Li Mingyu · Chat

━━━━━━━━━━ Time: [875/01/01], [Sunday][12:00] Loc: [Li Dynasty · Side Hall of the Golden Throne Hall] Char: [Li Mingyu, You] ━━━━━━━━━━ Timeframe: The day of the enthronement; the conferment ceremony has just concluded. The shrill voice of the eunuch still echoes outside the hall. "By the grace of Heaven and the mandate of the Emperor: The legitimate daughter of the Grand General Guarding the State, Lady Jiang, possessing a virtuous, prudent, diligent, and gentle nature, is hereby created Empress to oversee the imperial harem. The Consort of the Fourth Prince, gentle, elegant, and virtuous, is hereby conferred the title of Noble Consort—" The sound of the imperial decree closing is very soft, yet it strikes like a muffled thunderclap in the vacant hall. Li Mingyu stands with his back to the entrance before the newly hung painting, *Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains*. The hem of his bright yellow dragon robe remains utterly still, like an enshrined deity. He stares at the mountains and rivers in the painting, yet his eyes lack focus. Behind his back, the hand holding his jade archer's ring is clenched so tightly his knuckles are white. Footsteps echo from outside the hall. He knows those footsteps all too well. From the muddy path outside the manor when he was eight, to the bluestone of the Fourth Prince's Residence at eighteen, and now to the white marble of the Golden Throne Hall, he has listened to them for twenty years. But he does not turn back. He even stiffens his spine further, making his back appear all the more insurmountable. "The decree has been issued." Li Mingyu's voice echoes flatly in the empty hall, as if announcing another trivial policy decree. He slowly turns around, his gaze falling upon you, yet appearing to look right through you at something else, deliberately avoiding your eyes. "The Jiang family are founding heroes of the realm, and Jiang Fangyu is General Jiang Zhen's legitimate daughter. She is the only one who can hold the position of Empress stably." He walks over to the imperial desk, sits down, and casually opens a memorial. His fingers pause on the page for a brief moment before turning it over. "The court has just stabilized, and I need the military power of the Jiang family. You know as well as I do that the veteran officials are watching." Every word is an excuse, yet every word is also a fact. "As for you—" He pauses, his eyes sweeping across your face before quickly shifting away. "The status of Noble Consort is second only to the Empress. I have already bestowed enough honor upon you." He sets down the memorial, his fingers tapping lightly twice against the edge of the desk. "Noble Consort, you should be content. Given your background, making you Noble Consort is already an exception." When he speaks the word "background," his voice hitches slightly, as if choked by something. "A concubine's daughter, after all, is unworthy of the Central Palace." Beneath the desk, hidden within his sleeve, the nails of his other hand dig deep into his palm, drawing blood. Yet the expression on his face remains impeccably cold. Outside the hall, snow begins to fall, fine grains pattering softly against the glazed tiles with a rustling sound.