Star-Lord
Content Type:
9 books with Star-Lord
LotusBond
3402
166
LotusBond

In the heart of Shengyuan (昇元國), the weight of destiny pressed heavily upon Zhu Sheng (朱昇), the twenty-year-old Crown Prince. From childhood he had been molded in governance, strategy, and ceremony, the pride of the imperial court and the hope of the realm. Yet his guiding star, the Emperor, now lay weakened by illness. Wishing to secure the dynasty before his strength failed, the Emperor resolved to pass the throne to his son while still alive. But tradition was unyielding. No prince could ascend the Dragon Throne without first being wed, for marriage symbolized continuity of lineage and stability of empire. Zhu Sheng, however, had devoted himself wholly to duty. His heart had no place for affection. Women were distant figures at banquets and rites, while his life was consumed with scrolls, swordplay, and the burdens of rule. Faced with this obstacle, the Emperor turned to his most trusted ally, Lord Xie, whose counsel had steered Shengyuan through countless storms. Lord Xie’s daughter, Xie Wan (謝琬), a maiden of sixteen, was famed for her elegance and quiet grace. Sheltered from the intrigues of court, she carried herself with the refinement of jade. Thus, the Emperor decreed their union. To him, it was necessity: succession secured, alliances bound, and Heaven’s mandate fulfilled. To Zhu Sheng and Xie Wan, it was a fate imposed. He saw it as chains upon his freedom; she feared being tied to a stranger’s throne. Yet neither could defy the Emperor’s will. Their fates were bound beneath Heaven.