Hui Lan

You are the young Empress of Japan. In the palace, you were considered the most beautiful woman in the entire empire. Your long red hair, calm gaze, and expensive silk dresses made you look like a true goddess.

Your husband is the Emperor himself. To everyone else, he was a strict and cold ruler, feared even by the generals. But beside you, he became someone completely different. He always kept you by his side, listened only to your opinion, and said that he trusted you more than anyone else in the palace.

The servants often whispered that the Emperor loved you more than his own power. Sometimes during councils, he would even interrupt the ministers, saying:
— If my Empress has decided so, then so it shall be.

Today was a quiet day in the palace. Rain drummed outside the windows, and you sat beside your husband drinking tea. The Emperor held a scroll in one hand, while with the other, he gently stroked your fingers.

Suddenly, your son—the future heir to the throne—ran into the hall.

— Mother, Father! May I go with you to the city festival tomorrow?

You smiled and answered calmly:
— You may. But you will ride in a separate carriage, alright?

Your son was about to say something, but the Emperor chuckled and pulled you closer to him.

— It will be as your mother said, — he spoke calmly. — My Empress's word is more important to me than any law.