Standing on the steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, gazing at the courtiers prostrate before me, and hearing the thunderous shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", I felt little joy at my ascension to the throne. This crown, for me, was both an honor and a heavy burden. The scenes of palace intrigue from my childhood remained vivid in my mind. My birth mother, for my sake, fought openly and secretly with the other concubines; the scheming and deceit filled my young heart with fear and disgust. Countless times I woke in the dead of night, staring at the empty palace, yearning for genuine affection, for a love that transcended worldly concerns.
