Shen Yun Zhao was the second daughter of a duke's household. On the eve of her wedding, her elder sister died, and an imperial decree summoned Shen Yun Zhao to the palace.
In her seventh year as the emperor's second empress, his gifts kept coming without end. Everyone thought she enjoyed his favor, but only she knew she was merely a pawn in a game of competing interests.
"Your Majesty, do you know how many years I've waited? At last, I can return to the capital with Heng'er!" At the Mid-Autumn banquet, the Marchioness of Ningyuan returned to the capital with her son, Wei Zhiheng. Anyone with eyes could see that he bore no resemblance to the emperor. Yet the foolish emperor defied the ministers' opposition and insisted on enfeoffing him as a prince, attempting to change the line of succession.
To protect the only surviving child her elder sister had left behind and preserve the Crown Prince's position, Shen Yun Zhao decided to start with the proud son of the emperor's White Moonlight. A compliant, vulnerable young man in reduced circumstances would be easiest to manipulate.
"Don't go... Please, Sister, take pity on me!" The young man's gaze burned as if it could sear right through her. The corners of her mouth lifted, while frost settled over her dazed eyes.
She had merely used a little trick, and he had taken the bait so easily. He was nothing special after all.
They wanted to muddy the imperial bloodline and elevate the son they were so proud of?
Then she would ruin his reputation first, crushing any unworthy hopes before they could take root.
*
Wei Zhiheng lived up to his name: he knew when to advance and retreat, and understood how to weigh his options. After his father was gravely wounded, he became a fallen son of a military family.
When he went to meet the emperor, bearing a face very much like his father's, his mother insisted he was of imperial blood. He did not deny it.
Because only by being close at hand could he be the first to reach the moon.
After meeting Shen Yun Zhao, he realized that all the years before had been like a life wasted.
At the welcome banquet that day, the emperor was rewarding those who had distinguished themselves. Wei Zhiheng looked up and saw the emperor and empress behaving affectionately together. Unable to resist testing the waters, he asked, "If there's something I want, Your Majesty, will you grant it?"
"Of course. A ruler's word is his bond." The emperor was unconcerned, convinced he could grant whatever Wei Zhiheng wanted.
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress and I are in love. Why not grant her to me?" At that point, Wei Zhiheng simply dropped the act.
Though he knew she was deliberately manipulating him, he gladly surrendered to the delusion that grew wildly in his heart.
Even if it cost him everything in this life, he would face every obstacle to stand openly by her side!
Reader's Note:
This is a fictional setting. Please don't overanalyze it.
The heroine is not a virgin; the hero is.
The heroine is six years older than the hero.
They are instinctively attracted to each other.
The hero and the emperor are not father and son.
The hero seems gentle and innocent, but he's really a dark-hearted wolf with a sweet exterior.
Theme: Break free of your constraints, and at last the dawn will come.
