Chapter 1, The Burning Wedding Dress

From now on, I will no longer hate him and will erase him from my heart

At the moment he turned his head and saw me, Sima Zhong was stunned

The soap-colored crown attire, with a golden hairpin gently inserted into the flowing hair, shimmers with precious light, subtly trembling with each step taken

A heart as calm as still water

The palace where the queen of a nation resides is indeed different, resplendent with gold and jade, luxurious and noble, with all materials being of the finest quality

Even if the road ahead is a path of no return, ablaze with flames, even if the person I marry is a cowardly and foolish emperor over forty years of age, even if the inner palace is fraught with deep waters and raging fire

He has already passed the age of thirty, dressed in a black imperial crown, of considerable height, with a handsome and slender face, possessing the demeanor of an emperor

In the grand hall where officials gathered and palace maids were numerous, I finally saw the emperor who was said to be as dull as a pig.

The trailing hem of the wedding gown, which had dragged on the ground, was extinguished, yet it had charred a large area. Father Yang Xuanzhi was at a loss for what to do and left the decision to Sun Xiu.

There is no emperor more inept and incapable than Sima Zhong. This emperor, who cannot control his own life and fate, is unworthy of me. I, Yang Xianrong, have never desired a man who is powerless and unable to protect even himself

Some say this is an "ominous sign," while others say it is a "good omen," meaning that after I enter the palace and become the empress, it will bring glory to my family and further prosper the Sun and Yang families

The crowd was astonished, and someone whispered softly about how formidable the eldest daughter of the Yang family was

Sun Xiu cast a cold glance over those who spoke ill omens, "The time has come, hurry and get into the sedan chair, lest we miss the auspicious hour"

I have no choice or room for refusal; my life is manipulated by my father and the Yang family. The only thing I can do is to obey

On the night of the wedding, how can I protect myself?

However, his silly smile makes him appear even more foolish and stupid

Ah, it's on fire!" Bi Qian also shouted.

The sedan chair stopped in front of the Zhaoyang Hall, and the accompanying maids, Bihan and Biqian, assisted me into the hall. Following that, seven or eight palace maids served me as I changed my clothes

This is the purpose for which the Sun and Yang families sent me into the palace to marry the puppet emperor as his empress

Ah... ah..." the personal maid Bihan exclaimed sharply

Thus, departing from the residence, boarding the sedan chair, and heading straight to the palace city

In just a moment, he broke into a silly smile, as if he really liked me, provoking quiet laughter from everyone around.

After the ceremony, the palace maid escorted him and me back to the Zhaoyang Hall

I turned back to look, the bright red wedding dress with its ten-foot train was on fire, the flames shining brightly

I bent down to pick up the charred hem, pulled it forcefully, tearing off half of it, leaving only a five-foot hem

What the future days will be like, I dare not think deeply; I will take it one step at a time.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place in one hour, and I must don the queen's crown and attire to signify its solemnity

I should have known that someone like him, a desperate fugitive, would be unable to ensure his own safety, let alone care about me. How could he possibly keep his promises

Upon entering the palace city, I recalled that night in the southern outskirts of Mount Tai, remembering the tall man, standing nine feet high, with a pair of white eyebrows.

I observed the chamber where I would reside in the future while they busied themselves

In the first year of Yongkang (A.D. 300), on the day of Jiazi in November, I became the Empress of the Jin Dynasty, embodying the virtues of a mother to the world. The Sun family and the Yang family, reliant on the Zhao Wang Sima Lun, who held the reins of power, would also rise in prominence and influence.

Everyone in the hall turned pale, my father hurriedly tried to extinguish the fire for me, while my uncles and cousins immediately instructed the servants to assist in putting out the fire

I originally thought that this puppet emperor Sima Zhong, who was easily manipulated and bullied, with his fat head and big ears, vacant gaze, and a foolish appearance that was nauseating, was not the case.

As long as I can leave the Yang family, as long as I no longer have to endure the bullying and disdain from the Yang family members, it does not matter where I marry or to whom I marry

In an instant, a flash of astonishment and sharpness flickered in his eyes. Was it an illusion

He said he would come to marry me, but after waiting for three years, he did not show up