Emperor Ming Huang returned to Chang’an upon Guo Ziyi’s triumph over Shi Chaoyi and the rebel forces. He resumed his position as the Overlord of the court. He retired to the remote Southern Palace and lived alone. Without Lady Yang around, he felt lonely and depressed when he recalled her death. He missed her so much that he saw visions of her wherever he went and seemed to be on the verge of a complete breakdown.
One autumn night, he sat alone gazing out the window at the rain dripping from the eaves. Suddenly he heard the faintest music. He listened attentively realizing it was the same song he had heard when he waited the rain out in Sichuan and named it Bells Ringing in the Rain.
The music reminded him of that dreadful day and made his heart ache worse than before. She stayed on his mind throughout the night, preventing him from sleep.
The following day he and Gao Lishi went to the palace. It was empty except for some faded flowers and decaying leaves. This desolate scene, together with the sound of the rain hitting the trees, made him feel even more dreary and alone. He stood in the spot where Lady Yang had prayed to the Weaver Girl. He could not stop the tears as he remembered their vows of love.
“My love, I thought I would grow old with you. I never expected that we would be separated by two different worlds,” he muttered to himself.
His sadness overcame him and he fainted. “Wake up, Your Majesty.”
He opened his eyes in confusion and saw two maids standing before him.
“Who are you? And why do you wake me?”
“Your Majesty,” they said kneeling besides him. “We are Lady Yang’s maids. We’re here now to invite you to meet her ladyship.”
“You don’t say such things to me. Lady Yang killed herself by the Mawei Slope.”
“Your Majesty,” the maids replied. “There’s something you may not know. Lady Yang used to be the Goddess of Penglai Fairyland. She made a small mistake and was demoted to this world. But after she committed suicide and the Goddess Weaver Girl knew she had repented her sin, she was welcomed back to the fairy world. She never stopped thinking of Your Majesty. Goddess Weaver Girl was touched by Yuhuan’s love for you and granted you permission to live in the Heavenly Palace of Tavatimsa. We are here on her ladyship’s orders to welcome Your Majesty.”
The Emperor was overjoyed by this news. Without saying goodbye to the civilian officials and military generals, not even to his son, he followed the two maids out of the Palace of Eternal Youth and ascended on a cloud to the Heavenly Palace.
