The Green House

The girls waited nervously, their hearts praying that they would become the mistress of the Green House. However, in the next moment, all of their hopes were dashed by a single sentence from Xi Gong Gong.

"Xie Dong Mei." Xi Gong Gong announced as he closes the scroll with finality.

Everyone held their breath and looked amongst themselves. Who was Xie Dong Mei again? Whoever this person was, she had not left much of an impression on the other girls in terms of looks. Amidst the turning heads and hushed whisper, stumble out a shy and meek young girl.

Everyone present had scratched their heads wondering how this lady before them had been chosen. Surely with such an unmemorable impression, her family must have been extremely powerful for her to be considered amongst the other beautiful and graceful candidates.

However, that was not the truth behind why Xie Dong Mei had been chosen. Perhaps, you might even call this a heavenly intervention of some sort, that heaven had allowed for certain people to cross paths with another. Who knew that it would lead to this day? That such a coincidental meeting would have been the deciding factor for The Empress.

Originally the last lady that The Empress had set her eyes on had initially been Miss Yin Yue Fei from the Yin family.

On the very last day of the selection process, the ladies were all tasked with preparing a single piece of music on their instrument of choice. Many of them immediately picked the Gu Zheng (古筝, a traditional zither instrument) as it is one of the basic instruments a lady should know how to play and were therefore their comfort pick.

There were only 3 other girls who picked differently.

The first lady to pick differently was Yin Yue Fei, who had picked the Pipa, (琵琶, an instrument with a pear-like shape, with four strings on it, resembling a guitar.) the pipa is a beautiful lute that when played by a real master, can transport you into a deep meditative state of peace. It was not easy to learn and to even begin playing it well, would require hours of focused practice.

The Pipa may seem easy to grasp, but only a true master knows, the more effortless the performance seemed, the more blood and sweat was poured into perfecting the piece. It was also one of the instruments that in the long run, will wear down the fingertips of the user. Just like how beauty comes with a price at times, it is also true in the musical scene.

The second lady to pick differently was Mo Qing Xi, who had picked the Er Hu, (二胡, a two-string instrument that is played with a bow, resembling a violin) another seemingly simple instrument that produces a melancholy tune. When played by a real master, it could even mimic birds and horses in the wild, temporarily transporting you to a vast field of freedom when you close your eyes.

It was one of the more expensive instruments to learn as it required a lot of housekeeping. The strings on the bows were known to break and will be worn out after days of practice as well as the daily tuning that the instrument would require from an Er Hu master, the Er Hu was a luxury to learn in the capital as it was far too troublesome.

The very last lady to pick differently was Xie Dong Mei, who had picked the Dizi, (笛子, is a transverse flute with 6 holes on its body, usually the body is made with bamboo, but it can also be made from Jade, wood, or even stone.) The Dizi was a peculiar choice as it seemed to the nobles in the capital to be merely a commoner's instrument. Given that wood can easily be sourced for free anywhere, when the Dizi had first became popular, many commoners started crafting it on their own.

However, the nobles who had been quick to discard such a "common" instrument had forgotten that on every opera stage in the capital, in every dance, and in every song, the Dizi was an essential part of the performance.

The longer versions of the Dizi, also known as the Changdi was known to have a deep and melodic sound, which can send people into a state of silent yearning for the lovers they had lost. True masters of the Dizi will tell you, that it is a wonderous instrument to master, for its tune can change and tell tales, whisper lost songs and forgotten lyrics into the ears of whoever was listening. It could make the audience sing along with glee, jump in joy, and dance around the fire, or even burst into tears. It truly is an instrument that can capture the hearts of people.

It was with the Dizi that Xie Dong Mei caught the heart of the Empress. However, it was eventually because of fate that the heavens had long written in their books, that Xie Dong Mei was chosen.

At first, when Yin Yue Fei had started playing her song, which was a lively and joyful folk song, everyone seemed captivated by the familiar tune as they swayed unknowingly to the music. Closing their eyes, they felt a deep sense of peace and joy wash through them, they were immediately transported to their favorite childhood memory and when the song ended, the crowd had opened up their eyes and were all smiling, refreshed by the song before them.

At that point, the Empress had already decided in her mind that she would give the title of Lady to this girl before her, granting her the Green House.

