Chapter 1: The Crown Prince’s Side Consort
In the 28th year of Dayi, willows fluttered through the air, and the courtyard flourished with lush greenery.
Inside a grand and imposing general's estate in Lingdu, a young woman sat by the window, resting her chin on one hand, leisurely toying with the black and white pieces on a chessboard.
The sun was bright that day. Soft rays of golden light slanted through the window, scattering like flecks of gold across her body. Her flawless profile was illuminated, making her appear even more radiant and captivating—like a pearl glowing with luster, like jade shimmering with light. She looked like a celestial beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
She held a white jade chess piece between her fingers and was just about to place it when a sixteen-year-old maid hurried in from the door, her expression grave.
“Miss! A decree from the palace has arrived. The General says you are to go to the main hall to receive it.”
The young woman was briefly stunned, but quickly returned to her calm and composed demeanor. She gently placed the chess piece down. In the silent hall, a crisp sound echoed clearly.
Her cherry lips parted lightly. “It’s finally here...”
The words sounded like they had long been anticipated—like a sigh.
Moments later, she rose slowly and glanced once more at the black and white chessboard. She softly murmured, “Life is like a game of chess.”
She was the legitimate eldest daughter of General Jin, a second-rank official. To outsiders, her life seemed glamorous, but she had no say in her own future.
On the eve of the selection, her father had already said that she might be sent either to the imperial palace or the Eastern Palace because the Empress had taken a liking to her.
If she entered the palace, she would merely be a tool to secure the Empress’s favor. If she entered the Eastern Palace, she would be the Empress’s planted spy beside the Crown Prince.
Neither path was easy. She had no power to resist—just like a chess piece on the board, her fate held in someone else’s hands.
In the courtyard, members of the Jin family were kneeling in rows. The eunuch unrolled the imperial edict and read aloud:
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jin Yue, daughter of Great General Jin Xiuming, descendant of a noble family in Lingdu, outstanding in appearance and virtue...
...is hereby conferred the title of Side Consort to the Crown Prince. She shall enter the Eastern Palace on the second day of the fourth month.”
The eunuch’s shrill voice was piercing, but what Jin Yue heard most clearly was that last phrase—Side Consort to the Crown Prince.
Her tightly clenched hands loosened slightly. To her, this was a misfortune within fortune.
The current emperor was older than her father and had countless children and thousands of beauties in the harem.
By comparison, the Crown Prince—just twenty-five years old, young and full of vitality—was naturally the better choice.
After receiving the decree, Jin Xiuming rewarded the eunuch, and the family solemnly returned to the main hall.
Jin Yue’s mother, Madam Wen, collapsed into a chair, her voice trembling. “It’s over... The decree has been issued. It’s decided—our Yue’er has been selected for the Eastern Palace. It can’t be changed now.”
She looked up at Jin Xiuming and scolded, “It’s your fault. I told you to ask His Majesty to arrange a marriage for Yue’er, but you insisted on waiting.”
The man at the head seat looked helpless, rubbing his forehead. “How was I to know the Emperor would advance the selection? How could I have known the Empress had already set her eyes on our Yue’er?”
He had known that daughters of high-ranking officials could not marry without a selection or imperial decree. He had intended to request a marriage grant after returning victorious from the frontier. But the sudden selection had caught him off guard.
Madam Wen grew more resentful at the mention of the Empress. “If it weren’t for your deep ties with her, why would she have noticed our Yue’er in the first place? Why would Yue’er have to enter the palace?”
She hadn’t mentioned this for years, choosing to let it go. But now that her daughter’s future was at stake, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Seeing the situation, Jin Yue quickly stepped forward to comfort her mother gently. “Mother, the decree has already been issued. No matter our grievances or dissatisfaction, it’s useless now.”
“The only thing we can do is think positively. Entering the Eastern Palace might be a good thing. The Emperor’s health isn’t great. If I had entered the palace... I might have become a dowager consort, imprisoned for life. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, is in his prime. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll become a Noble Consort and bring glory to our family.”
Her bright eyes sparkled, and her smile remained as radiant as ever.
But Madam Wen knew her daughter was just forcing a smile. Tears welled up in her eyes. “A Noble Consort? Even if you became Empress, I wouldn’t care. The Eastern Palace is no better than the palace itself. It’s a place that chews people up and spits out nothing. I’m really worried about the days ahead for you...”
“Nanqi!” Before Madam Wen could finish, she was interrupted by the elderly matriarch sitting at the head of the hall. The old woman gave her a look, signaling her to say no more.
Madam Wen had always respected her mother-in-law and said no more, simply lowering her head and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
The old woman’s face was full of kindness as she beckoned her granddaughter with wrinkled hands full of pain and affection.
