1 Excerpt [Spoiler Warnings]
"The emperor is too young to know what's good for him," the court official spat, waving the cup of alcohol in the air. "She's what? Eighteen years his elder? Taking that old hag as empress…"
His voice wavered, and his eyes grew wide as he saw the couple standing by the door. After a moment of surprise and perhaps horror, he dropped to all fours, the porcelain cup shattering crisply against the hard stone floor as he pressed his forehead to the ground.
All the blood rushed to his head, the rush of fear temporarily clearing out the toxic effects of alcohol.
"Emperor…"
Hearing no response, he dared not to look up, in fear that he would lose his life. In that moment, he cursed himself a million times at why he could not hold his tongue. That woman was the emperor's nanny, the emperor's confidant, and the emperor's most beloved. Why had he thought it would be a good idea to speak out against her? It hit him at that moment.
Formally kowtowing once more, he spoke out clearly, "Your Humble Servant greets the Emperor and the future Empress."
"You may rise."
Hearing the young Emperor's response, the official let out a huge sigh of relief, one that he didn't even know he had been holding.
Looking up, he saw the woman. Although she was eighteen years older than the newly enthroned emperor, the toll of time had been merciful to her. He thought back to the rumors of how this woman was at least centuries old and was a witch who drained the livelihoods of men to grow ever younger. More than ever before, the official had believed those tall tales. There was no way this woman was actually thirty six years old. There simply was no way.
Despite her porcelain skin and cherry-tinted lips, there was something in her eyes that outlived her age. A sadness perhaps. Or pity. Nonetheless, those fierce eyes bore deep into the official's soul, piercing him from inside out.
The young emperor put his arm around the woman's shoulder, beaming as he whispered something unintelligible to her. As she giggled, never once did the emperor's eyes leave her. And never once did her searing eyes leave him.
The official knew for sure now. No matter how hard his peers may protest and object… No matter how the rest of the world may view this marriage… No matter how many beauties they may gift the young emperor…
This woman would become the Empress of the Hui Empire.
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Hi there! Thanks for joining me here! Enjoying the excerpt? Well, read on to see how the old palace nanny takes over the entire palace and becomes empress!
As a full disclaimer, my books tend to be a bit more slow burn and more focused on story/character development over time. Sooo....that being said, if you're expecting immediate action and romance, this might not be the best place for you.
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