The second performance, even though it was beautiful as well, came with a sense of urgency. Mo Qing Xi's elegant and fast command of the bow transported the crowd to a vast field. With every note, everyone present had felt that they were riding on a fast horse, their heartbeat rising as they galloped through the grass in their mind, it brought them on an adventure and when the song finally ended, many of them were breathless. How was it that simple music could transport them to such a beautiful scene in their head? It was simply magic!

The Empress however already had her mind set on Yin Yue Fei, even thinking about the future, where she would invite Yin Yue Fei to her palace to have her perform for her. It seemed as though the Empress had fallen into a trance with the song that Yin Yue Fei had played. So when Xie Dong Mei had stepped onto the platform with a jade Dizi in her hand, the crowd seemed to sneer and mock her for even daring to play the "commoner's" instrument.

However, Xie Dong Mei paid no heed to the looks they were giving her and instead, took a seat on the chair that had been provided for her. Her hair fell gently across her face as she took a seat and as she lifted her face, the crowd fell silent at the look of pure sadness etched on her as they watch the girl before them close her eyes and lift the Dizi to her lips.

In the next moment, everyone present regretted what they had previously thought. The Dizi's melodic and soft sounds carried itself through the still air, it started off slow, and joyful. One could even argue that it sounded pure. The Empress closed her eyes, she remembered this familiar tune, but she could not place her finger on the piece yet... It seemed as though she had heard of this song before... but where???

However, seeing that The Empress had closed her eyes, the crowd followed suit, abandoning their snide comments and biasness. They were instantly transported in their minds to their childhood, the warm sound reminded them of the pure joy that had surrounded them when they were younger.

The song flowed steadily into the next phrase unbeknownst to the crowd, for it was such a seamless switch from one to the other. This time it was a much faster and much more steady rhythm, one of passion and urgency. The crowd could not help themselves but be reminded of the first time they had experienced love.

The music wrapped around the crowd as they recall their own versions of first loves. For some of them in the crowd, It took the form of love from a family member, like their parents or siblings. For others, it took the form of love from the opposite gender, perhaps even unrequited, or even the pure love for a pet or for themselves. It was impossible that there was anyone within the crowd that had not known love.

Ra-On stood silently beside the Empress, as she fixed her eyes on the petite lady before them. Xie Dong Mei was telling a story, and reviving memories just by playing the Dizi. Ra-On couldn't help herself but be reminded of the general she left behind back home, the pure joy she had when she met him. The youth she had spent with him, the sacrifices she knew she had to make in the future that would lead to losing him, but for that moment, she was teleported straight to the first moment she had realized she loved the general.

So Ra-On too unknowingly closed her eyes. Wanting to enjoy the full extent of the performance.

The melody shifted in an instant, and it became a higher more urgent tune, it sounded furious, it was filled with pride and with resounding youth, with fire and rage, with sacrifices and regrets. This led everyone in the crowd to relieve the days their first pure innocent love had left them heartbroken.

The passionate love from before had been swept away with the fierce tune of betrayal, pain, and regrets. The crowd could not help but feel crushed and sorrowful as they transit from their happier days, clueless and naive, to days of pain as they relived the lessons that they had learned in their lives. A few of them let silent tears roll down their face as they held onto the music with a seemingly desperate and feverish need.

The song transitted once again, as it left the urgent higher tune and evolved into a deeper, darker, and lower melody. It was a soft haunting tune that enveloped the crowd, a sad tune that made the heart yearn and ache, for everything it had once lost, for the purity it once housed, for the people who had left footsteps in their lives.

The tune flowed without interruption as everyone present was transported into a hypnotic state of mind, remembering everything in their lives that had mattered to them, and so it was with a quiet and gentle note that Xie Dong Mei ended the song. Haunting with a touch of finality.

The song had left almost everyone in tears, it was such a different experience from the previous two. Who knew that a simple Dizi was able to make everyone take a trip down memory lane? To recall what was most precious to them, the life lessons that they had gone through. Everyone sat solemnly as silence hung heavy in the air, everyone present felt that they had grown older by 10 years as they had sat and listened to the hauntingly beautiful performance.

Even though the ending was sad, there was also something addictive about it, everyone started clapping and some even cry out for an encore. For they felt like suddenly life had a different meaning, from the moment they opened their eyes, it was as though they could view the world differently with the memories of all that they had been through.

