But fate is often unkind.
I never imagined that my gentle and mild-mannered elder brother, the Crown Prince, would change so drastically overnight.
His once gentle gaze turned sinister, and his eyes seemed to be filled with ice when he looked at people. He even showed less respect to his father and mother.
Even his tone of voice carried an unfamiliar coldness, and he was more demanding of the palace servants, who would be reprimanded if they were not careful.
Once, when I went to see him at the East Palace, he stared at the tassel of the spear in my hand for a long time.
Suddenly, he said, "Your Highness should go to the martial arts training ground less often, lest you learn some crude things and disgrace the royal family."
The disgust in his tone made me take a step back, almost dropping the tassel on my gun.
It wasn't until the Imperial Advisor entered the palace that I learned that my elder brother, the Crown Prince, had been possessed by a wandering ghost named "Shouzhuo," who appeared out of nowhere.
If it weren't for the Imperial Preceptor using secret techniques to suppress Shou Zhuo's evil arts, and King Zhao leading the left and right prime ministers to surround the Eastern Palace and control the faction that Shou Zhuo had secretly cultivated, it would have been for the faction's success.
It is likely that Shouzhuo has already used his status as the crown prince to disrupt the court and shake the foundation of the country.
And the Emperor, in just one night, had many more white hairs at his temples, and even his once straight back seemed to have become a little hunched.
When he looks at me, there's always a heavy look in his eyes that I can't understand.
The day he summoned me to the Imperial Study, he didn't say anything else, only pointing to the enormous landscape painting hanging on the wall.
That painting was completed by a painter from the previous dynasty over three years. The river in the painting was outlined with blue ink, winding like a ribbon.
The mountains are rendered in ochre, with layers upon layers of peaks.
Even the small city was clearly marked, and the flags on the city walls were painted lifelike.
He gently traced the rivers and mountains on the map with his finger, from the capital all the way to Yanmen Pass on the border, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded.
"Yuanhe, someone has to shoulder this responsibility." His gaze towards me held a newfound solemnity and expectation he had never shown before.
It was like a heavy burden being gently placed on my shoulders—making it hard for me to breathe, yet also inexplicably stirring a strange flutter in my heart.
It's as if something long dormant is slowly awakening in my heart.
It was at that time that I met King Jinrui Zhao alone for the first time.
Not in the noisy training ground, not in the solemn military camp, but in my Yong'an Palace.
There was no strong ambergris in the hall; instead, there was a small bronze incense burner by the window, burning some dried pine needles. Pale blue smoke rose slowly, carrying a faint scent of pine needles.
That was the scent that King Zhao often carried. She had said that pine needles could withstand wind and snow, endure severe cold, and remain green even in the coldest winter.
She was still wearing that black soft armor, the animal patterns on the plates gleaming with a subdued light under the warm yellow lamp. Although the edges were somewhat worn, they only made her look more heroic.
He had lost the sharpness he displayed on the training ground, and his eyes had softened, as if they were imbued with warmth.
She sat on the brocade stool opposite me, her posture still as upright as a pine tree, her fingertips gently caressing the edge of the celadon teacup.
That teacup was the most common style in my palace, white with blue floral patterns, and there was a small chip on the rim, which I accidentally knocked off when I was practicing shooting.
She held it very firmly, without the slightest hint of disdain.
Tiny tea leaves floated in the teacup, swirling gently in the water, releasing a faint aroma of tea. Wisps of steam rose, blurring her features.
But it made her voice even clearer: "Your Highness, royal children are not born to enjoy only glory."
You have the blood of the Ning Dynasty royal family flowing in your veins, so you should bear the responsibility for the country and its people.
You like guns, but guns are not just for practicing in the training ground; they are also for protecting people.
They protect the Emperor and Empress in the palace, and the ordinary people on Zhuque Street who struggle to make a living.
Protect those who, like you, want to make a living through their own abilities, whether they are men or women.
My hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and the warm tea rippled, splashing onto my fingertips, making my heart tighten as well.
My heart was filled with both excitement and panic, like I was holding a rabbit that was running around wildly. My breathing became rapid, and my nose felt a little sore.
Even my personal maid, Wan Cui, didn't know that from the first time I saw her holding a black iron spear, her spear flowers dancing wildly like silver snakes, hiding behind the weapon rack in the martial arts arena...
I secretly liked her and admired her.
I love the way she swings her gun with such grace; the gleaming silver tip traces a beautiful arc in the morning light, and even the wind seems to follow her movements.
It seemed as if all the light in the entire training ground was focused on her, making it impossible for me to look away.
I admire her sense of responsibility in protecting the soldiers. Last winter, the army camp was short of food and supplies, and heavy snow blocked the roads, making it impossible for vehicles to pass.
She personally led a few soldiers, carrying dry rations to the border grain station to urge the delivery of grain. They walked for three days and three nights in knee-deep snow. When they returned, the soles of their boots were worn through and their feet were red and swollen from the cold.
But he smiled and told his soldiers, "Don't worry, the grain carts will arrive tomorrow morning, and we'll be able to have a hot meal," as if his suffering was nothing.
She was like a beam of light piercing through the thick fog, illuminating the path I had wandered aimlessly amidst the rules that "princesses should learn needlework" and "women should not show their faces in public."
This made me realize that Shou Zhuo's words were all nonsense, and that women can also have their own world and their own responsibilities.
What she said at that moment touched the softest spot in my heart.
This deepened my already strong suspicions about Shouzhuo, who had taken over the body of the Crown Prince, and his claims that "women are useless" and "women can only support their husbands and raise children."
But I was still afraid. I was afraid that I had never been involved in court politics and wouldn't even be able to understand the "official documents from the Six Ministries" and "local reports" in the memorials to the emperor.
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