In the Tian Empire, there was a prominent visitor. Despite being one of the strongest eastern nations in the world, the Tian Empire could not contend with the Western Empire whether it be military power or economic status. They were afraid of offending this hidden dragon, therefore, the Emperor decided to open a trade route with the Western Empire in hopes of gaining the Western Empress' favor. But what he really wanted was to establish a connection with the Western Empress' son, the prince and sole heir of the Western Empire. Over nine months ago, he had been rejoicing at the prince's prolonged disappearance due to an assassination attempt. He hoped for nothing more than the prince to die, preferably in agony. The Empress was too old to give birth again, and the royal family had no extended family to take the reins if the Empress were to die. The Empress' harem was mere decoration. No matter how much magic advanced, men were incapable of giving birth. But to his disappointment, the prince had reappeared unharmed. Since he was alive, it wouldn't hurt for the Emperor to make a connection with him. With the Western Empire as their backers, none of the other empires would dare cause trouble or slight him.
The prince was accompanied by his grand entourage. The commotion was so great that the citizens stopped and stared. The prince was mounted upon a grand black stallion with a leisurely smile at the corner of his lips; he was followed by at least twelve carriages and at least fifty guards. The prince was quite handsome. Even the Emperor, who was fairly young and handsome himself, could not compare. The prince had the dark tanned skin characteristic of people in the west and the demeanor of the scholars from the East. It was rumored that the people of the west were barbaric and uncultured, only suited to fight in wars and cause bloodshed and destruction. The prince's appearance had disproven this statement. The entourage was organized and orderly, a stark contrast to the rumored disorderliness of the people of the Western Empire. While he didn't meet the standard of the aesthetics of the women of the Tian Empire, he had a strong build and deep and dark eyes that made their hearts skip a beat as his eyes raked through the crowds in a wild yet somehow seductive manner. He was both untamed and free while also displaying the manner befitting of his status.
The prince and his party made their way to the Imperial Palaces, and the eunuch loudly informed the Emperor of his presence. At the news of this highly anticipated guest, the Emperor ordered all of his concubines and consorts to sit in the main hall. The Empress sat to his right, and the consorts and concubines sat according to their ranks. Even Consort Yan was permitted to attend. The Emperor had specially ordered for the servants to dress her in fine silks; he cared for his face the most. If it were rumored that he had a disharmonious household and didn't treat his wives and concubines well, many kingdoms would look down on him.
The servants stood at the corners of the main hall, attentive and ready to serve this distinguished guest. If they were to make even a single mistake, it would cost them their heads. Rather than a prince, it seemed as if the Empire was receiving an Emperor. Anyone could tell that the Emperor was sucking up to the Western Empire and fishing for benefits. At his side, the Empress' face was slightly pale. While she was the most powerful woman in the Tian Empire, she couldn't be compared to a measly prince. Even her husband was sucking up to him. What was so special about him?
What was special about him? From a young age he had learned from his mother, the Empress, and firmly seized power in the courts. While he was only titled as the unofficial heir apparent because the ceremony had been postponed, he was the dream man of many officials' daughters. Unlike most people in power, his courtyards were clean and devoid of women. If a woman were to marry into the house in the future, she would surely live comfortably. On top of this, the prince's relationship with the officials was solid. He was unlikely to marry for political purposes, and in the Western Kingdom, the laws were more lax compared to the Tian Empire. Even a woman of a lowly background had the potential to become his main wife. He already held the power of the world in his hands. His power was enough to support his future wife. It could be said that he had the power to chase after love.
The prince slowly walked into the main hall and took it all in. The Tian Empire favored splendor and elegance while the Western Empire favored simplicity. This was also reflected in the people. The people of the Tian Empire were often more cunning and manipulative, often scheming meticulously and ruthlessly to reach their goals. But the people of the Western Empire were more straightforward and easygoing. As the most powerful Empire in the world, they rarely resorted to petty tricks. They believed that in the face of absolute power, all tricks were meaningless. However, this did not mean that they were incapable of scheming, just that they chose to fight in the light while their enemies fought in the dark. As the heir to the throne, the prince was far more intelligent compared to his peers. He was groomed from young to be the perfect future ruler; he knew better than anyone else that the weight of the crown was not light. He particularly liked this principle of his people; it could even be said that he looked down upon those who were unscrupulous to reach their goals. Once you lost your bottom line, you would have lost your right to contend for power righteously. While there was infighting between the officials of the Western Empire, it was never taken too far. But he could tell that despite being a world power themselves, the people of the Tian Empire had no pride in front of the strong. Instead of building their own power, they tried to appease him and gain the Western Empire as a backer. It was no wonder why the Tian Empire had remained the same for the past couple of years without progressing even an inch.
