The Minister in Her Palm

“When you tried to kill me, did you ever imagine this day would come?” The city fell overnight, and a new emperor ascended the throne. Weng Ruzhou watched as the person holding the blade came closer, step by step. Blood dripped from the blade and splattered across the ground. From that moment on, she plunged into the abyss. Her former lover now wore the imperial robes, his eyes no longer holding a place for her. Beside him stood a woman who looked strikingly like her. Wei Yuqing sneered at her. “Weng Ruzhou, did you really think I couldn’t live without you?” In that moment, Weng Ruzhou knew that what was lost could never be regained. She packed her belongings and submitted a memorial asking to leave the capital, but the emperor swept all the documents from his desk. His eyes were dark, the corners bloodshot. “Weng Ruzhou, you are not allowed to leave me. Even in death, you’ll die by my side!” But one day, she truly did leave. On the day she went, rain poured down in torrents. Wei Yuqing, who had never touched a cup of wine, got thoroughly drunk and collapsed on the dragon bed where Weng Ruzhou had once slept. From his hoarse throat came two indistinct words: “Zhouzhou.” Only after she was gone did he understand what it meant to miss someone.

Reading guide: This is a romance-focused story.