The Virtuous Empress: Love Without End

Synopsis: Is she the daughter of a high-ranking chief minister of Great Chu, or the modest young lady of the capital’s richest merchant? Is she Empress Jin, who hanged herself at Changting, or a lowly palace maid struggling to survive in the harem? She carries too many mysteries. In her difficult life, death and survival alternate time and again. Did he kill her, or... save her?

Excerpt: The woman descended from the high platform. Consort Liang Hui knelt before her, her back straight, her eyes carrying a hint of mockery as she looked up. The woman only smiled through her tears. She took the articles of investiture from the tray held by a palace maid at her side: sixteen gold hairpins and ornaments signifying the rank of Imperial Noble Consort, eight long and eight short. The long pins were placed above the shorter ones. With the pins engraved with colorful pheasants in flight arranged in her hair, the woman straightened up.

“Though a colorful pheasant wears five hues, it is still just a chicken. Compared with a phoenix, it is not merely a hundred paces behind... You’re celebrating a little too soon.” The woman studied the young woman on the ground, whose small face was flushed with anger. Her expression was blank, and even the smile she had maintained earlier had faded, leaving only a cool detachment.

The woman in phoenix robes turned around and looked at the emperor seated high above her. She asked calmly, “Who am I?”

The emperor pressed his lips together, his fury rising. “Attendants! Take the empress back to Changting Hall!”

“Xiahou Yin!” the woman suddenly shouted, calling the emperor by his personal name and shocking the assembled ministers.

“Who am I?!” The woman stared straight at the man before her. Tell me, who am I? Who am I in your heart? Am I the empress of Great Chu, the daughter of the chief minister, or your wife?

“You are Su Jin,” the emperor replied calmly. He did not recite her long list of titles or mention the prestige her family lent her. She... was simply Su Jin.

“Remember that.” The woman seemed satisfied with his answer and smiled faintly. “I am Su Jin. Remember it.”

Excerpt: “By the way, I haven’t asked you yet. What’s your name?” As they neared the Lian residence, the girl suddenly spoke.

The young gentleman glanced at her before answering, “Just call me Jin Zhi.”

“Jin Zhi... Which characters is that written with?”

The young gentleman raised his handsome, slender fingers and traced his name in the air, stroke by stroke. Lian Zi watched carefully, then nodded. “I’ll remember. My name is Lian Zi.”

“I know.” The young gentleman’s voice was low and rich, and his gaze held a hint of complexity.