Now he only sits in bed, drinks wine, and eats. We also find out that Master Lan is the Imperial Dragon Keeper and that it is his job to feed and take care of the dragons, but as the slave girl got older he gave her more and more of his duties. According to Master Lan, Huangling Palace was tiny compared to the palaces in Chang'an.Īs the story continues, we find that the 'beasts' are really two dragons, kept in an underground dungeon. Master Lan is frequently heard complaining about the wasted space and how he has to live in a humble shack with a leaky roof instead of the luxurious Palace.
The servants and slaves aren't allowed to enter, lest they be beaten, but that doesn't stop the girl from exploring it and discovering places like the Jade Flower Hall. The Emperor has a residence at the Huangling Palace but doesn't visit. The young girl starts to think about the Huangling Mountains, which are barren hills that mark the western boundary of the Han Empire. As she leaves she reminisces about her past, she was sold to the Huangling Palace when she was very young and she doesn't know how old she is, but she remembers that Master Lan had called her a thickheaded girl for ten years last summer (it is currently winter). He orders her too 'feed the beasts' and she leaves. Her master, Master Lan, has made a habit of throwing things at her, "from inkstones to chicken bones" (pg 1). We first see the slave girl narrowly escaping a blow to the head with a bamboo bowl that was thrown at her. Then (after a rather short conversation, the dragon only using one word answers) they find a cave and fall asleep.
When the dragon sees the stone, his strength seems to return and he flies into the sky, dipping back down to pick up the girl by her shoulders.Īfter flying for a while, the dragon drops down into the snow. The girl finally gives up and runs to get it, when she gets back the hunters are trying to chain the dragon down. Dragon stone. The slave says to forget the stone and to just escape, but the dragon tries to go back to the pit to get the stone. But the dragon keeps making anxious noises, like banging a gong really fast, and in the girls mind, the dragon says Stone. Running to where the dragon's sitting in the sunlight, enjoying the heat, the girl unties it's ropes and yells at it to fly away. Fearing for the dragons life, and remembering her promise to the gods, the girl flees and desperately tries to convince the dragon to leave. The liver is good for dysentery, particularly if cut from the live animal. Diao says that dragons are 'useful creatures' and that "Dragon brain cures nosebleeds and boils. It is also strictly forbidden to look at the Emperors face, if you do, your beheaded.Īs the title suggests, there is a banquet, and when Master Lan demands for more wine, but from the Emperors wine cellar (which is also forbidden) the slave walks into the middle of the banquet and finds out that the Emperor is selling the Imperial Dragons to a Dragon Hunter named Diao. In this time, it is believed that the Emperor is the son of Heaven, and knows all the crimes that every person has ever committed against him, basically a God on Earth. Later on, the slave comes face to face with the Emperor. She starts bringing it meat and milk whenever she's given the chance to steal it from the master, cleans the whole dungeon, and even risk's taking the dragon out so it can get fresh air.
After the horrific event that the girl promises to the gods that she will take care of the remanding dragon.
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