Yujing City, capital of the Great You Dynasty.
A heavy snowfall had arrived yesterday and still had not ceased by today. Within a palace chamber in the imperial forbidden city, dusk hung deep, while the snow fell ever harder, whirling and dancing through the air.
The reigning Emperor was young and vigorous, full of fiery blood, and had quite a few consorts who had borne him many princes. Even so, the woman most beloved by this generation's Emperor You was naturally Empress Yi, his childhood-bound wife. Their bond ran deep, and they had supported one another for many years.
The current Emperor You and Empress Yi had treated each other with the respect of guests and raised their trays level with their brows for many years. Their feelings were profound. After Empress Yi passed away, he was overcome with grief. Though ministers had offered women to him for the sake of their families' interests after her death, the position of Empress had remained vacant.
Yet a nation could not go a day without its sovereign, nor could the inner palace go a day without its mistress. After the Empress's passing, authority over the harem fell into the hands of Noble Consort Luo.
Noble Consort Luo was wise and virtuous, deeply trusted by the Emperor You. Though Empress Yi had not been particularly jealous in life, as Empress, she had to "manage the affairs of the six palaces." Furthermore, she had to assist the Emperor as his worthy inner support, and thus naturally carried an air of great authority.
As Empress, she had conducted herself with utmost propriety. She often admonished the princes, demanding that they place humility, respectfulness, and frugality above all else. She disliked extravagance and waste, living simply by nature, and also required the palace to curb its