"Your Majesty, we have a problem! Her Majesty the Empress is challenging someone to a duel at the entrance to the Cold Palace again!"
"Come on, come on! Loser goes in! Quit stalling!" Su Hongxuan cracks her knuckles.
"She’s the only one in the harem. Who could she be fighting?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, they’re the ladies-in-waiting sent over by the prime minister a few days ago."
Chu Yu covers his forehead. He’d forgotten about that.
"You! You’re first!" Su Hongxuan points at someone at random.
A group of ladies-in-waiting stand there, timid and unsure what to do.
"Xuan'er, come back with me."
Everyone watches as the usually stern emperor reaches out with an indulgent smile. The fierce empress, who was just spoiling for a fight, suddenly turns as docile as a little rabbit and takes his hand. The two exchange a smile and stroll away, leaving the onlookers bewildered.
People say the current empress is a beautiful calamity, cruel and jealous. They can’t understand why the emperor has left his harem empty and dotes only on her. Only Chu Yu knows that keeping her by his side is the greatest selfish thing he has ever done.
Before meeting her, he was the meticulous crown prince of the dynasty, treading carefully at every turn. She was the free-spirited only daughter of a general, living happily in the martial world. When the wheels of fate began to turn, even Chu Yu, pure as a flower atop a lofty peak, could not escape the dazzling impression she made at their first meeting.
A peerless god of war died on the battlefield. Was it a disaster from the heavens, or a conspiracy long plotted by those seeking imperial power and riches? As layer upon layer of fog is cleared away, the icy truth strikes straight to the heart. Between blood feuds, what choice should they make?
Theme: Holding the military tally in one’s embroidered sleeve
