In the first year of entering the palace, she was just a Lady of Talents.
In the fifth year of entering the palace, she became a Handsome Fairness.
In the tenth year of entering the palace, she aspired to become the Empress, since it was the only way she could hold onto everything dear to her, never to be taken away.
 She could protect herself, her children, and most importantly, be with him.
This was a path with no retreat; stepping back would be an irreversible calamity.
The bright yellow silk umbrella advanced, and the Emperor's procession slowly entered the city gate. The yellow silk umbrella, the sun-and-moon fan, the purple banner... At that moment, the sunlight dazzled the eyes. Empress Xie's phoenix carriage moved forward along the imperial road, meeting him halfway.

Empress Xie

It was rare for the lady to spend so much time in front of the mirror. Even when she was not pregnant, she did not like to look at herself in the mirror frequently. But tonight was different. She had finished dinner, changed her clothes, combed her hair again, and had been standing in front of the bronze mirror for more than half an hour. She first tied her hair into a bun, then changed her mind and tried a different hairstyle. After a while, she looked at herself in the mirror and said, "Never mind, let it down."


It was so confusing to see her change her mind so many times, unlike her usual self. Qinghe knew that her lady must have something on her mind. She had finished her work for the night, and even if she had to comb her hair three more times, she would do it slowly and calmly. But her lady was getting tired and could not sit here for another hour.


Peach Blossom