Chapter 7: Seeking Her

Quan Minghe ascended the throne of the Qian Dynasty at the mere age of thirteen.

At that time, he bore the weight of an entire nation upon his youthful shoulders, yet there was no trace of fear in his eyes.

The young ruler harbored grand ambitions, his heart ablaze with unyielding fervor.

He refused to remain confined within the palace walls, content with honor and luxury. Instead, he led his army personally, riding into battle upon his warhorse.

Amidst the years of clashing steel and galloping steeds, the battlefield was shrouded in dust and echoed with the deafening cries of war. Yet, through it all, he remained steadfast as a towering pine, his gaze sharp and resolute, carrying an unwavering determination—he would not rest until his goal was achieved.

Under Quan Minghe’s careful governance, the Qian Dynasty flourished in peace and prosperity.

He sought talent with relentless fervor, welcoming capable minds from all corners of the land. As a result, the imperial court became a gathering place for distinguished figures—wise ministers and steadfast officials who upheld the nation’s stability and prosperity.

The military, too, saw the rise of formidable generals. These warriors followed their sovereign onto the battlefield, carving out victory after victory. Each name became one of legend, renowned throughout the land.

Among them was Shen Yuling’s father—Shen Yuan, the Grand Protector.

Time flowed swiftly. By the time Quan Minghe turned eighteen, he had crushed the allied forces of four kingdoms in a single decisive campaign, unifying the land under his rule.

From that moment, the Qian Dynasty was officially renamed the Qian Empire, and he was revered as its founding emperor—Emperor Qianyuan. His name resounded like thunder, striking awe into all who heard it.

Years passed, and now, it was the ninth year of Emperor Qianyuan’s reign.

At the founding of the Qian Empire, Quan Minghe devoted himself entirely to solidifying the imperial administration and governing the nation.

It was not until the third year of the empire’s establishment, after repeated petitions from his ministers, that he finally agreed to take consorts.

In the blink of an eye, six years passed. His harem had grown to house more than ten imperial consorts.

Among them, Zhaoyi Liu  was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence.

She had given birth to the eldest prince, Quan Jinyi, and the third prince, Quan Jinyan.

With these two imperial sons, Zhaoyi Liu ’s status in the harem soared. From her initial rank as Changshi, she steadily ascended step by step until she attained the esteemed title of Zhaoyi.

She was, without a doubt, the most influential woman in the harem.

Apart from Zhaoyi Liu ’s two sons, only Yan Jieyu, Yan Xin, had given birth to the second prince, while Meiren Zuo, Zuo Qingyu, had borne the eldest princess.

Among all the imperial consorts, only these three had given birth to the emperor’s children. For this reason, they alone managed to leave some impression in Quan Minghe’s mind.

However, within the harem, there was another woman famed as its greatest beauty— Meiren Wang, Wang Xi.

She possessed a graceful figure and a face of unparalleled allure, so breathtakingly beautiful that she seemed capable of toppling kingdoms.

Meiren Wang’s position in the harem was solely due to Quan Minghe’s favor. It was his indulgence that allowed her to rise to her current rank.

Since the unification of the land and the establishment of the Qian Empire, his ministers had repeatedly urged him to appoint an empress, insisting that it was necessary to stabilize the harem and secure the foundation of the empire.

However, in Quan Minghe’s mind, the empress was not merely a title—she was the only one who could stand beside the emperor as his equal. She had to possess wisdom, talent, and vision worthy of a ruler’s counterpart.

But among all the women in the world, who could truly stand shoulder to shoulder with an emperor?

On the throne, there was only room for one. He alone was enough.

Draped in a black and gold dragon robe that shimmered with regal splendor, Quan Minghe sat upon his throne, his expression cold and unreadable.

His deep, penetrating gaze remained fixed on the documents spread across the desk, fully immersed in his work.

Li Ming stood quietly by the side, hands clasped in deference.

