Xu Lianhua's POV
Someone was shaking me.
The bride must stand.
My eyes cracked open to blinding light. Hands pulled me upright. Through the red veil, everything blurred candles, faces, gold and red everywhere.
The wedding. Oh gods, the wedding.
Kneel.
My knees hit stone. Pain shot through me but the drug made everything distant, unreal.
Through the veil, I saw him. Tall. Dressed in black and gold. The Emperor.
Terror cut through the fog.
Drink. Ceremonial wine burned down my throat.
Sign here. A brush was pushed into my hand. Someone guided it across paper. My signature. Or Mingzhu's?
The ceremony is complete, a voice announced. The Emperor is wed.
Wed. To a lie. I was going to die.
Hands guided me through endless hallways. Then I was in a chamber of red silk and candlelight. The wedding chamber.
Servants arranged me on a cushion, adjusted my veil, positioned my hands. Making me perfect for my husband.
The Emperor. The man who would kill me when he discovered the truth.
His Majesty approaches.
Footsteps. Steady. Confident. Coming closer.
Servants fled. The door closed. Silence fell except for my thundering heart.
I was alone with the Emperor.
The drug was finally, finally wearing off. Feeling returned to my fingers. My toes. My tongue unstuck from the roof of my mouth.
Just in time to face my execution.
He entered like winter itself cold, absolute, inevitable. Emperor Shen Yuzhi. The man who killed his own uncles for the throne. Who crushed three rebellions. Whose ruthlessness made grown men tremble.
And I'd married him under false pretences.
He stopped three paces away, then lifted my veil.
I stopped breathing.
He was terrifyingly beautiful. Sharp features. Dark eyes that saw everything. Maybe twenty-seven, but ancient in the way powerful men become.
Those eyes scanned my face. Once. Twice.
You're not Xu Mingzhu.
Not a question. A fact delivered in a voice like winter frost.
This was it. The moment I died.
Instead, he spoke quietly to the door. Leave us. Clear this entire wing. No one approaches without my command.
Footsteps retreated. We were alone.
He poured water, brought it to me. Drink. You're still drugged.
I stared at the cup. Was this a trick?
I won't harm you while you're impaired, he said.
My shaking hand lifted the cup. Cold water cleared my head further.
He sat across from me. Not close. Giving me space.
Now. Tell me your name.
Xu Lianhua. My voice cracked.
The illegitimate daughter.
Shame burned through me. Yes.
And Mingzhu is your half-sister. Who was supposed to be here.
Yes. My hands twisted in the robes. But I didn't they drugged me
I know.
I froze. You... know?
You could barely stand. Your pupils were dilated. Someone drugged you. His voice remained emotionless. The question is why.
Because I was worthless to them. Always meant to be thrown away.
But I couldn't make excuses. I'd committed fraud whether I chose to or not.
I understand, I whispered. You'll execute me for this deception. I accept my fate.
Will I? He watched me with cold eyes. The law says fraud against the Emperor is death. Your entire family should die for this insult.
Please they're guilty, but
But you're not. You were a victim.
Hope flared painfully in my chest. Then... you'll let me go?
No.
The hope died.
He stood, walked to the window, his back to me. I'm offering you a choice. One you must make with a clear head.
He turned to face me. Moonlight caught his features.
You can leave. Tonight. I'll give you enough gold to disappear anywhere in the empire. Start a new life far from your family. From this palace. From me. You'll be free.
Everything in me screamed to take it. To run. To escape.
Or? I whispered.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Or you stay. Become my Empress in truth. Not the one they sent, but the one who chooses to be here.
I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Why? The question burst out. Why would you want me? I'm nobody. The illegitimate daughter they threw away
Because, he interrupted, his voice dropping lower, more dangerous, in the six hours since you entered this palace, you've already proven more interesting than anyone expected.
He moved closer. I couldn't breathe.
So choose, Xu Lianhua. Freedom or palace. Safety or uncertainty. Run or stay.
My mind raced. Freedom meant living alone, always hiding. Staying meant... what? Being Empress to a stranger?
But he'd shown me mercy. He'd seen through the drugs and lies and still offered choice.
What happens if I stay? My voice barely worked.
Something flickered in his eyes. Not warmth exactly, but... interest?
If you stay, you'll be Empress in name. I expect discretion and competence. In exchange, you'll have protection, comfort, and freedom most women never know. He paused. We needn't pretend affection.
An arrangement. A business deal. No expectations of love or romance.
It should have stung. Instead, it felt... safe. Honest.
And if I fail? I asked. If I'm not competent enough?
His smile was sharp enough to cut.
That depends entirely on what you're capable of. But something tells me... He studied my face with those penetrating eyes. You've spent your whole life being underestimated. Perhaps it's time someone gave you a chance to prove them all wrong.
The words hit something deep inside me. All my life, I'd been nothing. Invisible. The mistake everyone wished would disappear.
And here was the Emperor the most powerful man in the empire offering me a choice. Seeing something in me that even I didn't know was there.
I thought of my family. Of Lady Pei's cold smile. Of Father walking away. Of Mingzhu's relief as they sent me to die.
They'd thrown me away like garbage.
Maybe it was time to show them exactly how big a mistake that was.
I lifted my chin, meeting the Emperor's dark gaze.
I'll stay.