* The phrase "the emperor's minister" refers to the heroine.
With the land in peril, she is the blade that cuts to the bone.
[Serious Story Blurb]
People could not understand how Wei Jinxian, a nobody from humble origins, dared to throw herself alone into the deadly power struggles of the prosperous capital, Chang'an.
All they saw was a seemingly slender, frail figure standing firm beneath the layers of palace halls, like a strong bamboo in a raging gale, bent a hundred times but never broken.
Some were called good ministers, some loyal ministers.
Some were denounced as corrupt ministers and sycophants.
But Wei Jinxian alone was called the emperor's minister.
What does it mean to be the emperor's minister?
People said that Wei Jinxian wielded absolute power, and that anyone who wanted to fight for the throne needed her support.
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"Before my teacher left, she asked me to look at the moon over Chang'an for her."
"Then I should sweep away the clouds that hide the sky, so that everyone can see the bright moon over Chang'an in her heart."
[Romance Blurb]
Wei Shu stood in the snow as the residence's gate slammed shut in her face. She lowered her eyes slightly and turned away, expressionless.
Someone strolled toward her with an umbrella, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Well, well, Lord Wei."
His tone was lighthearted.
"So, did your beloved turn you down?"
Wei Shu raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze as cold as snow.
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Cold and solitary minister × affectionate young noble
Calculating every move × wholehearted devotion
* The heroine only serves as an official; the female supporting character ascends the throne.
* The heroine is an aloof, icy type, not a good person in the conventional sense, and not truly from a humble background. A court-politics story with a female protagonist: she does not disguise herself as a man, marry, or have children.
* "Affectionate" means full of feeling and devoted, not promiscuous or flirtatious. The male lead is not just a backdrop, and there is no "hero saves the beauty" plot.
* An imaginary setting, with a mishmash of official ranks and other details. Not intended for historical nitpicking.
[My take on political intrigue: not a chronicle, not typical. The political machinations rely entirely on the author's imagination and do not follow any logic from outside this story. Everything serves the plot.]
[Written to fill a shortage of stories I wanted to read, with mountains of personal worldbuilding. If it's not to your taste, please don't insult the author. Let's respect one another.]
First version of the blurb: 2022.07.15
Cover background art by @Caohe.
Title lettering by @Hongyi.
Theme: Technique comes before the minister; the Way comes before the emperor.
