Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Mother Empress asked me, “Are you sure you won’t regret rejecting Cheng Su? I’m afraid you won’t find a better lad in this world. Your younger sisters are all quite fond of him; I specifically kept him for you.”
Thinking of Cheng Su’s peerless beauty, his character, and his talents, my heart tightened with regret.
However, compared to my life, my face-or rather, his face-was clearly less important.
I was born to the Empress. My Father Emperor and Mother Empress were deeply in love, a devoted couple. Since my birth, Father Emperor had chosen the title Fumao from hundreds of auspicious options to be my formal title.
The first half of my life was exceptionally smooth, but fate has always been fair.
At fifteen, I had a nightmare.
I dreamed that Father Emperor betrothed me to Cheng Su, the heir to the Duke of An. Cheng Su’s face was as beautiful as carved jade, and people called him the reincarnation of Pan An.
Even more rare was his noble character; he was the same inside and out. After marriage, he was truly the ideal husband of one’s dreams, as devoted as the famous Zhang Chang.
He was perfect in every way, but unfortunately, he was short-lived.
Three years later, the Rong State invaded, and Cheng Su died on the battlefield.
Two years after that, the Rong State breached Shangjing. Father Emperor fled with the civil and military officials. In the chaos, I was captured by Rong soldiers. I suffered horrific humiliation along the way and finally died in the enemy camp.
That year, I was twenty.
I woke up from the nightmare, momentarily lost in time.
I didn’t want to believe the dream, but I had it for three consecutive days, and I could memorize every detail.
When Father Emperor later moved to betroth me to Cheng Su, how could I dare enter that marriage?
I could only reject it.
Only then did I feel a slight sense of control over my own destiny.
I said listlessly, “I don’t regret it. An Emperor’s daughter doesn’t have to worry about finding a husband. Someone equal to Cheng Su will eventually appear. Besides, I want to stay by your side for a few more years, Mother Empress. Don’t you want to keep me with you?”
Mother Empress’s eyes were full of doting affection. “Of course I do. However, Taizu decreed that if a woman is not married by sixteen, the fault lies with the parents. As a princess, you should be a role model for all women. This matter must be arranged sooner or later.”
I remembered the dream. After the Rong soldiers invaded, Father Emperor and Mother Empress fled in haste. Upon hearing the news of my capture, Mother Empress was overcome with grief and self-reproach. She fell gravely ill and died on the journey. My heart ached at the thought.
I snuggled into her arms and whispered, “There’s still a year. In one year, I’ll surely find a way.”
I recorded everything from the dream.
Who deserved to die and who must not die-I wrote it all down clearly.
It was true that as a woman of the inner palace, I could not interfere in politics. However, one didn’t necessarily have to appear in person to influence the court; talk of ghosts and gods could be very useful at times.
But this had to be done thoroughly so as not to arouse Father Emperor’s suspicion, and for that, I needed a few capable helpers.
Using the excuse of leaving the palace, I headed toward the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.
To my surprise, I was intercepted by Cheng Su.
Having his marriage proposal rejected by me for no apparent reason had more or less affected his reputation. I felt it was necessary to explain things to him, so I dismissed my maids and guards to let him approach and speak.
Cheng Su stared at me with a stern gaze. “Why did you reject the marriage? Where did I fall short?”
I stared at Cheng Su’s face, momentarily dazed.
What I had seen in the dream was already beautiful enough, but seeing him in person was an even greater shock.
This was a face I could admire for a lifetime.
Resisting my internal greed, I quietly swallowed and said calmly, “You are perfect in every way. It’s just that you are destined for an early grave.”
Cheng Su choked, clearly not expecting this to be my reason for rejecting him.
He asked gloomily, “Then how old must one live to not be considered ‘early’?”
I thought of the dream, where Cheng Su would die on the battlefield in three years…
I gave a long sigh. “At the very least, you have to live until you’re twenty…”
“Fine. Wait for me. Until then, you cannot marry anyone else.” Cheng Su gazed at me deeply and pressed a jade hairpin into my hand. “Do you promise?”
“…”
I stared at the jade hairpin in my hand, stunned.
What was he thinking?
He wanted to tie me down with a single jade hairpin?
He must be dreaming!
“I can’t. Taizu decreed that a woman must marry by sixteen. I am a princess and should lead by example. I cannot promise you this.”
I tried to return the hairpin to him. The moment our fingers touched, a jolt of electricity ran through me. I quickly pulled my hand back, feeling a bit of regret. I wouldn’t be able to hold such slender, powerful hands whenever I wanted in the future.
To defy fate, I naturally couldn’t follow the old path from my dream.
Cheng Su’s lips were pressed thin, but he wasn’t angry.
“Taizu also said that if a princess prays for the country’s blessings, it is a great merit. If Your Highness becomes a lay practitioner, you can naturally wait a few years before marrying. Your Highness, you can’t just say I’m not good enough without giving me a chance to prove myself, right?”
His tone was urgent and solemn.
Yet, I somehow heard a hint of pleading in it.
My heart softened slightly. “I’ll think about it.”
“A princess’s promise is as good as gold.” Cheng Su solemnly placed the jade hairpin back into my hand, turned around, and walked away with great strides.
“Who… who promised?” I asked in surprise.
“If Your Highness is going to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, you should hurry. Lord Liu is about to finish his shift,” Cheng Su said with a light chuckle.
I let out an “oh” in response before it clicked.
Wait?
How did he know I was going to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?