Xiao Jinglan · Chat

Location: Hall of Supreme Harmony, Imperial Palace | Time: Spring Imperial Examination Announcement, Midday Imperial Audience The spring radiance shone resplendently, casting a blinding glow over the gilded palace tiles, amidst the solemn and forbidding atmosphere of the ninefold imperial enclosures. In the spring of the thirty-first year of Jinghe, the grand ceremony proclaiming the new imperial scholars came to an end. The civil and military officials stood in their ranks, the hall steeped in dead silence. Having passed the exams at a young age to claim the top honor, Jiang Yanci wore a jasper-green official robe, her slender figure standing poised among the assembled court ministers. Her features were gentle and docile, her demeanor quiet and solitary—like a tranquil spring untainted by the mundane world, looking quiet and utterly out of place amidst the bustling court. Having disguised herself as a man for twenty years, she had tread cautiously and endured at every turn, seeking only to establish herself peacefully and protect her clan. Never did she imagine that achieving top honors on the golden roster would not yield a smooth career in the bureaucracy, but a cage descending straight from the heavens. The air in the hall turned thick and stagnant, stifling to the point of suffocation. A cohort of veteran ministers, led by the Grand Tutor, stepped forward in unison. With lowered hands and bowed bodies, their tone sounded earnest yet was unyielding in every word as they kowtowed, begging for the imperial decree. "Your Majesty, the Grand Princess Protector of the State has reached coming-of-age, yet remains unmarried, which weighs heavily on the hearts of the court and the populace. The top scholar of this examination, Jiang Yanci, is upright in character, unparalleled in talent across the realm, and gentle in observing rites—a match made in heaven for Her Highness!" "We humbly implore Your Majesty to bestow marriage upon the two! To reassure the imperial clan and solidify the foundations of state!" Kowtows resonated one after another, layered upon layers of high-sounding pretexts. Yet everyone in the hall knew full well that this was no attempt at a blissful union; it was a meticulously orchestrated political shackle. Xiao Jinglan possessed peerless talent. In scholarly pursuits, she could outshine the finest minds of the Hanlin Academy; in martial endeavors, she held command over the frontier realms. Holding half of the nation's military power, her momentum as heir apparent had long since revealed its sharp edge. These conservative veteran ministers feared a woman ascending to the pinnacle of power and dreaded the overturning of traditional rites. Thus, under the guise of marriage, they sought to bind her with a match for half a lifetime, cutting off every path she had to vie for the imperial throne. Beside the imperial throne, a scarlet-clad figure stood uniquely apart. Xiao Jinglan was draped in a vermilion court robe, her long hair resembling blazing flames and her red-gold eyes as calm as still waters. Standing beside the Emperor, she looked down upon the hypocritical admonitions of the civil and military officials, her gaze devoid of the slightest ripple. She saw through it all too clearly. She saw the selfish motives of these veteran ministers, saw the purpose behind this scheme, and saw that this abrupt marriage was the sharpest shackle the world could place upon her. Shifting her gaze slightly, she cast her eyes down upon the newly titled Zhuangyuan at the very front of the official ranks. The youth's figure was slender yet upright, standing with bowed head and respectful posture, shoulders slightly stiff. Between those brows hid a trace of sudden bewilderment and panic, clean and untainted by the court's underhanded dealings. This was her first encounter with Jiang Yanci. Complete strangers who had never met, their destinies were now bound together in a single stroke by court politics. Below the dais, Jiang Yanci's heart trembled violently. The roaring pleas of the ministers echoed ceaselessly in her ears, and a sudden chill gripped her chest. She had studied tenaciously for twenty years, hiding her true female identity and walking on thin ice at every step, all to ensure the safety of the Prime Minister's household. Never had she fought for power, nor had she pursued fame and gain, yet in the end, she was reduced to a mere pawn for the court to counterbalance imperial authority. This boundless glory, which seemed a heavenly blessing to others, was an endless abyss to her. Once the imperial betrothal was decreed, her twenty-year secret would hang by a thread every single day. The slightest misstep would mean the annihilation of her entire clan and irreparable doom. Her fingers gripped the hem of her official robe tightly, her knuckles turning white. Yet she dared not make the slightest move, forced to keep her head bowed and let fate sweep her along. Above on the throne, Emperor Jinghe sat in silence, his deep gaze seeing through every scheme of the courtiers. He knew his ministers were wary of his beloved daughter, and he knew this marriage was a deliberate obstacle. Yet the noble clans were influential, traditional rites were difficult to breach, and public opinion surged like a tidal wave. Even with his favoritism toward his only daughter, he could not entirely oppose the entire court. After a long silence, the sovereign's voice fell heavily upon the golden hall, deciding the remainder of their lives. "Granted." "We hereby decree the betrothal of the new Zhuangyuan, Jiang Yanci, to the Grand Princess Protector of the State, Xiao Jinglan. An auspicious date shall be chosen for the grand wedding, to be celebrated by the entire nation." With those words spoken, the matter was settled. The assembled civil and military officials bowed in gratitude, rejoicing together, believing that the imperial princess was finally shackled and the orthodox rites preserved. Only Xiao Jinglan, standing at the side, had a faint, subtle look flicker across her eyes. Looking at the youth below the dais whose face had drained of color and whose frame trembled slightly, a trace of unnoticed pity brushed past her heart. A marriage born of conspiracy; a fate bound by coercion. She had felt nothing but revulsion toward this arranged constraint, yet upon witnessing the youth's gentle, terrified appearance, something stirred quietly within her. From this moment on, the realm became a cage, and the marital bond a restraint. The entanglements of their lives began atop this golden hall, bound by circumstances entirely beyond their control. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the topic direction</choice> <choice id="2">Observe current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the current plot</choice> </choice_group>