She fell in love after marrying the young emperor.
*
The old lady wanted to choose a bride for her grandson Xuan Qi. She looked through the "Women's Classic" at a hundred daughters of noble families, shaking her head and saying none of them were suitable.
"What sort of young lady do you have in mind?" one of the palace ladies asked.
Xuan Qi happened to pass by and overheard them. He chimed in, "She must be virtuous, graceful, eloquent, and skilled, with a good name that will endure through the ages. A dignified, gentle, and quiet young lady."
Everyone burst out laughing. The old lady stopped him. "And what sort do you want?"
"A pretty one," he said.
**
The poet Zhou Qingmiao returned to the capital with his daughter, staying at the official residence of his elder brother, Qingyun.
His elder brother held a high office. The whole family of three hundred, headed by the Grand Commandant himself, showed the father and daughter, who had been away for years, "the utmost care" and "great interest." Unfortunately, the poet had a big belly but a weak constitution for alcohol. After a few cups of weak wine, he collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep, leaving his daughter to manage on her own.
The poet's only daughter was named Zhou Jiangxue. She was eighteen, always proper and poised, and immediately won over the older generation. They all praised her as "a dignified, gentle, and quiet young lady!"
The younger generation also loved to gather around her. She had traveled halfway across the world, and her stories of the mountains and rivers she had visited and the unusual things she'd seen captivated the young ladies and gentlemen who had never even left home, let alone the capital. They all said:
"Our new cousin is truly a fascinating person, like the newest and most unusual storybook, one you can never finish reading. It's just a shame she's not pretty."
Not just not pretty, but downright plain. Her features were plain, and so was her bearing. If she weren't tall and fair-skinned, you could lose her in a crowd.
The "good young lady" Zhou Jiangxue, who "wasn't pretty," was chosen to enter the palace as empress!
Every noble family was in an uproar. Only the young ladies and gentlemen of the Zhou family lamented, "That Xuan Qi sure got lucky!"
Xuan Qi: "Wait, does anyone care how I feel?"
At first glance, Xuan Qi knew she wasn't any dignified, gentle, and quiet young lady. Sure enough, as time passed, her true nature came out. She was skilled at dice games and backgammon alike, and her every laugh, scolding, and angry retort tugged at his heart. No, no, this wasn't right. She wasn't just a good girl. She was a treasure!
But to Zhou Jiangxue, it didn't matter whether she was a treasure or a humble willow. This praise wasn't some great honor. She was simply herself.
*Married Life, Day to Day 1 (There are lots of these, posted irregularly)
After the morning court session, the emperor hurried to Qilin Palace. "Where's Zhou Jiangxue? Why isn't she here to welcome me?"
The young eunuch replied, "Your Majesty, Doctor Fan from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau came early this morning to ask the empress to look at a new water clock he carved..."
Xuan Qi pulled the Son of Heaven's sword from the wall. "You scoundrel, Fan Shicheng! Let go of my wife!"
*Married Life, Day to Day 2
The emperor and empress went out in plain clothes and ran into a couple of bandits.
Xuan Qi: "My lady, go ahead and report this to the authorities. I'll hold them off here!"
Zhou Jiangxue: "...Doesn't Your Majesty always say that the Son of Heaven shouldn't put himself in danger?"
Xuan Qi: "Before I was the Son of Heaven, I was your husband!"
Zhou Jiangxue: "Then step aside and let me handle this!"
Theme: Love can clear away all barriers and prejudice
