The Prime Minister's Mansion was quiet that morning, too quiet.
Su Wanqing sat by the window, her slender fingers moving gracefully across the silk embroidery in her lap. She had always preferred moments like this—soft light, still air, and a world outside that seemed far away. She had no grand ambition, no desire for power. A peaceful life, a simple family—that was all she ever wished for.
But peace was never meant for her.
"Miss Wanqing." The maidservant's hurried footsteps broke the silence. She bowed low, her face pale. "An imperial decree has arrived."
Wanqing's hand froze, the needle pricking her finger. A single drop of blood stained the fabric.
Her heart tightened. Imperial decree?
She rose slowly, her long sleeves trailing like water as she made her way to the main hall. There, the eunuch stood with the Emperor's edict in his hands, his voice sharp and commanding as he read it aloud:
"By the Emperor's order, Su Wanqing, daughter of the Previous king , is to enter the palace and serve as a concubine."
The words struck like thunder.
Concubine. Not Consort. Not Noble Lady. Concubine—the lowest rank, little more than decoration in the vast palace.
Wanqing's father bowed with trembling knees, too cowardly to argue. Her brothers remained silent, their heads lowered in fear. Not one voice rose to defend her.
Her elder sister, the Imperial Consort, was the only light she could see in that moment. But even she stood bound by the rules of the harem. How much protection could she offer?
Wanqing lowered her head, her dark eyes calm though her chest ached. She had no choice.
That night, as the lanterns flickered, she stepped into the palace for the first time. The grand gates closed behind her with a finality that sent shivers down her spine.
She had promised herself to stay quiet, unnoticed, just another shadow in the Emperor's world.
But fate had other plans.
The Emperor—cold, distant, a man famed for his iron will—looked at her once. Just once. And in that single glance, something shifted.
He began to visit her chambers, his presence a storm she could neither predict nor avoid. Servants whispered, concubines glared, and yet the truth remained hidden—behind his mask of indifference, the young Emperor's heart had been shaken by her alone.
Wanqing, who wanted nothing more than peace, had become the center of his chaos.
And just when she began to fear what that meant for her future… she closed her eyes and awoke in another world.