The father of my child knelt before me, begging the Empress Dowager to grant him the favor of marrying the woman he loved.
My nails nearly broke the skin of my palms, yet I smiled and asked who had won his heart.
He said Zeng Zi’an, Grand Secretary Zeng’s only daughter, was the love of his life.
But Zeng Zi’an no longer existed.
All that remained was me, consumed by the hunger for power, looking down upon the world.