Chapter 1 Prologue

Chapter 1 Prologue

◎Prologue◎

In the bright spring of March, when the grass was growing and birds were singing, it should have been a good season for people to visit the Qujiang Pond for outings as they did in previous years. However, due to the grand mourning for the late emperor, the entire capital was under martial law. Not even a mosquito could escape the city.

Inside the palace, however, the atmosphere was less somber and tense. The new emperor had just ascended the throne and was holding an audience with his ministers in the Duanning Hall.

The new emperor was twenty-five years old. Even when seated, he was taller than ordinary people. His face was as warm and gentle as jade, giving him the appearance of a handsome scholar. His gaze occasionally swept over the ministers below, sharp as a falcon's.

He was dressed in a white mourning robe, with a dark green dragon-shaped jade pendant tied around his waist, giving him a dignified and solemn air. He was no longer the carefree youth of the past.

"Your Majesty, Zheng Fang's troops have all withdrawn from the capital as per the order and are now heading to Bozhou as per your instructions."

The new emperor murmured in contemplation before saying, "There is a large army in Bozhou led by Wei Duo, who has long been eyeing Jizhou. I have already promised to make Wei's daughter the empress. I believe the Wei family knows what to do. This is also to avenge your sister, Yuniang. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known that Princess Zheng could be so ruthless."

The person reporting to him was the brother of Dong Yuniang, who had been a concubine of the then-Crown Prince. He was originally a groom but rose to become a servant of the Eastern Palace because of his sister, who was selected as a Zhaoxun of the sixth rank in the Eastern Palace. Later, because she became pregnant, she was promoted to the third-rank Liangyuan by the Crown Prince. At the same time, her brother was recognized for his military talent by the Crown Prince and recommended to join the imperial guards.

Their future should have been bright.

Unfortunately, his sister, Dong Yuniang, was persecuted by Princess Zheng Liangdi, resulting in the death of both mother and child.

Dong Yu had risked his life to protect the Crown Prince from numerous assassinations and found witnesses and physical evidence, all to bring down Princess Zheng. Upon learning that Princess Zheng was also implicated in the death of Crown Princess Chuo Ren, he was thrilled to learn that her father might be eliminated by Wei Duo, who commanded an army of millions.

Dong Yu knelt again, expressing gratitude, and said, "Your Majesty is wise and just."

The new emperor smiled and said, "You may leave."

Dong Yu rose, bowed as he stepped back a few paces, and then walked out briskly. The emperor was indeed a wise ruler, willing to punish even his favorite concubine for the sake of justice. With two charges against her, Princess Zheng was as good as dead this time.

The new emperor stood with his hands behind his back, feeling a bit dizzy. These days, with the loss of his father, the mourning ceremonies, and state affairs, he was extremely fatigued.

Dong Yu, who was serving as a guard in the palace, naturally paid close attention to the situation in the Duanning Hall. He first noticed the servants of Princess Zheng Liangdi speaking with the chief eunuch.

The chief eunuch asked, "Is it you, Xiao Kangzi? Has Princess Zheng sent you here again?"

Xiao Kangzi smiled and replied, "In response to the chief eunuch's question, this is the beef knee bone soup personally made by Princess Zheng. She has been simmering it since early morning. As you know, the emperor loves the food made by our Princess Zheng."

After Xiao Kangzi entered the Duanning Hall, Dong Yu consoled himself, thinking that Zheng Fang had not gone far yet and that the emperor still had to give face to Princess Zheng Liangdi. Moreover, the emperor only had one son, the Fengyi Prince, born to Princess Zheng Liangdi. Besides, a night of conjugal bliss lasts a hundred days. Yesterday, Princess Zheng Liangdi accompanied the emperor and personally made a nourishing soup for him, reportedly burning her hand in the process.

However, his relief was short-lived when the emperor bestowed fifty bolts of palace silk and one hundred taels of gold upon Princess Zheng Liangdi in the Lingde Hall. But he was not discouraged and continued to closely monitor the situation in the palace.

The Lingde Hall, where these lavish gifts flowed in, housed Princess Zheng Liangdi, who had not yet received her official title after the emperor's ascension. She had entered the Eastern Palace five years ago and was exclusively favored by the Crown Prince for three years. In the following two years, the Crown Prince was sent to Xuzhou for battle and returned to ascend the throne.

In the Lingde Hall, the crystal curtains were high, revealing a splendid scene. The jade-colored silk curtain in the middle added to the richness. The carpets and cushions were adorned with orchid patterns. Not far away, a large Geya vase held thousand-leaf green lotuses and water orchids. The white jade incense burner emitted fragrant Suhe incense, creating a delightful atmosphere.

Xiao Kangzi immediately knelt down behind the curtain and said, "Your servant has not disappointed you."

The woman inside was Princess Zheng Liangdi. She laughed and said, "Rise. I heard that the emperor has bestowed many good things upon me."

Xiao Kangzi said, "The emperor's affection for you, Your Highness, is known to all under heaven."

Princess Zheng Liangdi sighed again, "The emperor usually doesn't concern himself with women. Crown Princess Chuo Ren's father defied the court and repeatedly massacred cities. The emperor personally executed her clan. But she was innocent. Upon hearing this news, she hanged herself. I regret telling her. I thought she already knew about it."

Xiao Kangzi hurriedly said, "Your Highness, why concern yourself with her? She couldn't let go. If it weren't for her, you would still be the crown princess, but Empress Dowager He interfered. Better days are ahead for us."