Jin Yue rose and slowly walked to her grandmother, taking her outstretched hands and gently calling, “Grandmother...”
Her grandmother responded with a smile and lowered her gaze. “Yue’er, for you to think this way, Grandmother is very relieved. In this life, we must look forward so that hardships will step back.”
She gently stroked her granddaughter’s soft hands and spoke slowly. “But your mother is right. The palace gates are deep as the sea, not like home. You’ve always been willful and carefree. Once in the Eastern Palace, be more cautious. Endure when you can...”
Jin Yue understood the principle of shared glory and shame. She looked at her grandmother’s aged hands and nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I will restrain my temper and think carefully before I act, so I won’t bring shame to our family.”
But her grandmother only smiled and shook her head. “Yue’er, your father supports this family. Even if not him, there’s still your younger brother. There's no need for a girl like you to fight for a future. I’ve always said—my only wish for you is to live up to your name and find joy.”
“I just want you to know—once you enter the Eastern Palace, endure if you can. But if you can’t, then fight back. Don’t let others think a daughter of the Jin family is easy to bully. If you’re truly wronged—whether it’s the Eastern Palace or the main palace—your Grandmother will storm in and stand up for you!”
Hearing her grandmother’s words, Jin Yue felt a flood of emotions—reluctance, gratitude, and warmth.
She knew that once her grandmother made a promise, she would keep it. Ever since she was young, she had been the treasured gem of the Jin family. Even with a younger brother and sister, she remained the most doted-upon child.
Her grandmother, with her blunt nature, was the daughter of a commandery princess and had been granted a noble title. If Jin Yue suffered a true grievance, her grandmother would indeed barge into the Eastern Palace for her.
She threw her arms around her grandmother and choked out, “Grandmother treats me so well...”
Her grandmother gently stroked her back, smiling through her tears. “Silly girl. You’re my Yue’er—my beloved, closest one. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?”
She still remembered this tiny girl, born weighing just six jin. From the moment she came into the world, she’d suck on her fingers and stare wide-eyed. People said newborns always squinted—but not this child. She’d stared right at her, and her heart melted instantly.
She had never treated her differently for being a granddaughter. In fact, she thought Yue’er resembled her younger self. So she had indulged her nature freely. For seventeen years, her life had been no different than that of a princess.
Inside a grand and imposing general's estate in Lingdu, a young woman sat by the window, resting her chin on one hand, leisurely toying with the black and white pieces on a chessboard.
The sun was bright that day. Soft rays of golden light slanted through the window, scattering like flecks of gold across her body. Her flawless profile was illuminated, making her appear even more radiant and captivating—like a pearl glowing with luster, like jade shimmering with light. She looked like a celestial beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
She held a white jade chess piece between her fingers and was just about to place it when a sixteen-year-old maid hurried in from the door, her expression grave.
“Miss! A decree from the palace has arrived. The General says you are to go to the main hall to receive it.”
The young woman was briefly stunned, but quickly returned to her calm and composed demeanor. She gently placed the chess piece down. In the silent hall, a crisp sound echoed clearly.
Her cherry lips parted lightly. “It’s finally here...”
The words sounded like they had long been anticipated—like a sigh.
Moments later, she rose slowly and glanced once more at the black and white chessboard. She softly murmured, “Life is like a game of chess.”
She was the legitimate eldest daughter of General Jin, a second-rank official. To outsiders, her life seemed glamorous, but she had no say in her own future.
On the eve of the selection, her father had already said that she might be sent either to the imperial palace or the Eastern Palace because the Empress had taken a liking to her.
If she entered the palace, she would merely be a tool to secure the Empress’s favor. If she entered the Eastern Palace, she would be the Empress’s planted spy beside the Crown Prince.
Neither path was easy. She had no power to resist—just like a chess piece on the board, her fate held in someone else’s hands.
In the courtyard, members of the Jin family were kneeling in rows. The eunuch unrolled the imperial edict and read aloud:
“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jin Yue, daughter of Great General Jin Xiuming, descendant of a noble family in Lingdu, outstanding in appearance and virtue...
...is hereby conferred the title of Side Consort to the Crown Prince. She shall enter the Eastern Palace on the second day of the fourth month.”
The eunuch’s shrill voice was piercing, but what Jin Yue heard most clearly was that last phrase—Side Consort to the Crown Prince.
Her tightly clenched hands loosened slightly. To her, this was a misfortune within fortune.
The current emperor was older than her father and had countless children and thousands of beauties in the harem.
By comparison, the Crown Prince—just twenty-five years old, young and full of vitality—was naturally the better choice.
