Book/Media RP The Tyrant’s Poisonous Flower (Solaris)

[FaeWhisperer]

(This thread is loosely inspired by the new kdrama Bon Appetite Your Majesty and is also inspired by the Apothecary Diaries, so a twist on both)

Zixin, the Fourth Emperor of the current Tang Dynasty was known across the land as a powerful and feared man. He had spared no one in his conquest to avenge his late disposed mother, the previous Empress. He was also known to have a very short temper, and anyone who crossed him would be met with his blade.

Of course, he had his loyal subjects, and those who would die for him. They knew the his royal majesty hadn’t always been like this- but after losing his mother, he had slowly begun to fall into madness for his revenge. He swore that one day he would discover who had given the order to kill her, and he would stop at nothing to figure out the truth.

The Emperor’s younger brother, Guo - had always seen his older brother unfit to rule, saying that his temper and outbursts wasn’t one who should be on the throne, and was secretly planning to overthrow him. But how to do it, he wasn’t yet sure. He was in contact with one of his brother’s only concubine so far, Fēng, who secretly wished for the throne herself but realized it would be better to be Guo’s Empress Consort, as it seemed those who were not loyal to Zixin, favored the younger brother the most. They too, were tired of Zixin and his ‘improper’ fit to reign.

It was then that Zixin decided that upon the unrest of the palace, a new poison taster would be employed, because he feared in his conquest of truth, he would be silenced as well before he could bring judgement upon those responsible.

Yet he couldn’t just choose anyone. He would have to choose one that he knew well. He then thought about one that he had known in the past, one who had been his father’s confidant and personal taster. But if he remembered correctly, the man was nearing his 40s, and would likely have been retired.

That’s when he decided to bring in the man’s daughter, who Zixin had known when he was much younger and as a teenager. It had been at least two years since he had saw her, and she was currently summoned to the palace by royal decree. A lot had happened in the two years since he had been made the Emperor, and the Dragon Prince had to keep his own personal feelings put aside for now, although him requesting her had been for much more selfish reasons. He wanted an excuse to see her again, but wasn’t sure if things would be the same again, especially when the last time he had saw her he was still a prince.

There he patiently waited for her arrival, sitting relaxed on his adorned throne, his current servants fanning him. It was a hot autumn afternoon, and he had dressed in light robes, although his color palette consisted of dark and moody shades, which wouldn’t help him staying cool in the sun. But thankfully his attendants had always carried an gai (umbrella) over him whenever he walked across the palace grounds.
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Name: Zixin Li
Age: 20 years
Height: 5’7
Appearance:
Background: (detailed above)
Status: alive
Likes/Dislikes: is it said that the Emperor prefers hot over cold dishes, and cold days over warm days.
Current relationships: One concubine, his favorite - Feng, who has reputation on being a villainous woman and has been mean towards court ladies. Zixin is unaware of this jealousy.
Family; Previous Emperor (deceased), Grandmother (alive, empress dowager, paternal grandmother to the current Emperor) - brother Guo, 2 years younger. Mother (deceased, most likely disposed for being a foreigner)

(@Solaris- hello! Just an fyi idk if you knew, but you can resize images, just click/tap on the image and hit the + looking symbol and I usually do 250 x auto and it helps resizing my images so much!)

I also left the rp open ended so that you can have your character and her background and when she’s currently walking into the emperor’s palace to meet him for the first time in two years. We can always explore their history later :3

 

[Solaris-]

The Sun family were well known in the village that bordered the royal palace. They were a long line of apothecaries that had originally moved there from another country that had faced its own fair share of war and strife among other challenges. They'd brought with them a wealth of knowledge, and thus they'd been allowed to remain there- gaining the people's admiration as a family of hardworking people worthy of respect despite them having no noble lineage to speak of.

Yanwen and her father were no different. She was the apple of her father's eye, and the spitting image of him in his youth. His only child as her mother had been unable to bear him anymore children after the birth of their daughter. That hadn't mattered to them, however, as they loved their child. She was bright, intelligent- though some might say she was too smart for her own good at times, and free spirited. Where most girls and women focused solely on their beauty and manners to attract a husband, Yanwen had never cared too much for those things. She'd been far more interested in learning her family's craft and honing her skills.

