Chapter 2
I grew up in Muchen Palace until the age of sixteen.
For eight years, I barely exchanged a word with the Third Prince.
I feared offending Consort Qi’s taboos and consciously kept my distance from him.
He, too, abided by his Mother Consort’s instructions, always treating me with polite detachment.
In the Twenty-eighth Year of Changqing, Dongjian City fell.
The Northern Di army broke through the city, burning, killing, and looting like wolves and tigers.
The Shao Clan, who guarded the pass, lost more than ten generals-all died in battle.
Their bodies were dismembered, their heads severed, and sent along with the negotiation documents to Taiming Hall.
The Shao Clan had defended the border for fifty years; no one understood how to fight the Northern Di better than they did.
Yet even they perished to the last man. The ferocity of the Northern Di was thus proven, and for a time, no one in court dared to speak of war.
The King of Northern Di gave the Great Sheng Dynasty just over a month to consider, declaring that if we did not kneel and beg for mercy as demanded in the documents, they would regroup and attack the next city, advancing all the way to Shangjing.
The negotiation documents, besides demanding vast reparations, specifically requested that a princess be sent to Northern Di as a slave.
To save face, the envoy disguised the word “tribute,” calling it a “Marriage Alliance.”
A princess for the Marriage Alliance needed to be selected quickly.
There were only five princesses of suitable age in the Great Sheng Dynasty.
Princess Jinghe was born of the Empress.
The Emperor personally instructed: “Jinghe stays; the candidate for the Marriage Alliance will be chosen from the remaining four princesses.”
The remaining four were Princess Mingzhen of Consort Liu, Princess Wanning of Consort Ning, Princess Yongping of Consort Qin, and myself.
Upon hearing the news, regardless of past grievances, Consort Liu, Consort Ning, and Consort Qin all chose to set them aside for the moment.
They went together to see the Empress.
The Empress resided in Guang’an Palace.
To the north of Guang’an Palace was a long palace corridor.
Walking along that corridor, one could hear the conversations inside Guang’an Palace.
“Our Great Sheng has always had the custom: ‘The eldest daughter does not marry, the second daughter does not wed.'”
“Even for a Marriage Alliance, ancestral rites should be observed.”
“Of the remaining four princesses, the Sixth Princess is the eldest; she should be the candidate for the Marriage Alliance.”
“Indeed! Jinghe is the legitimate eldest princess, noble in status, naturally different from the others. Since His Majesty personally asked to keep her, we accept it wholeheartedly.”
“But after Jinghe, Changsheng is the eldest. She should bear the duty of the eldest sister. Should the younger sisters bypass her and marry before she does?”
“Princess Changsheng is fostered under Consort Qi, dignified and graceful. Sending her for the Marriage Alliance would not disgrace the Great Sheng.”
“As for our daughters, Your Highness, you have watched them grow up and know best-they have never suffered, are proud and willful, and could never survive in the savage lands of Northern Di.”
“Empress Your Highness…”
They chattered around the Empress, all hoping she would fix the Marriage Alliance candidate upon me.
They repeated, “The eldest daughter does not marry, the second daughter does not wed,” as if the chosen princess was truly going to be married.
But who didn’t know?
The Northern Di’s demands were written in black and white-the princess was not going for a Marriage Alliance, but to be sent as a slave.
They said I was fostered under Consort Qi, that their own daughters had never suffered, all to hint that I was not Consort Qi’s biological child.
Whether Mingzhen, Wanning, or Yongping… all had mothers to protect them.
Only I stood alone.
Even if I were sent for the Marriage Alliance, no one would stand up for me.
They were simply bullying me because I had no Mother!
The three consorts pleaded in turn, until their voices grew hoarse and their lips dry.
The Empress listened with grace and composure.
Only when the three consorts had nothing left to say did the Empress finally gather her sleeves and solemnly declare, “The candidate for the Marriage Alliance will be decided by Lottery Drawing. Whoever draws it will go-no exceptions among the four princesses.”
“This matter is settled. No further discussion.”