Stealing the Golden Bough

In the fifth year of Jingwu, the Emperor went on an incognito tour and brought a woman back to the palace. No one knew who she was or where she came from. They only heard that her face was as beautiful as peach blossoms, impossible to forget once seen. The very next day after returning to the palace, she rose to the top and was made a Noble Consort. The whole realm was in an uproar, and the harem descended into chaos. The woman had lost her memory. The Emperor personally bestowed on her the name Qing Xun, meaning, “My beloved, I await your return,” a sign of his favor. Ever since she entered the palace, the other members of the harem could hardly catch a glimpse of the Emperor, yet Qing Xun remained cold toward him. The feeling that he couldn't catch hold of her or keep her close drove Su Zeyu mad. Just as he was about to make her Empress despite the ministers' objections, and abolish the harem for her sake, he saw his younger brother, who had hurried back to attend the Empress's installation ceremony, pull her into his arms in the imperial garden, tears in his eyes. They held each other so tightly that jealousy drove him wild. Only then did he learn that his Qing Xun was his younger brother's fiancée, his sister-in-law. Their engagement had been personally granted by the late Emperor. On the eve of their wedding, she had been harmed and ended up by his side. She regained her memory at that very moment. The two knelt at his feet and begged him to give them his blessing. He generously agreed and arranged a farewell banquet for them, watching as she happily drank the spiked wine. Theme: Respect