

The conversation was not finished, and another palace maid behind her had already raised her elbow and heavily bumped into her back. The palace maid closed her mouth in panic and, at the same time, cautiously glanced sideways at a female official sitting outside the tent.

In the fourth year of the Chui Gong era of the Tang Dynasty, in the capital city of Luoyang, there is the Tai Chu Palace. To the west of the city, there is the Ying Ri Terrace, where five palaces stand together, with their roofs merging into one, presenting a magnificent and spectacular sight, also known as the Yin Palace.

All the palace maids in the room witnessed this astonishing scene, and immediately the room was filled with screams. The terror of the deceased that they were born with drove them to flee and rush out of the room. Soon, only the "corpse" of the young man who suddenly sat up was left in the room.

The young man did not know how long he had been dead. There were no obvious changes in the skin exposed outside the shroud, which was pale like cold jade. Although his cheeks were haggard and thin, and his eyes were closed, his facial features, forehead, and face shape still gave a delicate and pitiful impression, diluting some of the eerie feeling of the corpse lying here.

At this moment, the young man had already opened his eyes, but time was scattered without focus. The sudden cry seemed to startle him, and he instinctively turned his head to look, only to see the fleeing palace people with many embarrassed backs.

The Great King's Resurrection...

In addition to the corpse lying under the tent, there were also some salted fish boxes and cages in the room, which contained some burial objects such as tri-colored figurines and oil-painted wooden figures. It was obvious that they were going to be buried with the young man's body.

Suddenly, a short and sharp exclamation from a palace maid resounded within the tent. This sound immediately caught the attention of everyone in the room, causing them to turn their heads and look. The female officials, in particular, had an angry expression on their faces, with their eyebrows raised. "Silence, you lowly servant! You have disturbed the king's spirit, you..."

This inevitably raises doubts about the identity of the young man. The craftsmanship of those funerary objects is exquisite, clearly not the ordinary items used by palace servants. However, if we say that the young man has some noble identity, that is not correct. Firstly, these funerary objects are still too low in terms of specifications compared to real nobles. Secondly, the funeral rituals for real nobles are arranged by the authorities themselves and would not take place in the gloomy palace mortuary behind the Five Halls.

The clothing and accessories of the female officials are much more gorgeous compared to the busy palace maids inside the tent. They have large bodies, thick makeup, and are visibly impatient, looking at the distant outline of the palace outside the door from time to time, and occasionally glancing inside with a fierce expression in their eyes and brows. It is obvious that they want to finish this matter as soon as possible and leave this uncomfortable and gloomy place.

Several palace maids whispered and pointed out the unusual identity of the young man. Among them, a middle-aged palace maid with a pale complexion couldn't help but sigh and whisper as she bent down to smooth the sash behind the corpse: "This great king also had a tragic fate..."

The sharp reprimanding voice abruptly stopped, as the female official was horrified to discover that the young body, which had been lying motionless on the bed, being manipulated by the palace maids, actually sat up!

The continuous corridor of the rear hall of the Five Halls is sandwiched between the main hall and the terrace, with majestic palace walls on both sides. Except for the scorching sun at noon, shining directly above, it is difficult to see the daylight at other times.

During the reign of Emperor Huizong, Empress Wu resided in Shangyang Palace and held court. The grand Mingtang was built in Taichu Palace, and many craftsmen were frequently employed and resided in the palace. Due to this, many palace servants avoided the area and lived in the left and right separated cities or in Shangyang Palace to serve. The area between the Five Halls and Yingri Terrace was often used as a funeral site for deceased palace servants due to its shady location.

In the first day of the sixth month, in the middle of the three rooms on the left corridor, there were palace maids standing side by side, dressed in plain linen. In the spacious room, right in the center, there hung a curtain. As the palace maids came and went, one could see a rattan-woven bed placed beneath the curtain. On the bed lay the lifeless body of a young man, with a pale and emaciated face.