Two Dowager Queens

My son ascended the throne at one month old.

As his birth mother, I was honored as Mother Dowager Queen.

As his legal mother, Seraphina was honored as Holy Mother Dowager Queen.

Because the new emperor was too young, two dowager queens ruled behind the silk screen.

This was painful for me.

I hated classical memorial language.

Just hearing it made me sleepy.

Fortunately, Seraphina excelled at it.

After court, I sat eating red bean shaved ice while she wrote fiercely through a mountain of memorials.

“Hehehe. Seraphina, work hard.”

After a long time, she lifted her head and glanced at me.

“I handled the memorials. A Jiang envoy arrives later. You receive him.”

Excuse me?

I knew it.

Seraphina would never volunteer for hard work out of kindness.

When Liu Xu turned three, the country had become peaceful under the efforts of my father, Prime Minister Chen, and Seraphina.

My father built cenotaphs for all three thousand soldiers who died at Fallen Horse Pass.

Lin Chao won repeated victories at the border.

Prime Minister Chen promoted imperial examinations and selected many talented officials.

People on the streets said the nation was fortunate to have General Liu and Prime Minister Chen.

Then Seraphina said it was time to finish her rebellion.

She found a Taoist, claimed the dynasty name was unlucky, and argued that the surname Gong harmed national fortune.

After many grand explanations, she changed the dynasty name to Shun.

Gong Xu became Liu Xu.

No one opposed.

Those who dared had already been dealt with.

The world became House Liu’s world.

Although Liu Xu was born from me, he was never close to me.

Seraphina said he was born to be a ruler, not anyone’s son.

Twelve years later, under our teaching, Liu Xu finally grew into a proper emperor.

I was finally free from ruling behind the curtain.

I spent each day reading storybooks and miscellaneous texts, delighted.

Then Seraphina killed herself.

She said she was going to find my second brother.

I held her body and cried through the night.

Afterward, I buried her beside him.

On the tombstone, I wrote:

Wife of House Liu.

I was angry with her.

She had raised my son with such effort.

Why could she not wait longer?

Wait until Liu Xu married.

Wait until grandchildren filled the palace.

Selena died in the Cold Palace in the sixteenth year.

Before death, she told me she had dreamed strange things.

In the dream, Gideon loved her and protected her.

He fought through blood and schemes to make her empress.

Seraphina and I both died beneath his blade.

I listened to her nonsense and smiled.

“Dreams end when you wake. Now go.”

Years later, my body weakened day by day.

In a daze, I saw Seraphina smiling at me from across the palace again.

In that life, I had been called a wicked consort.

Then a dowager queen.

Then a rebel.

Then a woman who changed the dynasty.

But if I could return to the golden hall one more time, to the day Gideon promised me honors no less than the empress—

I would still lower my eyes.

I would still smile.

And I would still sharpen the knife.

Only this time, I knew exactly where to point it.