Ning Yue's perspective:
Feng Xingyuan, my Empress. She always seemed to believe we met because I was chosen as a companion reader for her in the palace, but that's not true. I knew her from the moment she was born.
She was the first child of the late Emperor, and thus showered with immense affection from birth, which later led to her being spoiled.
But the first time I saw her was at her full moon banquet.
She was still a little bun in swaddling clothes, her face round. When I secretly held her hand, she even smiled sweetly at me, looking incredibly adorable.
Few people knew that the then Crown Prince and the General were close friends, even to the point of discussing marriage for a time. However, due to the Emperor's suspicion, one entered the palace and the other volunteered to guard the border.
On that day, the Emperor's face showed a rare hint of excitement. Perhaps she had drunk too much, as she intended to arrange a marriage for the young Crown Princess.
Later, for reasons unknown, my mother was chosen.
She detached a jade pendant from her waist and gave it to my mother, saying that when the Crown Princess came of age, she would marry my elder brother as her consort. In everyone's eyes, this was an immense favor.
Suddenly, the General's mansion became even more lively.
I stared intently at the little sister being held by a palace maid, sucking on her fingers, and the thought of stealing her away crossed my mind. But she was the Crown Princess; I couldn't do that.
I was young then, and I pestered my mother relentlessly until she let me have the jade pendant.
My mother doted on me, and since this marriage was merely a drunken decree from the Emperor, she didn't take it too seriously. She allowed me to take it back to play with.
But the next day, when my mother asked for it back, for some reason, I lied and said the jade pendant was lost.
My mother was furious and punished me severely for the first time. I was beaten and knelt in the ancestral hall all night, yet the warm jade in my arms brought me a sense of secret joy.
If the jade pendant was gone, then the soft little sister wouldn't have to marry my brother!
And indeed, things unfolded as I had hoped. My mother, having lost the jade pendant, secretly probed the Empress's intentions and then apologized for the lost item.
It is said that the Empress at the time sighed and said, "So be it! Since the jade pendant is lost, it means the two children have no fate. Let this matter be dropped!"
Although I fell seriously ill because of this, I was still very happy, as happy as if I had eaten my favorite snack.
The second time I saw her was when she was five years old, and people from the palace came to select companion readers for the Crown Princess.
I didn't want to go at first, but then I thought, isn't the Crown Princess that adorable little bun I saw before? So I volunteered.
Since I wanted to go, no one could stop me.
I had practiced martial arts with my mother since childhood, and none of the unruly children around me had ever beaten me. I used intimidation and persuasion, and they either feigned illness or voluntarily withdrew, so naturally, I entered the palace.
I saw her. Honestly, her face was still as round as it was when she was little. I had to restrain myself many times from reaching out and touching it; it was torture.
She didn't recognize me, but that was okay. I could introduce myself.
During this process, the martial arts I had learned since childhood proved very helpful. I could clearly see the admiration in her eyes when she looked at me.
I was extremely pleased, and when she begged me to teach her, I readily agreed.
Although the Crown Princess had many things to learn, we still found an opportunity to sneak out of the palace.
Taking advantage of the fact that she rarely had the chance to go out, I enthusiastically introduced her to things she had never seen before. As expected, her face was filled with admiration.
I tried hard to suppress the smile on my lips, maintaining the demeanor of a cool and composed little adult.
Oh! Let me secretly tell you, my mother said she found my father using this very skill.
She was very enthusiastic and interested in everything. I played with her for an entire day, and by the end of it, I had successfully been categorized into her camp.
The days that followed passed quickly, as if in the blink of an eye. The girl who shone so brightly in my eyes began to avoid me, and I was heartbroken.
My friendship with her had nothing to do with anything else, so I secretly entered the palace every day to find her, but she never saw me. Later, she sent me a letter through someone, a farewell letter.
Naturally, I wouldn't give up easily, but not long after, my mother passed away.
She died on the battlefield, which was a fitting end for her, but at the time, I was consumed by grief.
For a long time, I couldn't move on. I gradually began to understand some of the reasons why she rejected me. When I entered the palace again, a year had already passed.
This time, she saw me, but she was the complete opposite of her former self. She used to smile, but now her eyes were filled with hatred.
I couldn't bear to see her like this, so I secretly had someone tell her that I could help her, but she still refused.
This time, I was even more persistent than before. I continuously provided her with the information I had gathered. Later, her attitude softened somewhat. At least when she looked at me, I could find traces of our past feelings in her eyes.
We succeeded! I didn't want her to bear the burden of her mother's death and be condemned by everyone, so I wanted to remove all obstacles for her first. But it seemed I was always one step behind. While I was dealing with the other princesses, she had already personally beheaded the late Emperor.
The malice of the world was too strong, but she was always stronger than I imagined. When others accused her, she would gleefully take their lives.
Although her methods were ruthless, I… liked her even more.
Yes, that day I truly confirmed my feelings, because I didn't know when it happened, but my eyes could only see that one person.
Later, I hesitated, but in the end, I decided to stand by her through thick and thin. Whatever happened in the future, I would be with her.
As for others, if anyone dared to speak ill, I would personally deal with them. In any case, I wouldn't let my Empress's ears be tainted.