[Qing Dynasty setting, love at first sight, one-on-one romance, doting throughout, no angst, jump right in. The heroine doesn’t fight for favor in the imperial harem, compete with other women, or get caught up in complicated schemes.]
Mu Zhaozhao × Aisin Gioro Xuanye
At the end of summer, as autumn begins, a stirring wind blows through the Rehe Imperial Palace. The breeze lifts the carriage curtain. Whose heart will it unsettle?
Zhaozhao: “By the Great Qing’s ancestral rules, Han women cannot enter the imperial harem.”
Xuanye: “So what if she’s Han? The Great Qing has ruled from within the Pass for so many years. It’s time for a change. I want to be emperor of all the people, not khan of the Manchus! By taking a Han woman as empress, I’ll show the world that Manchus and Han are one family.”
Han officials: “We thank Emperor Taizong! We thank Emperor Shizu!”
Crown Prince: “Imperial Father, is your first child on the way?”
Kangxi: “On the way.”
After Zhaozhao gives birth,
Crown Prince: “Imperial Father, I’ve been crown prince for more than twenty years, but you’re still hale and hearty. I don’t want to wait any longer. I’m afraid I’ll end up like Emperor Renzong of Ming, but I don’t want to follow in Emperor Taizong of Tang’s footsteps either, so I...”