After receiving the decree, Jin Xiuming rewarded the eunuch, and the family solemnly returned to the main hall.
Jin Yue’s mother, Madam Wen, collapsed into a chair, her voice trembling. “It’s over... The decree has been issued. It’s decided—our Yue’er has been selected for the Eastern Palace. It can’t be changed now.”
She looked up at Jin Xiuming and scolded, “It’s your fault. I told you to ask His Majesty to arrange a marriage for Yue’er, but you insisted on waiting.”
The man at the head seat looked helpless, rubbing his forehead. “How was I to know the Emperor would advance the selection? How could I have known the Empress had already set her eyes on our Yue’er?”
He had known that daughters of high-ranking officials could not marry without a selection or imperial decree. He had intended to request a marriage grant after returning victorious from the frontier. But the sudden selection had caught him off guard.
Madam Wen grew more resentful at the mention of the Empress. “If it weren’t for your deep ties with her, why would she have noticed our Yue’er in the first place? Why would Yue’er have to enter the palace?”
She hadn’t mentioned this for years, choosing to let it go. But now that her daughter’s future was at stake, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Seeing the situation, Jin Yue quickly stepped forward to comfort her mother gently. “Mother, the decree has already been issued. No matter our grievances or dissatisfaction, it’s useless now.”
“The only thing we can do is think positively. Entering the Eastern Palace might be a good thing. The Emperor’s health isn’t great. If I had entered the palace... I might have become a dowager consort, imprisoned for life. The Crown Prince, on the other hand, is in his prime. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll become a Noble Consort and bring glory to our family.”
Her bright eyes sparkled, and her smile remained as radiant as ever.
But Madam Wen knew her daughter was just forcing a smile. Tears welled up in her eyes. “A Noble Consort? Even if you became Empress, I wouldn’t care. The Eastern Palace is no better than the palace itself. It’s a place that chews people up and spits out nothing. I’m really worried about the days ahead for you...”
“Nanqi!” Before Madam Wen could finish, she was interrupted by the elderly matriarch sitting at the head of the hall. The old woman gave her a look, signaling her to say no more.
Madam Wen had always respected her mother-in-law and said no more, simply lowering her head and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
The old woman’s face was full of kindness as she beckoned her granddaughter with wrinkled hands full of pain and affection.
Jin Yue rose and slowly walked to her grandmother, taking her outstretched hands and gently calling, “Grandmother...”
Her grandmother responded with a smile and lowered her gaze. “Yue’er, for you to think this way, Grandmother is very relieved. In this life, we must look forward so that hardships will step back.”
She gently stroked her granddaughter’s soft hands and spoke slowly. “But your mother is right. The palace gates are deep as the sea, not like home. You’ve always been willful and carefree. Once in the Eastern Palace, be more cautious. Endure when you can...”
Jin Yue understood the principle of shared glory and shame. She looked at her grandmother’s aged hands and nodded. “Don’t worry, Grandmother. I will restrain my temper and think carefully before I act, so I won’t bring shame to our family.”
But her grandmother only smiled and shook her head. “Yue’er, your father supports this family. Even if not him, there’s still your younger brother. There's no need for a girl like you to fight for a future. I’ve always said—my only wish for you is to live up to your name and find joy.”
“I just want you to know—once you enter the Eastern Palace, endure if you can. But if you can’t, then fight back. Don’t let others think a daughter of the Jin family is easy to bully. If you’re truly wronged—whether it’s the Eastern Palace or the main palace—your Grandmother will storm in and stand up for you!”
Hearing her grandmother’s words, Jin Yue felt a flood of emotions—reluctance, gratitude, and warmth.
She knew that once her grandmother made a promise, she would keep it. Ever since she was young, she had been the treasured gem of the Jin family. Even with a younger brother and sister, she remained the most doted-upon child.
Her grandmother, with her blunt nature, was the daughter of a commandery princess and had been granted a noble title. If Jin Yue suffered a true grievance, her grandmother would indeed barge into the Eastern Palace for her.
She threw her arms around her grandmother and choked out, “Grandmother treats me so well...”
Her grandmother gently stroked her back, smiling through her tears. “Silly girl. You’re my Yue’er—my beloved, closest one. If I don’t treat you well, who should I treat well?”
She still remembered this tiny girl, born weighing just six jin. From the moment she came into the world, she’d suck on her fingers and stare wide-eyed. People said newborns always squinted—but not this child. She’d stared right at her, and her heart melted instantly.
She had never treated her differently for being a granddaughter. In fact, she thought Yue’er resembled her younger self. So she had indulged her nature freely. For seventeen years, her life had been no different than that of a princess.
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