Xiziqing

Crown Prince Yun Chi chose as his consort the youngest daughter of the Hua Family, Hua Yan, and the news shattered the hearts of countless ladies in the Capital City.
It was said: the Crown Prince could write poetry at three, compose essays at seven, debate with the greatest scholars at ten, shoot arrows with precision at twelve, oversee the examinations of all scholars at fifteen, and was regent by the time he was sixteen. He reached the pinnacle in letters, the extreme in martial arts, his looks were world-shaking, and his presence unrivaled.
Hua Yan felt as though a gigantic pie had fallen from the sky, landing squarely on her head.
From then on, was she to compete with the entire world for this man?
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Yun Chi: Standing at the pinnacle of the Azure Clouds, he learned the art of balance, practiced the strategies of an emperor, envisioned the land and skies in his heart. Within the nine-layered royal palace, he could turn his hands to clouds and his palms to rain, holding sway over the court and the nation, trimming himself into a figure free from desire and henceforth unyielding.
Hua Yan: She viewed herself as beneath the dust, with all her emotions and desires, disliking the Son of Heaven's court, preferring the ordinary alleys, treading on ten feet of soft red and experiencing all facets of life. She believed that nothing was better than green mountains and clear waters. "If you promise me a lifetime, I will accompany you for an eternity."

Schemes Of A Flower

The Emperor, upon hearing Yun Chi's response that Hua Yan could attend the imperial banquet, was overjoyed and issued a decree that officials of the fifth rank and above, along with their families, were all permitted to enter the palace for the feast.


The Empress Dowager, learning that Hua Yan could come to the palace, was also very pleased. Since her last visit to see Hua Yan at the Eastern Palace, she hadn't seen her again. Yun Chi had been preventing it, leaving her no choice but to send Momo Zhou to the Eastern Palace every so often to inquire about Hua Yan's condition.


Yun Chi's three elder brothers had all married earlier, and they already had children. But neither the Emperor nor the Empress Dowager was as eagerly awaiting descendants from anyone as much as from Yun Chi. In their hearts, a grandchild from him was the true golden grandchild they desired, the future heir to the throne of Nanchu.


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