Shen Yuqing woke, her lashes trembling as memories of last night surged back. She was naked beneath the morning light. With a gasp, she pulled the blanket tight around her and drew her knees close.
The rustle of fabric stirred Li Jun from her light sleep. Slowly, the Empress opened her eyes. "Qing'er…" Her voice was gentle as she reached out to hold her.
Shen Yuqing shoved her hand away, anger bursting in her chest."Li Jun! Do you think just because you are the Empress you can do as you please?"
Her voice shook with fury and shame. "You… you took advantage of me! Why didn't you call for the Imperial Physician instead?"
She hurled every hurtful word she could think of. "You're abnormal!"
Li Jun's brows drew together, her fist clenching at her side.
"What?" Shen Yuqing laughed bitterly, eyes glistening. "Do you want to punish me? Or kill me?"
Li Jun knew any explanation would be useless. It had been impossible to bring Shen Yuqing to the Imperial Physician while she was under the effect of the aphrodisiac.
"Qing'er, this is my fault. Those terrible things would never have happened if I had been able to protect you. I promise I will catch that fake eunuch. And for all the pain you've suffered… I am truly sorry. I will do my best to make amends."
Shen Yuqing froze, stunned by Li Jun's words. She had expected an argument or harsh punishment, something that would give her a clear reason to hate the Empress.
The truth was, Shen Yuqing knew she could not fully blame Li Jun. Even under the influence of the drug, she had responded to every touch, surrendering willingly.
If it hadn't been Li Jun, she would have bitten her tongue and died. Now that the drug's effect had faded, shame and guilt seeped in, leaving her heart in turmoil.
She did not understand her own feelings toward Li Jun. Without realizing it, she had begun to fall in love, deeply admiring the young Empress and placing her at the very center of her world.
Shen Yuqing dressed quickly, fastening her robes with trembling hands, and hurried toward the door.
"Qing'er…" Li Jun called after her. "Was last night… only because of the aphrodisiac?"
Shen Yuqing paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Don't ever speak of last night again," she said coldly.
Li Jun's lips pressed into a small pout. From her own experience, she could not believe that Shen Yuqing felt nothing for her.
Commander Shen left the imperial study, her hair slightly disheveled and her clothes still in disarray. The palace maids and eunuchs bowed their heads as she passed, though their eyes caught the faint flush on her cheeks. None dared speak, but whispers would soon follow.
After Shen Yuqing left, the Empress's calm and gentle expression faded, replaced by a dark and sullen glare. Her voice cut sharply through the inner room. "Hong Yi!!"
Hong Yi rushed in and dropped to her knees, her face pale.
"Where were you last night? Why didn't you bring my dinner yourself, and instead sent someone else? Were you in collusion with the assassin?"
"Mercy, Your Majesty! Last night I had a stomach ache. After that, I went to the Imperial Clinic to ask for medicine, and Imperial Physician Zhang can testify to this."
"Hmph… very good." The Empress's tone was cold. "Do you realize that last night, you handed my dinner to a fake eunuch?"
Hong Yi froze, eyes wide in shock. She bowed lower still. "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy! I did not know… I truly did not know!" she pleaded.
Before the Empress's anger could erupt further, Eunuch Xiao Diaozi hurried in. "Your Majesty, Captain Wei requests an audience," he announced cautiously, mindful not to provoke her temper further.
"Hong Yi... be reckless again," the Empress said with a dangerously sweet smile, "and I'll marry you off to an old eunuch."
Hong Yi's face went pale as paper. She bowed so quickly her forehead almost hit the floor, then scrambled to her feet and dashed out of the inner room as if chased by a pack of wolves.
Everyone in the palace knew, the Empress was famous for her ruthless and sometimes absurd punishments. And marrying a maid to a eunuch? That was exactly the kind of thing she might actually do.
Li Jun stepped out from her inner room and made her way to the study. Captain Wei was already waiting, kneeling on one knee the moment she entered. "Greetings to Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty," he began, "we cannot keep the gates closed any longer. It will disrupt the palace's daily operations."
"The palace gates will open at the fourth quarter of the Snake Hour," Li Jun ordered. "They will remain open for only one hour, and only the southern gate will be unbarred."
