Wasting no time, she branched off from the pack as they returned to their quarters for the midday meal. She found a junior eunuch standing at the doors of the Imperial Household department. He stepped in front of her as she tried to pass.

"Fung gonggong is not to be disturbed," he said.

"But–"

"Go!"

Jiayi pursed her lips. She wouldn't give up. The minute she turned back, she would be walking to her death. Jiayi fell to her knees.

"Fung gonggong! Fung gonggong!" She yelled, "Fung gonggong! Please see this lowly slave!"

In all her years in the Forbidden City, Jiayi had never raised her voice like this. Even shouting for just a moment maid her throat burn.

"Be quiet!" The eunuch hissed, glancing back at the door.

"Fung gonggong! Fung gonggong! Have mercy on this slave!"

The eunuch at the door had enough, "Men! Throw her out! Quickly!"

Jiayi struggled to keep her feet on the ground as she was being dragged away. She shouted louder, tears beginning to run down her face. She couldn't go back, she wouldn't go back!

"Enough!"

Jiayi was thrown to the ground as the eunuchs around her bowed.

Fung gonggong, like many eunuchs in their elder age, was rotund man with long graying beard. Other than the personal eunuchs of the The Emperor and The Empress, he was one of the most powerful people in the Forbidden City.

He walked down into the courtyard and kicked Jiayi in the chest.

"A gutter slave like you has the nerve to dirty up my courtyard? I should have you beaten to death!"

Through her tears, Jiayi kowtowed to him properly, "Fung gonggong, this lowly slave would like to serve the new mistress coming into the palace,"

Fung gonggong sneered down at her, "Thousands of girls from good families come into the palace every three years to serve our Highnesses. You think you could compare?"

"No," Jiayi said as she shook her head, "But I don't think you have a choice,"

Cheeks puffing in rage, Fung gonggong kicked her down again, "You!–"

"Even the slaves in the hard labor camp know this. Your good girls would rather die than serve a prostitute,"

Never in her life did Jiayi think she would have the courage to speak so rudely to such a powerful person.

"That is a lie!" Said Fung gonggong, as he began to stutter, "I'll–I'll slap the mouths of anyone who says otherwise!"

"The sky in the West corner of the outer palace has been stained black for months now. I've never known so many bodies to burned like this,"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"What could you know!" He wiped the sweat that began to bead on his brow. He kicked at her again, "Get off the floor and stop making that ugly face. Go inside!"

Jiayi scrambled after Fung gonggong. She wiped the tears off her face and tried to calm her gleeful heart. It was working! She was going to escape!

"Here it is," he muttered, slapping a thick tome down at his desk.

"Name," he barked.

"Uh, Xi Jiayi,"

Flipping through the yellowing pages, he declared "There is no Xi Jiayi booi aha* here,"

"This slave is a sinjeku,"

"Sinjeku? Pah! A dog like you truly has some nerve," he said, getting up to fetch a different tome, "Well, at least you come from some banner family. It wouldn't do to have a hanjun† serve in the inner palace,"

Fung gonggong wet a brush, "What characters make up your name?"

"'Jia' (嘉) as lucky and yi (一) as in 'one'"

"Lucky one?" Fung gonggong said with a snort, "Indeed,"

"There's girl in here," said Fung gonggong, tapping the records of the booi aha servants, "Died as soon as she came here, only recorded as Wei of the Bai clan. She'd be the same age you now, you can just take her place,"

Wei Jiayi?

Jiayi rolled the name around in her head. It unsettled her stomach. Not only was she stealing a ghost's identity but she was throwing away her family name. If Jiayi wasn't so desperate she would've been disgusted with herself.

Jiayi kowtowed to him again, "This slave thanks you for your grace and will think of you always,"

Fung gonggong walked over and stared down at her.

"If you think you've just entered heaven, let me be clear. Entering in the inner palace is as close to hell as you can get. You could've lived a simple life out there but now, you're nothing more than a warm body. Xiang gui ren could put you to death for looking the wrong way," he nodded his head toward the door, "Leave. Don't come looking for me again,"

Jiayi didn't care. This was heaven. She didn't care if this Xiang gui ren beat her everyday for the rest of her life. It was Jiayi's choice. That was all that mattered. When she stepped outside a eunuch was waiting for her. Jiayi didn't have much in terms of personal items, but there were a few things she needed from the barracks.

"You're coming with me?" She asked the eunuch as he began to follow her.

Annoyed, the eunuch replied, "Fung gonggong will send someone to inform Wang gugu of your arrival. If you're late because someone wants to quarrel, it's my head. Hurry,"

✺

It was early evening when Jiayi returned to her rooms. The courtyard and barracks were empty as the workday for slaves didn't end until well into the night. The eunuch who escorted her was standing in the doorway as she stuffed her meager belongings in a sack. She folded her clothes tightly lest her prize possession, a calligrapher's brush, came loose. Not just any brush, but one that belonged to The Emperor. The brush was old and in too poor of a condition for anyone of the Imperial family to use, but still far above her station. After years and years of digging charcoal sticks from the trash heaps, a real brush was a gift.

Happiness was a hard thing to come by in the Forbidden City, so when Jiayi first found an opportunity to continue the hobby that she loved as a child, she jumped on it. She usually had to resort to using toilet paper as a canvas, but it was all the same. Whether she was drawing what little she could remember of her father's face or mouse she watched scurry across her rooms, it was her little piece of happiness.

"Finally," the little eunuch muttered as she stepped outside, "Let's hurry,"

It would've been lucky to get in and out without seeing Su gonggong but as life has demonstrated to Jiayi she didn't have much luck to go around.

They crossed the courtyard only to see Su gonggong standing at the gates.

"Stop," he ordered, holding out his fly tail whisk.

The eunuch batted it away, "Who are you to give orders? I'll take you to see Fung gonggong if you like!"

Su gonggong cowered back, "I apologize but, where are you taking this girl? If punishment is needed, I can oversee it,"

Jiayi didn't miss the twinkle in his eye as he mentioned punishment for her.

"Xianfugong††. To serve Xiang gui ren. Let's go,"

"Wait, wait, wait! A state slave serving one of her highnesses? It must be a mistake," Su gonggong said. He clutched Jiayi's shoulder tightly, "You must be looking for someone else. I'll be glad to assist you,"

The eunuch snatched Su gonggong's hand away and shoved Jiayi outside, "Enough! Bother me again and see where you end up!"

"Jiayi!" Su gonggong called at her back as she left her old life behind, "Jiayi!"

_____________________________

* bond slave

† Han Chinese state slave

†† Palace of Universal Happiness