"My son, in order to strengthen your royal authority you will need power, armed forces and the love of the people."
These might have been the wisest words that his mother, Empress Yū Miko used to hammer in his mind since the day he was born.
In his early childhood Taizong didn't understand completely how these words would entailed on him.
Now, on his twenty-ninth year, on the day of his coronation, those exact same words resonated unambiguously in his ears.
When the tall doors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony opened wide and revealed the majestic throne, his heart leapt firstly with a feeling of completion—he had power, armed forces and the love of the people.
He had eyed this desirable Dragon Throne with much determination; and to get it he used deceit and turned a blind eye to bloodshed. Having thus established himself as the new Emperor, he didn't expect his heart to suddenly betray him.
In truth, with every stride bringing him closer to the throne, the satisfaction of the thing obtained gradually disappeared. And no sooner did he firmly sit on the throne than he started to look on it with uncertainty.
He desired what was denied to him, that which belonged to another, and it was finally obtained. So why did his heart feel restless and discontented?
His imperial life had imposed agonising choices upon him, and he dealt with those choices by giving his soul to wickedness.
Taizong immediately started to wonder whether or not his ambition and jealousy justified his actions to seize the throne. Why did he have no commitment to do what is right instead, when he knew that things would go wrong? Why was he willing to sacrifice his conscience to attain what he wanted?
Was it really his decision to desire what didn't belong to him and to do whatever was necessary to have it? Or was it because he had become what his mother made him?
His heart attacked him with so many questions while he was going through the motions of his coronation. He struggled, finding reasons or rather, making excuses for his deeds.
Then the Chancellor read the Emperor's second edict announcing his union with the virtuous daughter of General Yun Hishoku.
To acknowledge their engagement before the court, Taizong bestowed upon her the dragon jade waist-pendant and the royal insignia white jade ring. As he slid the ring on Emika's finger, Empress Dowager Yū Miko had raised her eyebrow and shot an ambiguous gaze at the future empress, and perhaps she herself didn't notice it, but her sharp stare did not appear friendly.
Emika smiled respectfully, and lowered her head away, leaving this icy gaze she pretended she didn't see. She noticed Taizong looking at his mother, and the expression of worry on his face was as if seeing her piercing cold gaze was unexpected yet also within his expectation.
The big hand wrapped around her small hand had stiffened and it caused Emika to feel pain slowly rising as the ring was being crushed between her dainty fingers. His nails had even sunk into her soft skin.
She unconsciously shot a look at the Empress, and saw that the corners of her lips seemed strangely reluctant to curl upwards into a smile, staring at the both of them with a complex look on her face.
The Chancellor wrapped both of them with the ceremonial gold-feather cloack. Cloacked in the splendour of the sun, they regaled the guests with the news of their engagement, and the hall resonated with celebratory voices and applause.
Taizong said in his gentlest voice, "Dearest, once we are married, you will be the Empress sitting by my side." Then she followed his glance to the twin throne occupied by his mother. The moment Emika's eyes collided with the other pair of deep black eyes, the Empress expression immediately flickered from alarm to understated friendliness.
Emika bowed her head. For some reason, her heart felt very uneasy.
Next, Empress Yū Miko gave her son a smile, and Taizong smiled back, bowed his head, but somehow there was no warmth in their exchange. Emika saw that the response from his eyes looked as though he was in deep thought, studying his mother.
The pair of mother and son always appeared to be on good terms, so why could she sense a bone-chilling cold between them? Could it be that they had an argument?
It was clear that something had happened.
Then Emika remembered a conversation she had with Taizong about the Empress: "My mother always had a mercurial temperament. But since those tragic events her nerves are so raw that her temperament is even more unpredictable. She flares up at the smallest of things, like her tea being too cold or not hot enough, or the food being too salty or too sweet."
Therefore she thought that something had upset the Empress's fragile disposition prior to the ceremony.
Emika felt rather ashamed of herself when she realised she had not once tried to comfort the Empress, her future mother-in-law and new family.
But Taizong always insisted that she should not demand an audience with the Empress.
Inquiring the reason, he averted her question and simply stated: "If my mother call upon you to visit her privately, you should always send a servant to inform me. And I will decline on your behalf."
"But... but I can never be above her Majesty's royal command. It is punishable!" she refuted, perplexed.
'Was he so worried I might aggravate his mother's health and moods, that he deemed it preferable that I, his fiancée, should receive punishment instead?' She believed it was an excessive display of filial affection and she felt resentful.
"Of course. Dearest, forgive me for I wasn't thinking rightly. Then I will accompany you," he said with a strange expression on his face. Why would he accompany her? And he caressed her face caringly, "So please wait for me before meeting with the Empress. Don't go alone."
'He decidedly doesn't trust me alone with his mother!' Sure, she thought it was endearing how attentive a son he was, but still all this mollycoddling really vexed her.
Nevertheless, she realised that the Empress could evidently not enjoy this celebratory day. She obviously needed time on her own to come to terms with the death of her husband and the cold-blooded betrayal of her stepson, Second Prince Shufeng; but instead she had to face the eyes of the world, putting aside her grief and performing her imperial duties.
Emika decided that after the ceremony she should demand an audience with the Empress and brew her favourite tea. After all, the heartbreak she was herself experiencing because of Shufeng was similar from that of the Empress, therefore she could be a listening ear who is truly empathetic to her sorrow.
And while Emika kowtowed three times and pledged allegiance to the new Emperor, it flashed in her mind that Taizong wouldn't approve—he really didn't want her to visit his mother. 'Seriously, what does he think would happen?'
Resting her slender hand inside Taizong's warm and inviting hand, Emika offered him a loving smile. And her green-emerald eyes shone with the most sincere emotion.
As she traveled along the dark journey of her grief, Taizong was his continuous support. She found solace not just in his words and actions, but also in his company; and in the warmth of his feelings through physical contact, just like this warm hand holding hers tightly.
In this moment, Empress Yū Miko looked down coldly at the woman who had stolen her son's heart, clenching her hands around the armchairs. And as Taizong kissed the future empress's hand, his mother's stern face looked even more emotionless and dangerous.
She had warned him that this woman was only the sword to strike back at all those fools telling her: "You are a woman, and women don't need achievements in the same way men do."
And now, she delighted over her achievements. As long as her and her son's power was secure, the bloodstain on their hands couldn't harm them.
She had taken the crown to give it to her son, but she alone would be the most suited to act as the Emperor.
The person in authority wasn't the one with the power. And she would guard her power fiercely.
She glared at the future empress—the Great Empress Dowager Yū Miko would indeed not allow anyone to have the chance to topper her!
Emika was an innocent soul unaware that her fate was completely intertwined with the history of Yū Miko's life.
And would that same history repeat itself from twenty-six years past?