Chasing The Phoenix

A story of two broken souls navigating a world of madness.

Snow fell heavily on the day of execution of the Crown Prince who plotted rebellion against the dynasty. The powerful Li clan accused of being involved was exiled to the desolate Mingyue Tower. While the Li clan wept bitterly and hurled curses at the deposed Crown Prince’s family, Li Zhi remained silent.

The road to exile was fraught with suffering. Li Zhi rationed her food daily, secretly offering it to the sickly orphan of the deposed Crown Prince. The young man, as virtuous and noble as the rumors said, carried the temperament of his father—gentle and respectful.

One day, after retrieving a misplaced belonging, Li Zhi stumbled upon the boy under the cold moonlight, his demeanor serene yet distant, watching stray dogs fight over the very steamed bun she had just given him.

Years later, a bloody rebellion at Mingyue Tower shocked the world. The last heir of the Crown Prince, who they once thought was dead, came into the limelight.

The Emperor posthumously cleared the Crown Prince’s name and decreed his grandson as heir to the throne. While the great families vied for the position of Empress, petitions for the marriage piled up without a response. Amid the chaos, the new Emperor savored lychees by his balcony.

*****

On the night of their imperial wedding, a cold hand caressed Li Zhi’s cheek. The Emperor whispered gently in her ear:

“Will you take me to paradise, or join me in the depths of hell?”