In the grand palace of Yuansheng, the cries of a newborn echoed through the marble halls. Lady Wei Lian, the king's beloved concubine, had given birth to a healthy baby boy. But her joy was short-lived—her final breath left her lips before she could even hold her son.
King Han Wujin stood beside her lifeless body, grief washing over him. He had loved Wei Lian dearly, and now, all that remained of her was their son. The baby, swaddled in the softest silks, wailed as if he knew the loss he had just suffered. The king took him in his arms, his heart torn between sorrow and love.
Empress Lin Meiyun, standing in the shadows, watched with cold eyes. She had never been able to give the king a child, and now, this boy—this son of a mere concubine—had taken the place she had longed to fill. Her heart hardened with bitterness, and hatred slithered through her veins like poison.
That night, while the palace mourned Lady Wei Lian, Empress Lin Meiyun crept into the nursery.
The soft glow of lantern light dances across the gilded walls. The infant prince sleeps peacefully in a golden cradle. Suddenly, the door creaks. Empress Meiyun enters, her steps silent, a small vial clutched in her trembling hand. She moves toward the cradle—until a voice slices through the silence.
"I never thought I'd witness the fall of a crown through such trembling hands." King Han Wujin said coldly.
Meiyun freezes. Her hand hovers above the cradle. The vial slips from her fingers, shattering on the floor.
"Y-Your Majesty… I—You weren't meant to—"
The king looked at her coldly,his voice hardening.
"Meant to what, Meiyun? See you poison my son? An heir barely a moon old?"
Meiyun desperately tried to reason with him.
"He's not your heir! He's a mistake—a mark of your betrayal. From a concubine, not a queen!"
"A betrayal? And what would you call this? Treason against your own bloodline? He bears my blood. He is of the Dragon Line, as much as I am." He replied furiously.
"I gave you everything—my youth, my loyalty, my crown. And yet, I remain barren. You look at me with pity. The court whispers. I see how they stare, how they smirk when she walks by with her swollen belly." She said choked up, trying to swallow her tears. But king Han Wujin had no pity for her. Not after this.
"So you seek to erase him? A helpless child? Will that silence the court? Will that unshackle your pride?" he asked coldly. Meiyun felt a lump in her throat as she spoke.
"I wanted to be a mother. I wanted to give you a son. I wanted to be needed—not replaced!" she said in a broken voice.
"I never replaced you, Meiyun. But tonight… you've forced my hand." Tears streamed down her face.
"What will you do?"
Silence stretches between them. The baby's soft breath is the only sound.
"I will protect what is mine. And I will not allow you to touch a hair on his head. Because you are my wife, I shall not execute you. But you are to never return to my chambers again." The king said with cold resolve.
"I loved you" she whispered.
Han Wujin turned away and with his back facing her, he replied:"Then you should have protected what I love."
He gathers the infant gently in his arms and walks away without another glance.The bitter queen attempted to poison the infant a few more times,but was always caught by the king.
Fearing for the boy's safety, King Han Wujin made a painful decision. At the age of one, his son was taken from the palace under the cover of night. Loyal guards carried the child far away, to a distant village where no one would ever know his true identity.
Years passed, and the boy grew up unaware of his royal blood. Raised by a kind-hearted farmer and his wife, he lived a simple life, running through the fields and playing by the riverbanks. But fate had not forgotten him.
One day, the truth would come to light, and the exiled prince would return to claim his destiny. Until then,he is safer over there,where the queen can't find him.