In the winter of the third year of Jingzheng, within the Dayong Dynasty, the capital lay buried beneath snow. Before dawn, the sky was still pitch-black. A biting wind howled outside the palace windows, carrying flurries of snow that danced wildly through the air. Inside the imperial hall, however, the charcoal braziers burned brightly, filling the vast space with warmth and flickering light.
"Your Majesty… Your Majesty, please wake up."..., The soft but urgent voice of Chief Eunuch Wang Jun echoed beside the dragon bed.
"Your Majesty, it is time."..On the bed draped with golden curtains, Xu Ming stirred. His brows knit slightly as he slowly opened his eyes, still heavy with sleep.
"Wang Jun…" Xu Ming said lazily, his voice calm and low. "What time is it now?"
"Your Majesty," Wang Jun replied respectfully, bowing slightly, "it is Yin hour. There are two quarters of an hour left before Mao hour."
Seeing that the emperor was awake, Wang Jun raised his hand. At once, two eunuchs and two palace maids stepped forward, carefully lifting the bed curtains.The Dayong Dynasty held court once every five days, and the morning court always began at Mao hour before sunrise.
"Come," Xu Ming said as he sat up. "Help me dress."
"Yes, Your Majesty."..., The four palace maids answered in unison. With practiced precision, they helped Xu Ming wash and dress. He was fitted with a dark imperial robe embroidered with coiling dragons and auspicious clouds, its fabric heavy and dignified. Afterward, the Nine-Dragon Crown was placed carefully upon his head.
Outside, the winter wind cut like knives.
Xu Ming held a black sleeve stove engraved with dragon patterns in his hand as he boarded the imperial dragon chariot. Surrounded by guards and attendants, he rode steadily toward the main hall to attend court.
Xu Ming was the third emperor of the Dayong Dynasty. His great-grandfather, Xu He,known posthumously as Emperor Rui was the founding emperor of Dayong.
The dynasty before Dayong had fallen into decay. Its ruler was incompetent, indulged treacherous ministers, and ignored the suffering of the people. Corruption spread, rebellions erupted, and the empire collapsed amidst chaos. Heroes rose from every corner of the land.
Emperor Rui seized that turbulent era. Through relentless campaigns and iron resolve, he unified the realm and founded the glorious Dayong Dynasty. He and his first wife, Empress Chen, had known each other since youth and shared a deep bond. Together, they had one son and one daughter, the eldest son, Xu Yi, and the eldest daughter, Princess Xu Man of Jin.
Rui placed immense expectations upon his eldest son, Xu Yi. Xu Yi was benevolent and compassionate, yet firm and decisive a ruler worthy of the throne.
However, Xu Yi possessed a fatal flaw as crown prince.
He was nearly forty years old, yet he had no sons only four daughters. Although Emperor Rui repeatedly expressed his unwavering support for Xu Yi and refused to allow anyone to challenge his position, the lack of an heir caused unrest throughout the court. Secret doubts spread among officials and nobles alike.
To suppress these wavering hearts, Emperor Rui launched several bloody purges, ruthlessly eliminating dissent both within and outside the court. Though he stabilized the dynasty, the fundamental problem remained ,Xu Yi had no successor.
This predicament was only broken with the birth of Xu Ming , When Xu Ming was still an infant, Emperor Rui personally named him Crown Prince. His biological mother, originally a low-ranking concubine, was promoted to the position of Crown Princess Consort.
Favored by his grandfather, Xu Ming's path was smooth. He served as Crown Prince for nineteen years and nine months.
At the age of twenty, he formally ascended the throne.
Yet his reign did not begin peacefully.
Three years ago, his father, Emperor Xu Yi, who had ruled for only nine months, suddenly passed away. Xu Ming ascended the throne before his father's coffin, dressed in mourning robes.
Almost immediately, he faced his first great trial, the Rebellion of the King of Wu.
The King of Wu, Xu Hao, was Emperor Rui's second son. Born to a palace maid, he had been deeply disliked by Rui from birth. His name carried the meaning of "error" or "mistake," reflecting Rui's disdain.
Rui had given him a title but cast him aside, leaving him to be raised by eunuchs and palace maids in the depths of the palace. Even during the long years when Xu Yi had no heir, Rui never once considered this second son.
It was only after Xu Yi ascended the throne that Xu Hao was conferred the title of King of Wu. When Xu Ming inherited the throne, Xu Hao seized the opportunity to rebel.
Xu Ming crushed the rebellion with ruthless efficiency. Using the chaos as justification, he purged remnants of the old court, eliminated opposing factions, and seized full control of the dynasty.
From that moment on, Xu Ming became a ruler with absolute authority.Now, in the winter of the third year of Jingzheng, another issue weighed heavily on the court,The empress had yet to be chosen.
At present, there were only three women in the harem: Concubine Yi, Concubine Rou, and Concubine Ying.
This unusual situation stemmed from past complications.
While Emperor Rui was still alive, he had selected a proper wife for Xu Ming. However, before she could enter the palace, her father passed away, forcing her to observe filial mourning.
Before that mourning ended, Emperor Rui himself died, Not long after, the woman caught a serious illness and passed away, almost simultaneously with Emperor Xu Yi.By then, Xu Ming had already ascended the throne.
According to tradition, an emperor should shorten his mourning period, replacing months with days. Yet Xu Ming refused. He insisted on observing the full three-year mourning period, twenty-seven months declaring that Dayong ruled the world through filial piety and that the ruler must set an example.
Thus, the matter of establishing an empress was delayed again and again.Now, the mourning period had finally ended.
The harem remained sparsely populated, and both court officials and the common people were restless.
At last, they could openly and legitimately urge the emperor to select consorts and establish an empress. As the dragon chariot rolled forward through the snow-covered palace grounds, Xu Ming's gaze remained calm and unreadable.
The storm outside had yet to reach its end.
" An empress "..., Xu ming murmured as he felt an headache brewing already.