Princess Zheng Liangdi smiled again. Even her maids, who often saw her, were amazed by her beauty. Princess Zheng was beautiful and stunning, with delicate and lustrous skin, a graceful and enchanting figure, making her an unparalleled beauty.

"I need to rest for a while. Making the beef knee bone soup this morning was exhausting." With that, Princess Zheng Liangdi yawned widely.

Soon, night fell, and Dong Yu saw the chief eunuch preparing to head to the Linde Palace in the middle of the night. He was elated, guessing that the young emperor might be about to order Zheng Liangdi's execution. However, just then, a eunuch from the Duanning Hall shouted, "Something terrible has happened! His Majesty has suffered a severe headache and collapsed, no longer breathing."

Dong Yu was greatly shocked.

The sudden death of the young emperor left only his son, born to Zheng Liangdi. Under the protection of Zhaojie Hou Zheng Fang, Zheng Liangdi was elevated to Zheng Taihou, and her son, Prince Fengyi, ascended the throne as the new emperor. Due to his young age, Zheng Taihou took control of the government.

Upon rising to power, Zheng Taihou swiftly appointed her father, Zheng Fang, as Grand Marshal, General-in-Chief, and Chief Minister of the Ministry of Rites, granting him control of the government. Her younger brother, Zheng Wuheng, was named Marquis of Quyang, and even her half-brother, Pei Shuo, was posthumously bestowed the title of Imperial Attendant and Director of Water and Parks.

How prosperous the Zheng family had become!

**

Outside the capital, a luxurious carriage arrived. The carriage had crimson wheels and a blue-gold canopy, adorned with exquisite gold and silver ornaments, appearing extraordinarily luxurious. The woman sitting in the carriage was composed and proper, her skirt designed to be graceful and ethereal, yet it remained still. Beside her, the young girl was lively, with the inner lining of her dress even showing.

Several officials at the post station immediately came forward respectfully upon seeing the carriage, saying, "We, the humble officials, greet the Princess of Huaiyin. The Empress Dowager has instructed us to await you here. If it is late, she said that you should rest at the post station and that tomorrow, she will specially dispatch thirty imperial guards to escort you into the palace."

The woman in the carriage was the Princess of Huaiyin, the Empress Dowager's sister. The officials treated the Princess of Huaiyin with great respect. The young girl accompanying her remarked with a smile, "Aunt, look how good the Empress Dowager is to you."

The Princess of Huaiyin had been widowed for a year, and her clothes were quite plain, her face showing much numbness. Hearing her niece, she managed a faint, forced smile.

The young girl, however, found her aunt's smile to be more like crying. She couldn't understand why her aunt was like this. Now that her sister was the Empress Dowager, shouldn't she be happy?

The young girl was staying in the finest room, vastly different from the usual post stations she had stayed in when coming to the capital. However, she overheard Chun Mama, who was with the Princess of Huaiyin, say, "Your Highness, it isn't even dark yet. Why are you to stay at the post station?"

"Mama, now that we are in the capital, we should be cautious with our words and actions," the Princess of Huaiyin replied.

But Chun Mama began to grumble discontentedly, "Your Highness, you were raised under the Grand Lady's care and were taught the best manners and were well-read. You are nothing like the unruly Second Miss."

The Princess of Huaiyin turned pale and said, "Mama, don't speak nonsense."

Chun Mama continued, becoming more animated, "You have had such a hard life. Prince Huaiyin was indeed intelligent and handsome, skilled in both literary and martial arts. But he had already set his heart on someone else and was narrow-minded, passing away prematurely, leaving you estranged, and now you must mourn him for the rest of your life. How can this be endured?"

Seeing the Princess of Huaiyin's face grow paler, the young girl realized there was a complex story behind it. She recalled her mother mentioning that Zheng Taihou, when still a young lady, was not as talented in literature, poetry, calligraphy, and the arts as her aunt.

The Princess of Huaiyin continued, "I am useless and unable to bring honor to my mother. My second sister has had more fortune than me. When she was a liangdi, she managed to make the Crown Prince neglect the Crown Princess and favor her alone, bearing the only child of the Crown Prince. Now, with the new emperor's death, she has become the Empress Dowager, and her son is the emperor. I have not had such fortune."

Chun Mama, who had been her mother's maid and had accompanied her from birth, became even more tearful at the mention of her late mistress, saying, "Our late lady was the original wife of General Zheng, a compassionate woman who sympathized with the poor and weak. She had taken pity on Ji-shi for her virtuous and jealous nature, helping her as she raised her son alone. Who would have thought that we had invited a wolf into our home, causing our mistress to live a life of solitude and piety? Now, we must bow to them and their illegitimate children."

The Princess of Huaiyin wept uncontrollably.

The young girl had not anticipated such complexity. The next day, as she entered the imperial palace with her aunt, the imperial guards stood majestically, and the jade steps rose in layers, exuding grandeur and splendor. Inside the Empress Dowager's chambers, the roof was covered with white glazed tiles, crystal and jade lamps illuminated the space, golden dragons were carved on the inner pillars, and the floor was paved with gold bricks, exuding even more luxury and opulence.

With every step they took inside, the young girl felt as though her aunt was walking on knife tips, with no joy of a family reunion. When they paid their respects to Zheng Taihou, she was astonished to see that her aunt, also a widow, looked like a withered tree, while Zheng Taihou appeared stunning and vibrant.

Why was this so?

Seeing her aunt collapse from exhaustion, like a fragile lotus in the wind, the young girl realized the stark difference between the two sisters.