As the midday meal approached, he prepared to step away and make the necessary arrangements, intending to withdraw silently.

Unexpectedly, the emperor’s voice broke the silence.

“How has Liangren Zhao been settled?”

Li Ming’s heart trembled slightly.

Having served His Majesty in Weiyang Palace for many years, he knew well that the emperor rarely took the initiative to mention the women of the harem.

For His Majesty to take the initiative in asking—let alone in recent days, even looking back several years—such an occurrence was exceedingly rare.

What had transpired during this recent excursion?

And just what place did this Liangren Zhao hold in His Majesty’s heart?

These past days, Zhao Cong had been away recovering from his injuries. With him absent, Li Ming refrained from prying too much and thus remained unaware of the full details.

“Your Majesty, Liangren Zhao has been settled in Chengxiang Hall within Deyin Palace,” Li Ming quickly composed himself and replied respectfully.

“What was the reaction of the imperial consorts to her arrival?”

Quan Minghe did not lift his head, his hand continuing to move steadily as he held the brush.

He rarely spent time in the harem and had little interest in understanding the personalities of the imperial consorts.

As long as harem affairs did not interfere with his governance, he seldom involved himself in trivial matters, entrusting most of them to Liu Shihan to manage.

But this time was different. Since someone had dared to scheme against him, he would not let it go so easily.

He was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what it took.

“Your Majesty, the one most angered is Meiren Wang. Over the past few days, she has repeatedly sought out Liangren Zhao to cause trouble,” Li Ming reported truthfully.

Meiren Wang had long relied on His Majesty’s favor to act domineeringly within the harem.

Whenever someone received even a hint of His Majesty’s attention, she would inevitably stir up trouble.

Now that Liangren Zhao had been personally brought back from outside the palace by His Majesty, Meiren Wang was even more infuriated.

However, His Majesty seemed to favor her fiery temperament. Coupled with her breathtaking beauty, he had never once punished her.

This only further fueled Meiren Wang’s arrogance.

After reporting on her actions, Li Ming noticed that His Majesty showed little reaction.

So, he continued, “Zhaoyi Liu’s palace remains quiet. However, I heard that several vases have been replaced.”

Changing vases was a trivial matter, but replacing several in a row—how exactly they had been broken was another question entirely.

But Li Ming was a seasoned courtier. He merely reported the facts truthfully, refraining from adding any personal speculation or commentary.

“Jieyu Yan has been busy tutoring the Second Prince in his studies lately. However, she happened to encounter Liangren Zhao in the imperial garden yesterday.”

“Perhaps because Liangren Zhao is new to the palace and has yet to fully grasp the court’s etiquette, she was punished by Jieyu Yan to kneel for an hour.”

“Meiren Zuo, on the other hand, spends her days playing with the Grand Princess. Her attention is entirely devoted to the princess, and she has shown no particular reaction to Liangren Zhao’s arrival.”

“As for Jieyu Su, she has been unwell and remains in her palace recuperating.”

“…”

Li Ming and Zhao Cong were both trusted eunuchs who had served by His Majesty’s side for a full twenty years.

In these two decades, whenever His Majesty wished to know something, they ensured that no detail was overlooked, reporting everything with utmost precision.

Quan Minghe listened in silence, his long, narrow eyes narrowing slightly, a glimmer of contemplation flashing within them.

However, after a brief moment, he seemed to set aside everything he had just heard.

“Summon Zhao Cong.”

“Understood.”

Li Ming responded respectfully and tiptoed out.

Soon, Zhao Cong came in.

Quan Minghe still didn’t raise his head, and it was unclear whether he was writing or drawing something with the pen in his hand.

“Have you found the person?”

When Zhao Cong heard this, he immediately became terrified.

That night, he had hurriedly brought the young lady to His Majesty’s chambers. In the dim candlelight, amidst all the urgency, he had no chance to carefully observe her appearance.

