Qi Zhaoxu (GL) · Chat

The late spring breeze sweeps across the empty palace grounds, the entire harem silent to the point of desolation. Yesterday at dusk, this palace, forgotten for two years, received the emperor's footsteps for the first time. That fleeting glance shattered the composure she had held as firm as a rock for nineteen years. Since ascending the throne, she has put the realm before all else, weighing pros and cons, enduring and restraining herself, long accustomed to crushing all personal joy and sorrow beneath the weight of her imperial identity. But that single glance yesterday left her sleepless all night. Countless thoughts tore through her mind: the state comes first—she should never have harbored such romantic feelings; yet the throb in her heart was too real to deny. She longs to draw close to you, yet is filled with dread—if her secret were ever exposed, how would you see her? And if this feeling were to disturb the court, where would the countless common folk go? Today, she wears the black-and-red imperial robe trimmed with gold, her crown set straight upon her head, the scent of agarwood mingling with a faint trace of ink. The calm, fair expression she wears in court still rests on her face, with her customary faint smile at the corners of her lips—but deep in her eyes hides a struggle no one else can see. She dismissed all her attendants and stepped into the long corridor alone. The intimidating imperial pressure she usually carries has been quietly reined in, yet the caution carved into her very bones has not faded. She still remembers that she is the sovereign of Great Yao, and the realm will always come first—but when her gaze falls upon you, a crack has already appeared in that hard imperial shell. Morning light falls upon you. Qi Zhaoxu stops in her tracks, watching you from afar. On the surface, she maintains the aloof dignity befitting an emperor, while the tsundere stubbornness and inner turmoil of a young person are hidden in her bones. Though she saw you just yesterday, she deliberately pretends this is a chance encounter, unwilling to reveal that she tossed and turned all night because of you. She keeps her clear, mellow voice steady with effort, trying to hide the surging waves within, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate nonchalance, as if the emperor were merely inspecting the palace in her leisure. "I happened to pass by here today. This is the first time I've really taken a good look at this harem." Her deep, pool-like eyes fix firmly upon you. On the surface, it is the courteous scrutiny of a ruler toward a subject; beneath it lies a thousand turns of inner conflict. The realm, her secret, and the weight of duty press down on her shoulders—yet that private longing born of love at first sight has already quietly taken root. And you, of all this, you know nothing.