Deep Within the Bronze Sparrow Palace

[Ruthless, sweet on the outside and dark on the inside prince × aloof empress dowager]

When they first met, she was an innocent young lady from a prominent family who knew nothing of the world, and he was the most beloved of the Ninth Princes. He fell in love with her at first sight, doted on her, and protected her. She smiled radiantly in his arms and said, “Brother Ye, I’m willing to marry you.”

But then a palace coup came. He was framed and cast down from his lofty position, while she stood before him and said coldly, “I won. It turns out you misjudged me and loved the wrong person.”

He was banished to the western frontier, where he lay low for three years. At last, he returned to the capital and to her side.

Everyone thought he hated her, and that she was surely doomed.

Who could have guessed that he would be a constant presence in the palace where she lived?

“Yiyi, do you like this kite?”

“Yiyi, do you like this pastry?”

“Yiyi, Brother Ye will play you a tune.”

At last, an imperial censor could take no more and submitted an impeachment, accusing Prince Chen of disregarding palace rules and showing disrespect to the empress dowager.

Prince Chen’s response: “Whatever. I’ve got thick skin. Impeach me all you want. I already have a wife, so why should I care about palace rules?”

Later, in Liangcheng on the western frontier, amid the vast desert and a lone plume of smoke, he held her close and whispered in her ear, “Yiyi, all I have ever wanted in this life is this.”

Reading guide:

1. Happy ending, guaranteed. Sweet romance, with a brief angsty stretch in the middle.

2. The dynasty is fictional and very loosely based on history! Food, clothing, customs, and etiquette mostly draw on the Tang and Song eras, but please don’t scrutinize the historical details.

3. Some of the poems and allusions in the story are invented. Please don’t scrutinize those, either.