After I Ascended the Throne, My Beloved Returned

Zhao Shi'an was three years old when the State of Qi fell.

His father, who had been timid all his life, took his own life in front of the palace gates. His concubines were either killed or fled.

A young eunuch named Yi Zhi carried him into the Cloud-Buried Mountains, where they stayed for seventeen years.

Zhao Shi'an met Mu Fushu when he was ten.

He had a craving for sweets and begged Yi Zhi to go down the mountain and buy him some. But Yi Zhi had no money to spare, so he refused and gave him a harsh beating.

While Yi Zhi was napping, Zhao Shi'an slipped away, wiping his tears as he stumbled down the mountain. The rain had made the path slippery, and just as he was about to fall, a gentle hand scented with jasmine caught him firmly.

He looked up, and a face as lovely as the autumn moon filled his eyes.

Zhao Shi'an saw Mu Fushu again in the second year of his reign.

A New Year banquet was being held at court, with envoys from every nation in attendance. A prince from a small vassal state presented him with a beauty.

He looked up without much interest, only to see the barefoot beauty standing on the cold golden-brick floor. With bright eyes and pearly teeth, the beauty looked just like someone from his past.

All of New Yan gossiped that the emperor, who had never visited the harem since ascending the throne, had fallen hard for Lady Mu. He didn't spend the night in his own bedchamber, but went to her palace every day.

Later, after the realm was unified and the borders were secure, the battle-hardened woman general in silver armor embraced the young emperor tightly amid the snow and wind.

"Sister Mu, my life has been full of hardships, and only with you by my side can it be whole. Now, apart from this magnificent realm beneath our feet, I can offer you my one true heart."

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The setting is fictional, and the official ranks are a mishmash. No need to look too closely at the details.

Theme: Face adversity and rise to the challenge