[Sunny Version]: Yao Xiang, a woman from the modern world who admired Empress Dowager Deng, transmigrated.
The good news: She was in the Han dynasty, and Empress Dowager Deng was there too.
The bad news: She had arrived after Empress Dowager Deng’s death. As Emperor An of Han lay at death’s door, he appointed her Grand Tutor and Director of the Imperial Secretariat, charging her to encourage and guide the young empress dowager. The emperor had been her idol’s political rival and enemy.
Was this right?
It was still the Han dynasty she remembered. One bug was a bug, but maybe several bugs could work. Faced with a court full of eunuchs, aristocratic clans, and maternal relatives who bore no resemblance to their historical counterparts, Yao Xiang had no idea where to begin making things work.
And this Han dynasty was not the one she remembered, either. After all, the official histories had no record of a young empress dowager like this.
The young empress dowager looked at her timidly. She had only been brought into the palace three months before the emperor’s death and hastily made empress.
She seemed to be another victim, just like Yao Xiang, forced to take on the burden of encouraging and guiding the young ruler.
Yao Xiang looked up at the young empress dowager attending to state affairs and sighed at the heavens.
Fine. For her idol’s ideals, and for the young empress dowager, she’d give making things work another try.
[Dark Version]:
Wei Yunqing had heard people talk about Yao Xiang many times.
Two words were always bound to that name: traitor and sycophant.
Arrogant and overbearing, ill-tempered, and responsible for one bloody case after another in Liangzhou.
Ever since entering the palace, her sole obsession had been clearing the names of the generals who defended Liangzhou’s borders.
She hadn’t expected her opportunity to come so soon.
The emperor who didn’t love her was dead, and her enemy Yao Xiang came to her door, proposing that they join forces in villainy and install a child ruler.
Wei Yunqing immediately made up her mind.
A treacherous minister is like a piece of clothing: if you have one, you might as well use it, then throw it away when you’re done.
An alternate Eastern Han dynasty. The fictional elements have little to do with actual history.
Forgive me for not being able to write a proper, decorous Han dynasty statesman. All I have is a woman who might say, “I, I, I,” and “You dog, you dare call yourself emperor!” at any moment.
Theme: Why not enjoy the night by candlelight?
