The Queen's Game, and the Cost of Control
The First Empress — the Queen — was not born with a crown. She was handed one… tied with invisible chains.
Married to the Emperor for her father's ambitions, she had once been nothing more than a pawn. A graceful, obedient daughter trained to smile in silk while powerful men whispered behind her. For years after entering the palace, she lived under the weight of expectations, suffering quietly as the Emperor ignored her and the other consorts dismissed her.
But she was not weak.
She endured. She learned.
And over time, she built something stronger than affection — influence.
Within five years, the palace's most powerful informants worked in her shadow. No rumor escaped her ears. No decision passed without her silent nod. Even the Emperor, who once looked past her, began to realize: his throne was no longer the highest seat in the palace.
Still, she remained careful. Smart. Calculating.
And when she discovered a girl named Anne (An Lian)— beautiful, wealthy, and tragically soft-hearted — she saw the perfect opportunity. Marrying the Third Prince, Li Jun, to Anne would bind her to the royal bloodline and give the Empress deeper control through Anne's powerful merchant father.
The girl trusted her. Adored her, even.
And the Empress was ready to use that love like a blade hidden beneath lace.
But something she hadn't planned happened:
Lady Lee returned to court.
Not in status, but in presence.
And more shockingly — the Emperor, cold and untouchable for so long, allowed it.
The Queen had never feared the Second Empress. In fact, she pitied her once — broken by love, locked in silence. So she kept her close. Gave her gifts. Petted her like a harmless relic of the past.
But now?
Now she watched, stunned, as the Emperor — the man who had let Lady Lee suffer for years — began to show signs of... guilt? Affection? Weakness?
The Empress was no fool. She knew a man in love was dangerous.
But a powerful man in regret? That was even worse.
Still, her greatest frustration came from the Third Prince.
She had once assumed she could use him — he was quiet, obedient, seemingly unaware of the court's deeper game. But now, with Lady Lee standing by his side, and the Emperor granting him titles, the Empress could feel the strings slipping from her hand.
And worse… the story of the Third Prince's mother — the late Third Empress — began to resurface.
She had died years ago, accused of treason in a scandal soaked with blood and silence. But now, rumors whispered that it was all a lie. That she had been innocent. That the Emperor had been wrong.
Everyone was too afraid to say it aloud.
Everyone but the Queen .
She brought forward quiet records, hidden testimonies, and spoke the truth — not to destroy the Emperor, but to remind him: he had failed a loyal woman once… would he do it again?
To her surprise, the Emperor did not lash out.
He did not even defend himself.
He simply turned away.
And in that moment, for the first time, the Empress saw not a tyrant…
…but a man unraveling.
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End of Chapter 15
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