Chapter One
The sky was layered with thick clouds, tinged faintly with gray haze. It was the season when migratory birds flew south, and a cool wind swept through, carrying with it a sharp chill.
The towering imperial palace stood solemn and imposing—vermilion palace walls, golden glazed tiles—radiating an air of grandeur and authority.
Along the long, winding, silent palace path, two figures walked one behind the other without a word. The one in front was a palace attendant leading the way; behind followed a young girl dressed in a lake-blue gown of fine material.
She appeared fifteen or sixteen years of age, with slender shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall, graceful figure. Her brows were elegant, her eyes refined, her complexion fair with a hint of rosy bloom—her beauty striking yet composed. She walked calmly, neither hurried nor slow, following the palace attendant in silence.
Her surname was Ji, her given name Wanqing—the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jingbei's household.
Ji Wanqing lifted her gaze slightly, casting a brief glance at the gray-green figure seven or eight steps ahead. She had already been walking for over half an hour; they should be close to their destination.
She had been summoned by the Empress and was now entering the palace to pay her respects. Palace rules were strict—only high-ranking consorts were permitted to ride in sedan chairs. As a summoned noblewoman, Ji Wanqing had no choice but to walk the entire way.
Fortunately, she was in good physical condition. Otherwise, she would not have been able to finish the journey without panting or flushing.
They turned a corner and walked a little further before arriving at the gates of Kunning Palace. Upon seeing them, the young eunuch on duty hurried inside to announce their arrival.
The guiding palace attendant stopped and turned around. "Eldest Miss Ji, please wait a moment."
Her voice was soft, her movements impeccably proper. Even the curve of her polite smile seemed measured and deliberate. Though courteous and respectful, there was an unmistakable sense of distance.
Ji Wanqing understood this well. The woman's lack of warmth was not personal—it was merely professional habit. She said nothing, only nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
No further words were exchanged. Ji Wanqing lifted her eyes and discreetly surveyed the magnificent palace before her. The main hall spanned nine bays, with vermilion lattice doors and massive lacquered pillars so thick one could not encircle them with both arms. Hanging above the central hall was a plaque with a blue background and red border, bearing three gilded characters written with bold, sweeping strokes:
"Kunning Palace."
It was said to be personally inscribed by the founding emperor himself. This palace was the residence of successive empresses—the mother of the nation.
Ji Wanqing lowered her gaze, concealing the trace of irony flickering in her eyes.
The current mistress of Kunning Palace also bore the surname Ji. By generation, Ji Wanqing should address her as "Aunt."
In the past, when her parents were alive and she was the treasured eldest daughter of the marquis household, she had never once set foot in Kunning Palace. Now, with her parents and elder brother having died young, leaving her an orphan, she had instead received a special summons from Empress Ji.
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Ji Wanqing carried memories from two lifetimes.
In her previous life, she had been a modern woman. After dying in an accident, she was reborn with her memories intact, arriving in this world as a tiny infant.
Her father was the Marquis of Jingbei, who had already inherited his title for several years. Her mother was the marquis's wife, in charge of household affairs. From the moment she was born, Ji Wanqing was a legitimate daughter of noble status, raised in luxury.
She had loving parents, an affectionate elder brother, and a twin sister born at the same time as herself.
The arrival of the twin sisters filled the household with joy. Ji Wanqing's childhood was blissful, growing up protected and cherished by her family.
Unfortunately, happiness was short-lived.
When Ji Wanqing was thirteen, her father went to war accompanied by her brother. Father and son both fell on the battlefield. Her brother, only eighteen, died on the spot. Her father, gravely wounded, was escorted back to the capital but passed away just days later.
Her mother, already delicate in health, was devastated by the loss of husband and son. After half a month of illness, she too passed away.
Their once-happy family of five was shattered overnight. Only Ji Wanqing and her twin sister remained.
Before the sisters had even finished grieving, harsh realities followed one after another.
The Marquis of Jingbei title was hereditary. With her father dead and no surviving sons, the title passed to her uncle. The household changed hands. Though Ji Wanqing and her sister were still legitimate daughters of the marquis family, their status was no longer what it once had been.
Under normal circumstances, the sisters would have faded quietly into obscurity. After completing the three-year mourning period, their uncle would arrange suitable marriages, and their lives would proceed uneventfully.
But just as Ji Wanqing completed her mourning period, she received a summons from the Empress.
This Empress also bore the surname Ji and came from the same clan—she was her father's paternal cousin.
The Ji clan's ancestors had been meritorious officials during the founding of the dynasty. They were ennobled as the Marquis of Linjiang by the founding emperor and granted an ironclad certificate of merit, ensuring perpetual inheritance of the title. By the time of Ji Wanqing's great-grandfather, it had reached the third generation.
Ji Wanqing's great-grandfather had several sons, both legitimate and concubine-born. The eldest legitimate son inherited the Marquis of Linjiang title—this was none other than the current Empress's father.
There was also a capable concubine-born son who joined the army young and achieved outstanding military merit. He was granted the title of Marquis of Jingbei by the late emperor, likewise hereditary. This was Ji Wanqing's grandfather.
One clan, two marquises—at their peak, the Ji family was incomparably illustrious. Legitimate and illegitimate branches alike prospered, their power growing steadily.