Sun Hao, emperor of the Taijin Empire, heads to his office after leaving the throne room following his daughter's Man Yue ceremony. After opening the door, he sits heavily in his desk chair and stares at a letter on top of it.

  The figure of Jiangjun Han Xin, chief general of the empire's left army, tall and thin, with a large mustache framing his face, enters the office laughing and closes the door behind him.

  "What kind of madness was that, old friend?" Han Xin asks as he walks over to a small table filled with bottles of liquor. "You skipped the script for the ceremony, granted unexpected titles, and almost gave Taijian Li Ming a heart attack."

  Sun Hao, still looking at the letter, replies in a tone that betrays his exhaustion “I received a letter from my father this morning."

  Han Xin, with a curious expression, pours himself a cup of liquor and approaches the desk.

  "And what does the meddlesome old man want this time?" he asks as he takes a sip of his drink.

  Sun Hao sighs deeply before answering.

  "He has ordered me to kill my daughter”, he says in a voice full of bitterness. "He considers her condition a disgrace to the Sun family and a stain on our reputation."

  Han Xin's smile immediately fades and he falls silent, processing what he has just heard.

  "Does he think he's still the emperor and can order whatever he wants?" he finally asks. "He's not even the leader of the sect, just an honorary elder."

  Sun Hao snorts, his expression hardening.

  "As far as I'm concerned, he can order whatever he wants. I'm not going to kill my daughter just because of what some old curmudgeon believes. Now that I've finally been able to have a daughter, I won't lose her because of the whims of someone who no longer has power in the palace”, Sun Hao replies. "But because of that, I've had to put her in the inner palace, where security is tighter and it won't be easy for him to do anything drastic if he gets tired of waiting for me to obey him."

  Han Xin sighs and sits down, still holding his cup.

  "I've never understood your obsession with having daughters. Mine have only served to spend money”, he says with a touch of humor.

  Sun Hao stares at him before replying “Someone who only thinks with the scabbard of his sword cannot understand my ideal of happiness."

  With a wave of his hand, Sun Hao motions for Han Xin to leave, saying “I want to be alone for the rest of the night."

  Han Xin gets up, finishes the liquor in his cup in one gulp, and leaves it on the table as he replies “Be careful, Hao. The old man is completely irrational, and no one knows what he's capable of."

  "I know”, Sun Hao replies. "I know what I have to do."

  Han Xin bows his head in farewell and leaves the office, leaving Sun Hao in the shadows. The emperor remains silent, tapping his fingers on the desk as he reflects on recent events. After a while, having reached some kind of decision, he gets up from his chair and leaves the office.

  The Hall of Supreme Harmony glows with opulence and majesty. The walls, adorned with silk tapestries embroidered with scenes of landscapes and ancient legends, reflect the power and wealth of the Tianjing Empire. Large golden chandeliers hang from the ceiling, illuminating the hall with a warm, glowing light that is reflected in the polished marble floors. The tables, arranged in a semicircle around a central space, are covered with brocade tablecloths and decorated with exquisite floral arrangements.

  The servants, dressed in silk robes embroidered with gold details, move with grace and precision, serving traditional dishes for this type of celebration. Among the delicacies are Peking duck, abalone in oyster sauce, and steamed pork dumplings. The fragrance of spices and herbs fills the air, awakening the senses of everyone present.

  Guifei Xiang, formerly known as Fei Xiang, observes the splendor of the hall with a mixture of perplexity and unease due to the events that occurred shortly before during her daughter's Man Yue ceremony. Although she has been promoted to the title of Guifei, she cannot understand the reason behind this honor. She always thought that her position as the emperor's favorite consort was due to being the most recent, not because of her own merits.

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  Not only that, Guifei Xiang knows that she attained the position of consort through a political maneuver intended to embarrass Taijian Li Ming, and as if her position were not bad enough because of that, she has only given the emperor one daughter, and that daughter is disabled. She does not understand the real reason behind her promotion.

  The emperor's other consorts, eleven in total, take their seats in the hall. Fei Zhi, the former favored consort known for her sharp tongue, casts a malicious and envious glance at Guifei Xiang.

  "Guifei Xiang, what a surprise what happened at the ceremony. I suppose you didn't expect to see yourself with such a... high title”, Fei Zhi says with a fake smile.

  Guifei Xiang smiles politely “Thank you, Fei Zhi. I didn't expect this honor either."