Xie Dong Mei silently stood up, she curtsied deeply and her eyes swept through the crowd with a forlorn look. She lowered her eyes and stepped down from the stage. The Empress could not move from where she was sitting but found her hand involuntarily rising up, reaching out to stop the girl before her calling her back. The bitterness from the pain in her heart she had felt somehow gave her a sense of peace that she had not known before.

"Child... What is the name of this piece?" The Empress called out softly, no one could miss the hurt and pain in her voice, her furrowed brows, and the sadness that gleamed in her eyes.

Xie Dong Mei had froze before turning around and whispered

"My Empress, this piece is called The forgotten me. It was first written by a wandering master who was known as Jun Fu Heng. I had the honor of learning this from him a year ago."

The Empress gripped the handle on her seat tightly and smiled. The joy on her face could not be contained, her old friend Fu Heng...!! it seemed as though you are well and alive... who knew?? what fate it would be that even empires away, she would have had the honor of listening to his piece one more time.

The Empress nodded as she dismissed Dong Mei.

In that moment, she had already forgotten about Yin Yue Fei. Her heart was set on Xie Dong Mei. Not only was her performance simply remarkable, but The Empress was deeply moved that the piece Xie Dong Mei had played belonged to Fu Heng.

During the selection, no one in the council could shake the memory of the Dizi performance, that was how powerful it was. That it could remain etched onto the hearts and minds of everyone present. There was no need for anyone to say anything as It was a landslide victory for Xie Dong Mei, who had completely won over and captured everybody's hearts that afternoon.

That night, in her chambers, Han SoHye was musing over the events of the day, she grabbed onto Ra-On's hand suddenly.

"What fate, who knew I would be able to hear Fu Heng's piece here, I never thought I would ever yearn to hear such a mournful sad tune, but I cannot get the haunting melody out of my heart, it is as though my heart wishes to be reminded of the pain it has gone through, the people I had lost, the past I thought I had forgotten."

Ra-On nodded, she too, had been reminded of a love lost that had not belonged to her from the beginning.

"Perhaps, that is the mystery of our human hearts, that we yearn to be reminded of what we have lost, to truly see how far we have come, how much we have grown, how much more we will endure. It is a reminder that the moment before us is fleeting. It makes me want to hold on to every single moment I have... It is astounding that all of these feelings were triggered just from a simple song." She replied, patting Han So Hye's hands.

The Empress could only nod, she was excited to hear more from Xie Dong Mei, to hear about how she had met Fu Heng, her childhood friend and study companion and since she had been selected as a lady, she would have all the time she needed to ask the many questions in her mind.

---

As Xie Dong Mei stepped forth to accept the scroll from Xi Gong Gong and to bow to The Empress, the girls suddenly recalled who she was, murmurs started rising as a few even closed their eyes to relieve the magical moment where music had brought them on a journey they never knew they could take. Many even swore that when they close their eyes and focus hard enough, they are able to hear the haunting melody from that afternoon.

Within a few minutes, Xie Dong Mei appeared on the second landing of the steps. She took her spot beside Lin Mi Lan and stared straight ahead with the same sad look in her eyes, one that even the smile on her lips could not mask.

"The Noble Ladies please now rise and follow The Empress into the Lotus Palace," Ra-On announced. The girls below the steps look with envy at the lucky ladies that were able to step foot into the Lotus Palace. Everyone bowed in respect as The Empress and ladies made their way to the right of the steps, The Empress pause before the Golden Arc that signified the entrance to the Lotus Palace, she turned around and spoke.

"Thank you all, for being here throughout the selection process. Should the heavens permit, we will meet again someday."

After the last Noble Lady had crossed the golden arc, slowly making their way deeper into the Lotus Palace, Xi Gong Gong straightened up, he turned around and gave a signal for everyone to be able to straighten up as well.

"As you have heard The Empress just now, If heavens permit, you might one day come back into the palace again."

This gave the girls before him a leaping hope in their hearts, their chance to become a noble lady might still be there!! Xi Gong Gong took note of the sudden change in attitude and could only sigh inwardly.

"For now, I will be calling out names, you will then make your way to the front to collect this flower and you will be escorted by the maid to the north side entrance, where your family should have sent a carriage to fetch you."

The girls bumble forward slowly, one by one collecting their flowers as they started clearing out of the courtyard, leaving behind their dreams of being a noble lady. Some were crying, thinking of the disappointment that was about to await them back home, the disapproving looks from their families while others were joyous that they did not have to be stuck in the palace for the rest of their lives.