Now, hearing His Majesty’s inquiry, he immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

“This servant… This servant is incompetent. I have yet to find her,” Zhao Cong answered cautiously, lowering his head in trepidation.

Quan Minghe’s hand, which had been moving steadily, finally came to a halt.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly.

By the time he returned early the next morning, the young lady was nowhere to be seen.

Zhao Cong silently lamented his misfortune.

Finding a woman of unknown appearance in all of Qianjing—how could that be anything but an impossible task?

Moreover, the only person who had truly seen what she looked like was His Majesty alone.

If His Majesty were merciful enough to sketch a portrait of her, there might at least be some clue to follow in the search.

Otherwise, it would be no different from searching for a needle in the vast ocean.

“Your Majesty, this servant is incompetent—I have yet to find her.”

Quan Minghe’s gaze flickered slightly.

For a woman to appear in the outskirts at night, she must have either left Qianjing during the day—an event that would have been recorded—or she was an outsider who had recently entered the city, which would also leave an entry record.

If Zhao Cong had failed to locate her, it meant that the woman had come from elsewhere before arriving in Qianjing. But even so, there would be records of her passage…

“How did you come across her in the first place?”

Zhao Cong recalled the conversation between the young lady and her maid that night with perfect clarity.

After listening, a cold glint surfaced in Quan Minghe’s eyes.

That night, she had said she had a husband. He had merely assumed it was an excuse to evade him. But unexpectedly—

It was a fiancé!

“First wish: May my husband be handsome, with starry eyes and sword-like brows, his grace shining bright, his beauty like jade, stirring hearts.”

“Second wish: May my beauty never fade, my face like the moon in bloom, my black hair flowing as years pass gently.”

“Third wish: May our love never wane, may we stay together without regrets, sharing joy from dawn to dusk.”

Fourth, may our union be blessed, our hearts in perfect harmony, our love deep and unwavering.

Fifth, may our home be peaceful, filled with laughter and prosperity, blessed with fortune year after year.”

Heh, quite the list of wishes she had.

But after that night—could she still dream of playing harmonious melodies with her so-called fiancé, of a love so deep and inseparable?

Now that she was his woman, such dreams were nothing more than delusions.

Quan Minghe swiftly shifted the topic.

“Has the matter of Jinlin Kingdom’s remaining traitors been dealt with?”

Zhao Cong immediately composed himself.

“The Cavalry General has already eradicated their main stronghold, eliminating over two thousand enemies.”

A hint of ease finally surfaced on Quan Minghe’s cold and austere face.

As he placed the final stroke on the paper before him, he gently set the vermillion brush onto the brush rack.

“Come here.”

Zhao Cong dared not hesitate in the slightest.

He quickly bent at the waist, keeping his head lowered as he stepped toward Quan Minghe’s side.

Quan Minghe picked up the portrait and handed it to Zhao Cong.

“Use this to find her. If you still can’t, don’t bother coming back.”

With a heavy thud, Zhao Cong fell to his knees, both hands trembling as he accepted the portrait.

Zhao Cong called out loudly, “Yes, Your Majesty! This servant will surely find and return Your Majesty’s consort.”

His Majesty had always been resolute in his words. If he failed to find her this time, he feared he would truly face severe consequences.

Quan Minghe lowered his gaze, a deep, unfathomable storm surging within his eyes.

He would never allow his woman to wander among the common folk, nor could he tolerate her being entangled with another man.

His woman—even in death—could never belong to someone else.

Harem Ranking System

Emperor & Empress (Di Hou)

Zhaoyi: Equivalent to a Grand Chancellor, rank comparable to a feudal prince.

Jieyu: Equivalent to a Senior Minister, rank comparable to a Marquess.

Meiren: Equivalent to a Governor of a Commandery (2,000 salary).

Bazi: Grand Chancellor’s Chief Advisor (1,000 salary).

Qizi: 800 salary

Liangren: 700 salary.

Changshi: 600 salary.

Shaoshi: 400 salary.