The Emperor looked down at the prince from his magnificent jade throne. It was a shade of lustrous green, and clearly expensive. The Emperor himself donned gold robes with embroidered dragon claws as if eager to show his status to the whole world. Once in a while an indecipherable emotion flitted across his eyes; while others may not understand what that emotion meant, the prince understood perfectly. It was greed. The Empress sat next to the Emperor. She wore a heavy jade crown and red robes embroidered with phoenixes. In some ways the Emperor and Empress were alike: they both felt the need to flaunt their wealth and status to the world. The hundred consorts and concubines sat below the Emperor and Empress and silently faded into the background. As the prince's eyes trailed through them, he caught sight of a blindfolded consort. She was dressed in fine lavender silks and was obviously pregnant. At the sight of her, the prince's eyes flashed, but except for a spare few from his entourage, no one else caught it.
"This prince greets Emperor Tian." The prince cupped his hands and politely greeted the Emperor. He had no obligation to bow as he wasn't a citizen of this country; however, the prince didn't even bother to feign respect towards the Emperor. Anyone who saw him would know that he didn't even place the Emperor in his eyes, as if the Emperor wasn't even worthy of a feigned respect. On the jade throne, the Emperor's fists clenched the armrests. All his life, he had never been disrespected this way. Like the prince, he was an only child and the only heir of the Tian Empire. He had been spoiled and doted upon since young. Who would dare to slight him?
The Emperor barely managed to maintain a facade of calm; he could tell that the prince was provoking him on purpose. While his motive wasn't clear, the Emperor knew that if he were to lose his temper, it would cause quite the inconvenience. "Welcome to Tian Empire, I hope that the journey was comfortable."
The prince's brow raised slightly. He was only messing with the Emperor, yet he could sense that the Emperor was secretly seething with rage. Was this really the Emperor of one of the most powerful nations in the world? If he were to lose his calm like that due to a petty trick, his mother would throw him out into the woods as a meal for the wolves. She had raised him quite strictly and would never allow him to lose his calm so easily. How could the prince know that the Emperor was raised like he was the most precious diamond in the world? His parents would never treat him harshly and held him in the palms of their hands. Due to this, the Emperor grew up quite arrogant and had the authority, even as a prince, to punish people severely if they dared to slight him even in the least. As a result, many officials protested against his enthronement. If it weren't for his marriage to Empress Shi, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to claim the throne.
Meanwhile, at the sound of the prince's voice, Consort Yan's body shook slightly. She knew that voice better than she knew herself. That voice was one she had heard countless times in her dreams. It was the voice of her lover. It was strange, her lover was a mere merchant who traveled to the East in search of new and unusual products. They had met while she was running an errand and she had been enamored by the deep baritone of his voice, she had a bit of a voice fetish; she kept on appearing at his place of work until he noticed her and they became friends. Eventually, this friendship turned into love. They had just gotten engaged when he disappeared around ten months ago. Around two months later, the Emperor framed her and forced her to become a consort and around seven months ago, she had slept with a mysterious man who she presumed to be the Emperor.
Her lover had always been so secretive, so she always had an inkling that there was more to his identity, but she never imagined that he would be the prince of the Western Empire. What did the heir of the most powerful empire see in a lowborn girl such as herself? He could have any girl in the world, yet he chose her, a blind girl. It didn't make any sense. She listened as the servant led him to his seat, the sound of his confident footsteps were so familiar yet foreign at the same time. Before, she had always anticipated the sound of his footsteps, but now that she had heard them again, their positions were thousands of worlds apart. Would he still be willing to take her hand? She didn't believe so. She had already been sullied and was pregnant. What man would be willing to raise another man's child? And even if he was willing, would the Emperor be willing? In the eyes of the world, she was carrying his first child, and on the other hand, she had disrespected him. How could such a proud man let her off? He had ordered for an entire group of servants to be flogged half to death for the offense of one servant dropping a teacup. Unless he chained her in the palace for the rest of her life, he would never be satisfied. The only thing that protected her from his unfiltered rage was her empty title and the child in her stomach. Once the child was born, her life would be worse than hell. She shuddered just thinking about it.