  Fei Lan interjects with a voice laden with sarcasm “At least that will make things easier for your daughter, won't it? It must be difficult to raise a daughter in her situation."

  Before Guifei Xiang can reply, another voice joins the discussion.

  "But at least you have artistic talent, right? That's always useful for entertaining the emperor. I wonder what kind of work you painted to earn your title”, adds Fei Ming , her tone equally venomous.

  Guifei Xiang maintains her composure, even though each comment hurts her deeply. "I have always found solace in my art, and I dare not try to guess His Majesty's thoughts."

  As the servants continue to serve the dishes, the conversation becomes even more tense.

  "It's a pity she was a daughter; she must be a burden. Even more so with her condition”, says Fei Nuo with a condescending smile. "If only she had been a boy, her future would not have been so complicated."

  "It's a miracle that the emperor elevated you to Guifei with so few merits”, adds Fei Xi in a voice full of envy.

  Guifei Xiang feels the weight of her words, but responds calmly “As I said before, I dare not try to guess His Majesty's thoughts. If you want to know the reason, I suppose you'll have to ask him for his reasons."

  These words seem to momentarily silence the other consorts, who quickly begin discussing the latest palace gossip among themselves while deliberately giving Guifei Xiang the cold shoulder.

  The banquet continues, but for Guifei Xiang, every minute feels like an eternity. Finally, when the banquet ends, she rises with dignity and heads to her residence, exhausted from enduring the malice of the other consorts.

  To her surprise, when she leaves the hall, a couple of Nei Wei approach her along with Fei Yi Lingxi to escort her through the palace corridors, their footsteps echoing softly on the marble. As they walk, her maid tells her that Taijian Li Ming has ordered that the move must be made in the morning.

  Wondering why there was such urgency and resigning herself to a sleepless night, they arrive at her pavilion. Sighing with relief, she heads to her office, followed by Fei Yi Lingxi, where they will have to plan the move in the little time left before dawn.

  The next morning, in an opulent pavilion of the Outer Palace, the first rays of sunlight illuminate a spacious room decorated with elegance. The atmosphere is charged with barely concealed resentment. A consort, dressed in a luxurious embroidered gown, complains bitterly to the eunuch who is with her in the room.

  "I can't believe they made her Guifei despite her having only one daughter, who is also useless”, the consort begins, her tone full of indignation. "I have given the emperor four sons, and yet look at me, still relegated to this position."

  The eunuch, a middle-aged man with an impassive face, bows his head slightly, showing respect but no apparent emotion.

  "The emperor's decisions are unquestionable, my lady, however irrational they may seem to us”, he replies in a soft but firm voice to the woman.

  The consort frowns with obvious frustration "It's not fair. Guifei Xiang has been promoted while I remain here, despite all I have sacrificed and achieved."

  The eunuch continues to stare impassively at the consort as he waits for her to continue.

  The consort's eyes suddenly flash with malice as she lowers her voice "On another note, how is the... situation with Fei Zhi's youngest son going?"

  The eunuch hesitates for a moment before answering, looking around to make sure no one is listening "Everything is going according to plan, my lady. The young man has begun to cultivate, despite being only six years old. It's only a matter of time before Fei Zhi finds out what's going on, but by then, it may be too late."

  The consort smiles, satisfied with the answer "Perfect. With a little luck, this incident will take care of one of my sons' rivals. A descendant of the Fu family, despite being young, could compete for the throne. Competition in this court is fierce, and we must ensure that our interests prevail."

  The eunuch nods, maintaining his servile posture as he asks “Is there anything else you desire, my lady?"

  The consort sighs, her expression changing to one of contemplation "Yes, I need to find a way to get rid of both the mother and the daughter. They cannot stay here enjoying a rank that should belong to me, especially with a waste like that girl."

  The eunuch keeps his gaze down, not daring to offer suggestions on such a delicate matter "I will do everything in my power to assist you, my lady. But residing in the Inner Palace, it will be difficult to do anything."

  The consort looks at the eunuch with a cold smile "Well, I expect results. Remember, your position depends on your effectiveness in these matters."

  With those words, the consort turns to the window of the room, watching the maids move furniture and the crowd that has gathered to gossip being restrained by the Nei Wei. As she watches, she thinks about how to make the move more efficient when she finally takes the position she deserves.