Description

The Unsettling Matter of the Spirit Rumors swirl of a mad ghostly woman attacking others in the Outer Palace. Jinshi's attendant, Gaoshun, shows Maomao a mid-level concubine named Fuyou who appears to be dancing on the Eastern wall in the moonlight. She was originally brought before the Emperor, but then failed to impress him and lost his favor, and was then pledged to a General in the Emperor's army. Afterwards, she went mad and began dancing in the moonlight. The next day, Maomao relates a similar story to Gyokuyou and Jinshi, of a courtesan she knew who was about to be purchased by a wealthy client, but the deal fell through, leading to the woman becoming so stressed she began sleepwalking and having no memory of her actions the following day. The day Fuyou is to be sold off to the General, Maomao tells Gyokuyou the rest of the story: the courtesan pretended to be mentally ill so she could lower her own price and be sold to a different man who she actually wanted to marry. Fuyou discovered that the General she was pledged to was a man she loved from her hometown, so she did something similar to fall out of favor with the Emperor and be sold to the General instead.