The imperial palace

In a place with strict rules and etiquette, you can only feel like a prisoner in his own palace or like a bird in a cage.

Being a prince or a princess is not always a blessing, especially if we think about the continuous struggle for power.

Having all the beauties in the world just for yourself is not always a blessing for the country. More concubines, more quarrels and betrayals.

This kind of place is the imperial palace.

Li Ru Yi was the daughter of a low rank concubine, which was very favoured by the emperor but who died at her two twins birth.

She has a brother who is one of the crown prince's generals. Since young Ru Yi grew up in her uncle's courtyard along with her brother Li Fang. She had all her childless aunt's love but because she grew up in the yard of a general, she ended up with male habits.

Drinking up till the next day, always fighting with others, dressings up as a man and sneak out of the palace, riding a horse all day long are men habits.

The Emperor was indulgent with her because she never met her mother but the empress was very strict about a young lady's conduit.

The empress was always scolding her for not being more elegant and good behaved like her daughter Li Min.

Li Min was the first princess and the crown prince's sister.

The only support of Ru Yi and Li Fang came from their uncle who was the fifth prince and the emperor's younger brother.

There were also many other concubines in the harem and of course other stepbrothers and sisters.

Ru Yi wasn't interested in the palace life and the struggles for power and fame. She was interested about the life of the people outside the imperial walls.

She was often visiting her brother in the military camp, go to a local tavern to drink and eat with the soldiers, watching street performances or opera with her brother and the sons of some ministers and so on.

We're speaking about a eighteen years rebellious lady.

When she was outside the palace only her brother and the crown prince knew her real identity. Everyone else thought she was a man, a playboy because one of her friends was an opera performer.

Sometimes she was performing these male roles too. This is the reason why Ru Yi was known as a famous performer courted by many ladies and young girls from the court.

Ru Yi was also a talented writer but no one actually knew that the scholar Ru Yi was actually the young princess Li Ru Yi.

Zi Feng was also in love with the scholar just like many other maids, even the first princess was a fan of Ru Yi's operas.

One day she insisted to bring the scholar to the palace and Ru Yi could have ended up in a big mess if the crown prince wouldn't have found a good excuse.

This was our restless Ru Yi, even though she had no political power, her name was well known by ladies and scholars.

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