The Beginning of Lu Xuan Jun's Journey
The imperial palace of Changxuan, with its soaring golden rooftops and labyrinthine halls, was a world of both wonder and cruelty for a child. It was here that Lu Xuan Jun, the eldest son of Emperor Lu Shaofeng, and his only child with Consort Qi Yuzhu of the West Palace, took his first steps toward his destiny.
From the moment of his birth, Xuan Jun was marked by both privilege and peril. The son of an Emperor was a symbol of continuity, but he was also a potential threat to those who sought to shape the future of the empire. For his mother, Consort Qi, his birth was a victory—a chance to rise above her rivals in the harem and secure a lasting place in the imperial court.
Yuzhu, however, was not the Empress. As a consort from the West Palace, her position was tenuous, her influence limited. The Empress, De Wanying, watched the boy with Guarded eyes, knowing that his existence complicated the balance of power within the palace.
It was also a world of secrets and danger. Lu Xuan Jun, the eldest and only son of the emperor, was destined to one day rule the imperial palace. But first, he had to prove himself worthy of the throne.
A Sheltered Childhood
In his earliest years, Xuan Jun lived in the West Palace, surrounded by silken cushions, gilded screens, and the constant vigilance of eunuchs and maids. His days are filled with lessons in calligraphy, poetry, and the classics, overseen by tutors who spoke in low tones of the responsibilities he would one day bear.
For all its grandeur, the palace was a lonely place for a boy. His mother, through fiercely protective, was often preoccupied with maintaining her own standing in the harem. She drilled into him the importance of composure and restraint, warning him of the dangers posed by those who might wish him harm.
"You are the Emperor's only son," she would say, her tone both proud and anxious. "But that makes you a target as much as a blessing. Trust no one but yourself."
Xuan Jun took her words to heart. While other children might have found solace in playmates or mentors, he learned to rely on his own instincts. He watched, listened, and absorbed the nuances of palace life, growing acutely aware of the undercurrents of power that shaped every interaction.
The Shadow of the Empress
The boy's relationship with Empress De was fraught with unspoken tensions. Wanying, childless herself, had little affection for the son of a rival. Yet she understood that Xuan Jun was the future of the dynasty and treated him with a calculated mix of kindness and distance.
During formal occasions, she would pat his head and smile, offering words of encouragement that felt hollow even to his young ears. Behind closed doors, however, her influence was evident. The tutors who oversaw his education were chosen by her, their teachings imbued with a subtle bias towards loyalty to the Empress and her ideals.
Xuan Jun resented the Empress's control but was careful never to show it. Instead, he played the part of the obedient student, excelling in his studies and earning the approval of his elders.
The Turning Point
Everything changed when Xuan Jun turned ten. A seemingly innocuous incident—a spilled cup of tea during a formal banquet—revealed to him the fragility of his position.
The banquet was a grand affair, held in honour of a visiting delegation from the northern provinces. Xuan Jun, seated beside his mother, reached for his tea and accidentally tipped the cup, its contents spilling onto the tablecloth.
The room felt silent, the air thick with tension. The Empress's gaze hardened, and Consort Qi paled, her hands trembling in her lap.
"It seems the young prince has yet to learn the grace befitting his station," the Empress said, her tone light but cutting.
The humiliation was subtle but searing. Xuan Jun's cheeks burned as laughter rippled through the room, his mother's mortified silence amplifying his shame.
That night, he vowed never to be humiliated again.
A Calculated Adolescence
As Xuan Jun grew older, his innocence gave way to a sharper, more calculating demeanour. He threw himself into his studies, mastering the art of rhetoric, strategy, and diplomacy. He became adept at reading people, discerning their motives with a precision that unnerved even his tutors.
His relationship with his mother evolved as well. Consort Qi, recognising the ambition simmering beneath her son's calm exterior, began to encourage his rise. She introduced him to key allies in the court, teaching him how to navigate the complex web of loyalties and rivalries that defined imperial politics.
"Strength is not always in the sword, my son," she would say. "It is in knowing when to strike and when to wait."
