A little wolf cub x a foolish beauty
Xu Jiao entered the palace at fifteen and married Emperor Chu Ling, who was already over eighty.
With her stunning beauty, she was named Noble Consort Yu and given Fenghua Palace as her residence, becoming the most exalted woman in all of Great Chu.
From then on, the Noble Consort would drink only spring water from high mountains and sleep only on fine gauze. That year, a great drought gripped the land. In the worst-hit areas, people were driven to the horrific act of trading children to eat. Yet Fenghua Palace remained piled high with gold and jade. Even the golden spoon used to feed the birds had to be set with rubies.
But after several years of luxurious living, her "eighty-year-old groom" couldn't hold on any longer.
After Emperor Ling's death, rebels broke through the city gates. The new emperor, born a commoner, used thunderous methods to eradicate corrupt policies and put down the rebellion. He drove the northern barbarians beyond the desert and ushered in an enlightened golden age that benefited the people.
But what pleased people most was that he shot the late emperor's wicked consort dead with an arrow from a hundred paces outside Fenghua Palace. Even ten years later, the people of the capital still loved to talk about it.
Xu Jiao awoke from a dream and found herself sitting in the same grand hall, where elegantly dressed women filled the room like clouds. The languid sounds of strings and flutes drifted through the air, mingling with the tinkling laughter of women.
As she looked at Emperor Chu Ling, whose life seemed to be nearly spent but whose eyes were still fixed on the dancers, the pain of an arrow piercing her chest surged through her again.
She had to survive. Once this frail old man passed away, she would need to find a way to stay alive.
The Noble Consort, who had been raised to be a prized courtesan, hadn't read many books, but she'd heard the opera singers say that helping a dragon ascend to the throne brought the greatest rewards, and that the ministers who backed him would prosper most.
So, suppressing her fear, she looked toward the hostage sent to the capital by the Prince of Huainan, the future leader of the rebellion.
Three years later.
The hostage ascended the throne and changed the era name to Yong'an. Emperor Yong'an governed with diligence, excelling in both civil and military affairs and laying the foundations of a golden age. Yet what people loved discussing most about this ruler who had restored the empire was his private life.
First, he honored the late emperor's wicked consort, Noble Consort Yu, as the Empress Dowager, providing her with the very best food and clothing and paying his respects every morning and evening without fail. Second, he kept away from women. The imperial harem was empty. He had never taken a concubine, let alone an empress.
In Ning Shou Palace,
Xu Jiao was still her usual teary, ineffectual self. "I'm the Empress Dowager. You can't call me Jiao Jiao..."
The bony little hostage from back then reclined on the daybed, playing with her delicate, boneless hand as he gently agreed, "All right."
"Then what would Jiao Jiao like to eat tonight?"
"Sweet milk pudding..."
Theme: Love life and love yourself. Mutual respect is what wins love.
