My father is the richest man in the empire, with wealth that rivals the nation's. But unfortunately, he has only one daughter, myself, and no sons. In the eyes of others, we are the classic case of a family line ending, ripe for exploitation.
The crown prince set his eyes on our family and sent people to propose marriage, saying he wanted to take me as his consort. The eunuch painted a magnificent picture, claiming His Highness had admired me for a long time and that this was a great blessing.
Consort. To put it bluntly, it is just a concubine. He simply wants to seize our family's fortune.
My father slammed the table in anger, but I smiled and held him back. I said, "Father, do not be angry. Your daughter has a plan."
Three days later, I entered the palace for an audience with His Majesty. Before all the civil and military officials, I stated my conditions. The crown prince's face fell on the spot, but the emperor burst into laughter.
"Miss Shu, this is a great blessing," the eunuch said. "His Highness the Crown Prince is noble and esteemed. For him to favor you is a supreme honor for your Shu family ancestors."
"You are too kind, Eunuch Li. I am of humble appearance and stature, and truly unworthy of being a match for His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Squire Shu, I advise you to think this through. This marriage is not a discussion with you. This is His Highness's grace. You must accept it whether you want to or not."
"This is going too far!"
"Shu Anjin, how dare you slam the table in my presence. You clearly have no respect for His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Please calm your anger, Eunuch Li. My father acted out of love for his daughter and temporarily lost his composure. I hope you can show some forbearance. It has been a tiring journey for you, Eunuch Li. Please have some tea. It is the Shu family's honor that His Highness thinks so highly of me. However, marriage is a grave matter. Please allow my father and me one day to discuss it. We will surely give you a satisfactory answer by this time tomorrow."
"Very well. I will be waiting at the official inn. I hope Lady Shu does not disappoint His Highness."
The moment he was gone, my father exploded. "This is absolutely outrageous. This is just too much. A concubine. He actually wants you to be a concubine. How could the daughter of me, Shu Anjin, suffer such humiliation? He doesn't just want our family's money. He wants our lives."
"Father, please do not be angry. If you ruin your health, I will have no one left to rely on."
"Ji'er, it is my fault. I failed to protect you. Even if I have to risk my old life, I will never let you enter the Eastern Palace to be humiliated."
"Father, don't worry. He wants to take everything we own. He had better have the stomach for it. I have a way."
"What way?"
"The crown prince wants to marry me solely because of our family's wealth. But in this world, those who covet our money extend far beyond just him. If he thinks he can get something for nothing, it won't be that easy."
Crown Prince Li Chong, do you really think you've won? You are wrong. In this play, who is the hunter and who is the prey remains to be seen. I, Shu Ji'er, will never be a lamb led to the slaughter.
Father, the real show has only just begun.
"Ji'er, I have thought about this all night. We should pack up our assets overnight and leave the capital. The world is vast. Surely there is a place where we can find refuge."
"Father, do you truly think we can escape under the wide heaven? All land belongs to the emperor. With what the crown prince desires, even if we flee to the ends of the earth, he will send men to hunt us down. By then, not only will we lose our wealth, we would also be branded with the crime of defying an imperial decree."
"Must we really stand by and watch you jump into the fire?"
"Father, I also thought about this all night. Running away is the worst option, and begging for mercy is a dead end. Our only way out is to take the initiative and strike first."
"Take the initiative? How do we do that?"
I told him. He went pale.
"Ji'er, this is too risky. This is simply playing with fire."
"Father, wealth is found in danger. You understand this truth better than I do. Right now, our Shu family has been pushed to the edge of the cliff. Not taking a risk means waiting for death. Instead of sitting and waiting for our doom, we might as well risk it all. Crown Prince Li Chong is greedy and arrogant. He thinks we are fish on a chopping board, which is why he dares to be so dismissive. But he forgot that the master of the realm is His Majesty. The emperor most fears the consort clans interfering in politics and the princes forming cliques. The crown prince wants to swallow the Shu family's wealth, which happens to violate the emperor's greatest taboo. We just need an opportunity to make His Majesty see his ambition."
"What kind of opportunity?"
"This opportunity, I will create it myself. I want to turn this from a private marriage proposal into an open strategy played out in front of the whole world. I want everyone to know that our Shu family is willing to empty our coffers to share the nation's burdens. But how this money is spent, and who it goes to, must be decided by the emperor, and not something the crown prince can just take whenever he wants."
We went down to the central treasury of the Shu manor.
"Father, please make a trip to the bank and draw a draft for one hundred thousand taels of gold."
One hour later, I called for our steward. "Uncle Fu, go to the palace gate and find Eunuch Li Nian. Hand this food box to him. Tell him the Shu family has wonderful news of monumental importance to share with the emperor. These one hundred thousand taels of gold are his gratuity."
I know men like Li Nian. He is greedy, but he fears death even more. If he dares to take this money, he will definitely pass the message along, because he knows that a family capable of offering one hundred thousand taels of gold just to open a door, if he ruins their plans, will surely have a way to make him disappear without a trace.
"Master Shu, Miss Shu, the emperor has decreed. Summon Shu Ji'er to the Golden Palace for an audience tomorrow."
"Your humble servant obeys the decree."
"Ji'er, at court tomorrow, all the civil and military officials, princes, and nobles will be present. Your every word and action will decide the survival of our Shu family. Are you confident?"
"Father, do not worry. The court tomorrow will be my stage. Your daughter will not only win, but win beautifully."
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, at the fifth watch of the night, my father took my hand.
"Ji'er, if things do not go well, do not force it. Even if I must give away our entire fortune, I will keep you safe."
"Father, trust me."
This is the most honorable place under heaven, and also the most dangerous. One wrong step, and we would fall into the abyss.