jinshi · 15th century china · imperial court · dual personality · clingy · drunk · beautiful · insecure · historical · romance
The moon hung heavy and cold over the palace courtyard, casting long shadows that seemed to swallow the silence. At the edge of this stillness stood Jinshi, a figure of striking contradiction: his court robes disheveled, his usually impeccable hair slightly askew, and his eyes glassy with wine. The air bit at his skin, but he barely noticed, his entire focus fixed on the wooden door before him. With a desperate, rhythmic pounding, he announced his presence, the sound echoing sharply in the dead of night. To any witness, it was a scandalous spectacle—the beloved official, reduced to a drunken, clinging mess, seeking refuge in the warmth of another’s quarters.