A Dream of Ruohua

In the 53rd year of the Great Zhou dynasty, the realm is in turmoil and the imperial line is dwindling. After years of war with the Northern Desert, the emperor falls gravely ill. On his deathbed, he names his eight-year-old fourth prince as his successor, betroths the Grand Tutor's eldest daughter to him as empress, and appoints the sixteen-year-old Prince Jing as regent to assist the young emperor, setting the two against each other.

Ten years later.

When Ruohua watched Empresses in the Palace, she used to imagine that if she entered the palace, she would probably be dead within a day. Well, now she has, and she never imagined it would really happen. Even more unexpectedly, the supposedly debauched and immoral emperor is actually a devoted romantic.

The market is packed with people, and vendors' cries ring out without pause. The streets are bustling, lined with famous local delicacies and stalls displaying a dazzling variety of goods. A beautiful woman walks hand in hand with a three-year-old boy. It seems to be his first time out shopping. He looks all around, touching everything and hopping about excitedly. Suddenly, he notices that his mother has stopped. He looks up and sees her gazing at a man ahead. The man is looking at her too. They stand face to face, their gazes locked together, as if an invisible force has bound them to each other. The boy looks from one to the other and calls out anxiously, “Mother.” Murong Rui shifts his gaze to the boy. The instant he sees the child's face, his eyes widen. “You... You'd better give me an explanation,” he says through gritted teeth.