As an adolescent, she'd grown a bad habit of using her own body to test her own concoctions. Her arms were scarred and burned along their entire length, but she kept them hidden from view so as to not frighten anyone or have them worry that she was being abused. It was her own doing, and she'd rather not attract their ire nor their concern. She developed an affinity for poisoncraft and had built up a resistance to most commonly used toxins like hemlock and nightshade. It would take a far larger dose of those to put her in any serious danger than the common man.

The day had started like many others. Her father had helped her wrap her arms in fresh bandages before their first client would arrive for the day. "Xiao Yan, I heard you scared away another young man from the village." Though his words carried an incredulous tone, he couldn't fight back the smile that played at the corners of his lips. He knew all too well what kind of woman his daughter was and that she hated when the village men would pine after her endlessly.

"It was his own fault. He kept asking pointless questions and quizzing me about my work. He kept asking me why 'a woman as beautiful as you needs a profession so dangerous'." She rolled her eyes and flexed her wrist with the bandages. They were tight, but she still had full range of motion and circulation. Yanwen rolled down her sleeves of her dress and set to work on the old woman's remedy before she would arrive. "It isn't that I don't wish for a husband one day; I simply wish for one that isn't horrible to me and wants me for who I am rather than how beautiful he thinks I am." She'd worked too hard, learned too much, to simply be happy being a trophy wife to a village man who wanted many babies to further his bloodline. She knew her worth was far more than that.

There was a knock at the door of their shop, and Yanwen was quicker than her father to open it- fully expecting the older woman on the other end. She was met with the face of men dressed in royal colors. Guardsmen of the palace there in their village brought many questions to her mind, but she stepped aside and allowed them entry to the shop. A scroll with a royal insignia was handed to her father, and the man closest to him spoke loudly. "By order of the Emperor, we seek the assistance of the Sun family. We request your presence as the Palace's official poison taster."

Her father had served in that position before, but now he was an older man- retired and walking with a pronounced limp. "My father is in no state to be dragged about the palace." Her words left her lips before she could stop them, and though she didn't regret them, the silence that followed made her flush with guilt immediately.

"Xiao Yan," Her father broke the silence quietly. "The emperor has requested you by name."

--

Sitting in the carriage with the men that had brought the request to their residence had made everything feel far more surreal for the woman. Before they'd left, she had bathed herself and made herself look presentable to appear before the royal court. Brunette hair done up loosely with braids to keep it from sticking to her neck in the warm autumn heat. Her heart raced; it'd been a few years since she'd seen anyone of the royal family. The princeling she'd known before had become the emperor. Surely he had changed in that time. He feared for his safety enough to request her presence, and she could only imagine the politics running amok in the palace for him to feel the way he did. Leaving her father behind had not been an easy choice for her to make, but she dare not disobey a direct order that had been handed down.

The thoughts were swallowed down as they'd stopped. Her confidence wavered, but she remained steadfast and did her best to hold her head high as she was helped down from the carriage. Yanwen followed behind the men quietly- gaze taking in the sights and finery of those around her. To the rest of them, her own appearance was quite plain. A small, brunette girl in unassuming garb. To them, she was nothing but a commoner and now a servant to the emperor.

They'd led her to the door where her once friend sat on his throne surrounded by other servants. As she entered, Yanwen kneeled respectfully and deeply in reverance as one was expected to do. Her gaze only dared to drift up through thick lashes to take a brief glance at the young man that had been her friend once. "Your Highness," she greeted him gently and calmly. "I am Sun Yanwen, daughter of Sun KaiHong. I am here to humbly accept your royal summons and provide you with my knowledge."

--

Name- Sun YanWen 孙妍雯 (yan meaning beautiful; wen meaning cloud patterns. Sun is a classic surname)
Age- 21
Likes- bitter foods, tea with no additions, peach blossoms, calligraphy, seafood
Dislikes- overly sweet foods, red meats, societal expectations
Favored gifts- old books, calligraphy brushes, sour or bitter candies
Family- Mother and Father both are alive and retired professionally, but still working due to demand for what they do.​