Chapter 1

On the day Xie Yu ascended to the throne and conferred the title of Empress upon the woman he had once loved but could not attain.

I went from being his legitimate wife to a palace attendant without a title.

My son also went from being the legitimate heir to a concubine's son.

I was born in the Great Desert, indifferent to power and status, yet I could not tolerate his disregard and mistreatment of my son.

Thus, when Xie Yu named the unborn child in Empress Su's womb as the Crown Prince.

I left Chang'an with Ze'er without looking back.

...

Three days after the conferment, I feared that Ze'er would be hurt and saddened by the strange looks others cast at him.

I did not go to see Xie Yu, nor did I take a single step out of the Bright Moon Palace.

By the fourth day, Xie Yu finally appeared.

"Mann, I conferred Su Wanqing as the Empress only for the sake of the empire. It's absolutely impossible for any personal affection to arise between us. Can you believe me?"

Xie Yu gently held my hand, his expression had grown sharper, yet faintly, I could still see the tenderness of his youth towards me.

My heart wavered slightly, but I still gently pushed away the hand he intended to caress me with.

"Whomever you confer as Empress has nothing to do with me. I just want to know where you place Ze'er."

I didn't expect that my calm questioning would drive Xie Yu to madness.

The gentle and cautious demeanor vanished instantly, and his gaze at me was full of disappointment and reproach.

"Ze'er is my child, why do you speak as if I neglect him, are you trying to paint me as inhumane and unrighteous!"

Looking at Xie Yu's furious expression, my heart sank to the bottom.

When we pledged our lives to each other, Xie Yu made a solemn vow, "I will never fail you in this life, even at the cost of my family and life!"

For that vow, I once spent three whole days in a water dungeon, just to safeguard the stolen defense map.

But now, it seems that the mutual support and warmth of our youth are no match for power and desire.

"Xie Yu..."

I was just about to say something when a panicked palace attendant interrupted, "Your Majesty, something's wrong, the Empress has fainted!"

I recognized her as the personal maid of Empress Su, who had often subtly warned me before.

Before I could speak, Xie Yu had already anxiously risen and rushed towards Fengluan Palace.

The smile on my lips was tinged with bitterness, the maid sneered, "The Empress has a message for Miss Xu, you have been a benefactor by supporting and caring for His Majesty for many years, but if you leverage that gratitude to seek unrightful honors, you should know the consequences, miss."

I deeply agreed, nodding seriously, "Go back and tell the Empress, I have noted her words."

The maid snorted coldly, arrogantly leaving the Bright Moon Palace.

Looking at the square brick walls around me, facing this four-sided cage, it was the first time I had the notion of escaping here.

In the days Xie Yu never set foot in the Bright Moon Palace, Ze'er often nestled by my side.

"Mother, does father no longer want us?"

I smiled and touched his face.

"How could that be? Your father is currently preoccupied with state affairs, so he doesn't have the time."

After saying that, I was stunned for a long time, unsure whether I was deceiving Ze'er or myself.

"Ze'er, would you like to see the place where your mother grew up?"

Perhaps my tone was too heavy, for Ze'er looked at me with a hint of worry.

"Will we come back after that?"

Faced with Ze'er's question, I remained silent for a long time.

Having been away from home for over a decade, I began to immensely miss the bright full moon of the Great Desert.

But recalling the memories between Xie Yu and me, I ultimately couldn't help but soften my heart.

"Wait a little longer, when your father completely no longer needs us, we will leave!"