At the morning court, civil and military officials fought at the Emperor's order so their daughters could become empress. In the end, my father got lucky and won the position for me. I cried... A year later, on his first day attending court, my father came home with his rear sticking out. His clothes were rumpled beyond recognition, and he had an imperial edict tucked in his arms. I was scared out of my wits and rushed over to support him. "Father, what happened? Did someone try to assault you?" My father wept bitterly. "My child, your father has failed you..." The edict in his arms was my decree of investiture as empress. I cried too. I had been terrified of Emperor Chu Lin since childhood, scared to my very core. It was because I was the exact opposite of his younger sister, Chu Yan
