/ A warm, lively little-sunshine empress x an emperor who adores her
When the new emperor chose an empress, an imperial edict selected Chi Li, who had only recently returned to the capital.
At the time, young Chi Li, who knew nothing of sorrow, couldn't understand the worry that lingered between her father and brothers' brows.
She simply thought that if she minded her words and actions, she could be a good wife to the emperor.
On their wedding night, the man in his dark red wedding robe spoke indifferently:
“Chi Li, all you need to do is fulfill your duties as empress.”
With that, he left the Jiaofang Palace without looking back.
It took Chi Li three years to understand:
The so-called “duties of the empress” meant serving as a symbol of the dynasty alongside the emperor.
So she handed over the phoenix seal and requested permission to leave the palace.
-
As Chi Li rode freely across the northern frontier, she sometimes still thought of the capital.
She remembered Jing Yuan, drunk and burying his face against her neck as he murmured, “A Li.”
She remembered the hairpin Jing Yuan had given her, engraved in his own hand with the words, “May you live freely.”
But he had trapped himself and pushed her away.
Chi Li thought that she and Jing Yuan were destined to love without ever being together.
So she would see the vast land and the everyday life of its people on his behalf.
Until he came through the snow, radiant and serene, and gathered her into his arms.
“A Li, come home.”
“Okay.”
Like a fish longing for its deep pool, she would brew fresh tea over a new flame.
/ Roughly, it's a story about a man who loves her so deeply that he wants her to shine and be free, while she wants to stay by his side for the rest of their lives.
/ HE, SC
/ Fictional setting
[Archived by screenshot on 2022.1.25]
[Weibo: @ErShanQing_]
Theme: Strive for your dreams. Don't retreat or give up.