Xuan Jun took her lessons to heart, honing his skills in subtle manipulation. He cultivated relationships with the ministers and generals who visited the palace, charming them with his intelligence and poise. Even the Emperor began to take notice, summoning his son to private audiences to discuss matters of state.
A Growing Divide
While Xuan Jun's influence grew, so too did the resentment of those who saw him as a threat. The Empress, wary of his rising power, sought to limit his reach by promoting her own allies within the court. She arranged for her confidantes, such as Grand Chancellor Li Heng, to mentor him, hoping to mould him into a tool of her faction.
But Xuan Jun was not easily controlled. He played along, feigning deference while quietly building his own network of supporters. He forged alliances with the military faction, cultivating the favour of General Wei Jinrong and Commander Xu Da. His keen interest in military strategy won him the admiration of the generals, who began to see him as a potential leader.
This alliance, however, put him at odds with the civilian faction led by Li Heng. The chancellor's veiled criticisms of the prince's "reckless ambitions" only fuelled Xuan Jun's determination to assert his independence.
A Test of Loyalty
The ultimate test of Xuan Jun's resolve came when he was sixteen. A minor rebellion erupted in the southern provinces, led by a very disgruntled noble who claimed to have been wronged by the imperial court. The Emperor, seeking to demonstrate his son's readiness for leadership, tasked Xuan Jun with mediating the conflict.
Accompanied by a small retinue of advisors and guards, Xuan Jun travelled to the southern capital. The journey was fraught with danger, as the rebels controlled much of the surrounding territory. Yet the prince remained calm, his demeanour earning the respect of his entourage.
Upon arriving, he met with the rebel leader in a tense negotiation that lasted for days. Through a combination of diplomacy and calculated threats, Xuan Jun managed to broker a truce, securing the noble's loyalty while preserving the Emperor's authority.
When he returned to the palace, his triumph was met with a mix of admiration and unease. The Emperor praised his son's wisdom, but the court murmured about the prince's growing influence. Xuan Jun was aware of the court's whispers and chose to remain silent. He focused on his duties and continued his negotiations, determined to bring peace to the land.
Xuan Jun himself was proud of his accomplishment, but he also knew that his success had come with a price. He was determined to prove himself worthy of the Emperor's trust, but he knew he had to use caution and diplomacy to maintain his place in the court.
Lu Xuan Jun, Prince Jian of the First Rank
By the age of twenty, Lu Xuan Jun had become a force to be reckoned with. His once-innocent gaze had hardened into a penetrating stare, his words measured and deliberate. He was a master of appearances, his every action calculated to further his ambitions.
To his allies, he was a beacon of hope—a young leader who could guide the empire into a new era of strength and prosperity.
To his rivals, he was a dangerous usurper, a reminder of the precarious balance of power in the imperial court.
He was careful to maintain an air of secrecy, never revealing his true intentions or ambitions. He waited, biding his time until his moment to strike arrived. He was a man who could inspire and intimidate, all at once. He was determined to seize the throne and reshape the empire in his own image.
Yet beneath his polished exterior lay a young man still shaped by the scars of his childhood. His distrust of others, forged in the crucible of palace intrigue, made him wary of even his closest confidantes. His bond with his mother remained strong, but he was keenly aware of her own ambitions, her love tempered by the demands of survival.
He steeled himself for the challenges ahead and set his sights on becoming the most powerful man in the Great Yin. He had to be ruthless, calculating, and cunning if he wanted to succeed. He would not let anything stand in his way. He had endured, and he would continue to do so. He would not be deterred by obstacles or challenges. He would be crowned emperor, and he would become the master of his own destiny. He would stay the course no matter what. He was destined to succeed. Nothing could stop him from achieving his goal.
As he stood on the precipice of adulthood, Lu Xuan Jun knew that his journey was far from over. The crown was not yet his, but he would stop at nothing to claim it. For in the unforgiving world of the imperial palace, only the strongest could endure—and Xuan Jun had vowed long ago never to be weak again.