YEAR 1467 HAN DYNASTY
My Lady, my lady, the prince has returned", exclaimed the maid. Princess Zixi, who had been waiting for her husband, ran towards the entrance. Prince Yanji, the second prince, had been married to princess Zixi at the age of nine years old. The prince and his wife were more like friends than a married couple. The second prince was the son of the woman that the king had abandoned, hence he had been an outcast since young. Marrying Zixi proved to be a blessing in disguise as it solidified his position in the court. The king regretted his decision but now he had no other choice but to consider him as well. His wit and kindness were also noticed by all. The king feared that the second prince would be a rival to the crown prince, so he was sent on a battlefield at the mere age of twelve. Nobody had expected him to return alive but as fate had its own way, he became victorious. The whole kingdom rejoiced but the king feared more. He started sending the prince from one battle to another and soon the heart that held a small ounce of hope and love turned into a cold one.
After four years he finally returned victorious but not alone. The person he had brought along with him was the daughter of the chief of the Hun Tribe. This tribe was famous for their force and barbaric nature. They were feared by most of the nations, but Yanji not only defeated them but also married the only daughter of the chief as his concubine. The king had by now accepted the fact that this son of his, whom he had abandoned was the one who was blessed and chosen by the heavens. Having no choice left he had to declare Yanji as the Crown Prince. In all this chaos the only person who was left confused and alone was princess Zixi. Within a day she went from a Prince Consort to becoming the Crown Princess. Her status had changed and so were her responsibilities. As overwhelming as it was, she had no one to rely on. Her family were only interested in the power and prestige that she would bring but other things except these were overlooked. On the other hand, the only friend she had, had grown distant and was currently basking in the glory. "Yanji, Yanji I want to talk to you, so come out right this instant", yelled the anxious princess. "Crown princess, please behave yourself, we cannot let you enter the chamber without his highness's permission", declared the guards. "How dare you?", roared Zixi. Not long after the doors opened, and the crown prince came out along with his new concubine. "My dear princess, what is so urgent that you could not wait for me to come to you?", inquired the prince descending from the stairs. The princess felt enraged when she saw the prince smirking. "Yanji, I want to talk to you, alone", she insisted.
The crown prince and his princess went to a separate pavilion. This was the place where they would come to play along with one another. A sense of nostalgia flooded within each of them, but they dismissed it. "Yanji, you said that you will not fight for the throne so why did you agree to the dethronement of the crown prince? Yanji, we are not strong enough, let us not fight and give the throne back okay", advised the worried wife. Yanji felt extremely furious and insulted as soon as he heard her. "Be grateful that you are enjoying these privileges or else I'll ask the imperial father to demote you", roared the angry prince. Zixi became numb when she heard that. She had never thought that he would be saying these things. What surprised her even more was that the trace of the innocent friend she once knew was nowhere to be found. "Then do it", challenged Zixi. Yanji stomped outside without looking back.
For a couple of weeks both of them did not bother one another. While both of them were busy, someone else was also planning a revenge which would destroy everything.