It had been raining non-stop for several days. A young court maid sat by Xiaoling's bed with a bowl of porridge in her hand. She had tried to feed Xiaoling several times daily, venturing through the rainy Eastern Palace, from the Imperial kitchen to the Crown Princess Consort's chambers.
Yet, Xiaoling had refused to have anything. All her court maids were worried for her and worked round the clock to ensure they were with her if she needed anything. But she never called them, asked for anything, or even spoke.
Xiaoling remained in bed like a breathing corpse, not drinking, eating, sleeping, or talking.
"Crown Princess Consort," the court maid complained, "Please have something. Why are you hurting yourself more? If you don't eat, you won't recover!"
Another court maid spoke, "These men treat us badly, but that doesn't mean we should treat ourselves the same way, right? You're not your enemy!"