Her eyes darkened. "The assassin, disguised as a eunuch, will attempt to escape through that gate. Do not let him get away. Whoever captures him will be rewarded. But if he escapes… every imperial guard will have their salary cut."
A bead of sweat rolled down Captain Wei's temple. "Yes, Your Majesty."
---
The Empress attended the morning court as usual, seated upon her throne before the ministers arrived. Those who knew her temper well would never dare come late.
"Long live Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live for ten thousand years," they intoned in unison, bowing low.
"Rise, my dear ministers."
"Today, I have two announcements," the Empress declared, her voice resonating through the grand hall. "First, Zhang Yuan, Grand Director of the Imperial Treasury, is hereby promoted to Minister of Revenue."
At once, Zhang Yuan stepped forward from the line of officials. Guided by a eunuch, he moved to the center of the hall and dropped to both knees, bowing low until his forehead touched the floor.
"This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for Your boundless grace," he said.
Li Jun's lips curved into a faint smile as she gave a slight nod.
"Rise," she said. "Zhang Yuan, you must ensure that the Ministry of Revenue remains well-governed and free from corruption."
"I shall devote myself with utmost loyalty and diligence," Zhang Yuan vowed.
He straightened, retreated to his place, and the other ministers offered their congratulations.
"Second…" The court fell silent. "I will open recruitment for female officials and female imperial guards."
The second announcement stirred a wave of murmurs among the ministers.
The conservative Minister of Rites, Dai Jingyuan, stepped forward, his expression stern.
"Your Majesty, I must voice my objection. Recruiting women as imperial officials is against long-standing tradition such a precedent could bring disorder to the court.
For generations, the court has been a place for men to serve the throne, while women fulfill their duties within the inner palace. This division preserves order and stability. To allow women into official ranks is to blur the roles set by our ancestors.
Women, by nature, are not suited for the rigors of military training nor the harsh judgments required in governance. They are raised for gentleness and virtue, not for the battlefield or the imperial court. If women serve as imperial guards, it will weaken our defenses. If they serve as officials, it will disrupt the chain of command, and officers and ministers alike will not know how to work alongside them without breaking propriety."
Li Jun's gaze swept over the court as she raised her hand in disagreement.
"Minister Dai, tradition is merely the choice of those who came before us. We do not live in the same world as a thousand years ago.
You say women are suited only for gentleness and virtue, not for the court. Have you forgotten that the one who now sits upon the Dragon Throne is also a woman? To insult the ability of women is to insult me, the Empress herself. Should I take your words as a challenge to my right to rule?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And you claim women will disrupt the chain of command. I say the true disruption comes from those unwilling to respect ability when they see it. If an officer cannot work beside a woman without breaking propriety, then his discipline is lacking not hers.
Besides, are men inherently better? How about Wen Jiabao, who drowned the treasury in corruption? Does gender shield a man from greed or incompetence?"
Finally, she looked over the assembled ministers. "The Great Qi needs loyalty, skill, and courage not the chains of outdated custom. If a woman can serve as well as a man, I will not turn her away simply because of her gender. The court will open its gates to talent, no matter who brings it."
Dai Jingyuan's lips pressed into a thin line. He could not form a reply and instead lowered his head in silent defeat. Around them, the other ministers exchanged uneasy glances before falling to their knees.
"Your Majesty is wise, long live Your Majesty!" they chorused in unison. Whether from sincerity or fear, their voices filled the grand hall. Dai Jingyuan, bound by court etiquette, reluctantly joined the chorus.
Li Jun did not look at their flattering faces. She knew well that many among them, even as they sang her praises, were cursing her in their hearts. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Dai Jingyuan.
"Minister Dai, I have heard you have a talented daughter. You married her to a noble in a neighboring kingdom, but after her husband's early death, she has been guarding his spirit tablet for years."
Li Jun shook her head. "A woman's life should not be wasted in endless mourning. If she agrees, send word for her to return to Great Qi and meet me. I will make sure she gets a position worthy of her skills."
Inside, Dai Jingyuan burned with anger. To him, Li Jun's words defied the sacred balance of yin and yang that kept the empire in harmony.
He believed Great Qi would one day fall under a ruler who ignored these ancient principles and blurred the order set by Heaven. Yet here, before the throne, he could not speak his mind. All he could do was bow lower, concealing the storm within his heart.