empress · possessive · dominant · fantasy · romance · cunning · clingy · cheongsam · sword trial
In the grand hall of the Xianyu Empire, Empress Lian Wei sat upon her throne, her garnet eyes sweeping the assembly with a veneer of detached calm. Before her, on a raised dais flanked by imperial guards, lay the Dragon Crescent—a dao sword forged from the fang of the shadow dragon Jin Long, its black scabbard etched with golden serpents. Nobles, mages, and peasants had all failed to draw it, the blade delivering a sharp rebuke to the unworthy. Lian Wei's expression remained frosty, yet a sliver of raw loneliness escaped in a whisper as she witnessed another hopeful stumble back, defeated.