No Escape

At the welcoming banquet, someone drugged the Prince of Xiao's wine.

To avoid becoming the Chancellor's son-in-law and getting dragged into a power struggle, the Prince of Xiao fought off the effects of the drug, pushed the Chancellor's daughter away, and staggered over to pull a passing palace maid into his arms.

The next morning, the palace maid woke up in tears. The Prince of Xiao could only promise to give her a title and take her home with him.

Later, the palace maid disappeared. The Prince of Xiao assumed the Chancellor had harmed her, and sent his men everywhere to search for her. Just as things were about to get out of hand, the young Empress Dowager, who ruled from behind a curtain, swallowed her tears, put on a palace maid's clothes that night, and appeared before the man.

The man stroked her waist and said in a low voice, "If anyone in the palace dares to hurt you, you have to tell me. Otherwise, I'll take you home right now!"

Yan Su hurriedly soothed his angry heart, telling him that when she turned twenty-five in six months and was old enough to leave the palace, she would go home with him.

The Prince of Xiao eyed her suspiciously. She looked nowhere near twenty, but he reluctantly agreed.

Later still, the Prince of Xiao learned that the palace maid had left the palace, slipped out of the city without a word, and run off without looking back. He turned the whole capital upside down. But before he could chase her beyond the city, his anger gave way to suspicion as he noticed the young Empress Dowager, who ruled from behind the curtain, seemed more and more familiar.

On the day of the rebellion, the Prince of Xiao committed the ultimate treason: he stepped on the imperial throne, pinched the young Empress Dowager's cheek, and narrowed his eyes as he said in a dangerous tone, "Your Majesty is truly crafty and calculating. I must admit defeat."

Yan Su's eyes brimmed with tears as she pleaded softly, "I can't hold a candle to Your Highness's bravery..."

If she gets another life, she will never sneak into the kitchen for a midnight snack again. QAQ

The heroine was forced to play the part of a solemn, widowed Empress Dowager, pure of heart and free of desire. In private, she's actually lazy, greedy, and a chatterbox.

P.S. Naming things is hard. I'll think of a better title someday.

2022/1/25

Theme: Strive to improve yourself and stay true to your original intentions.