When I turned in the final annual report, I never imagined that the empty office would become a gateway to the Hongwu era.
The palace walls were like iron, the glazed tiles like tears. I had been the most insignificant cog in the company, but overnight, fate thrust me to the top of the Ming imperial harem as Zhu Yuanzhang’s favorite consort. He was called Chongba. Though hideously ugly, he held the empire in one hand and the hearts of his people in the other. Empress Ma sat enthroned, her large feet crushing the dreams of countless consorts, while right under her nose, I became the woman the emperor favored most. But an emperor’s love is never a haven of tenderness. It is a path through blades and flames.
Very interesting story