Tears in the Imperial Hall

To escape a forced marriage, Helen Sterling spends a night with a mysterious stranger, only to bear his child in secret. The man vanished, leaving behind nothing but empty promises. Years later, their brilliant son, Edward, excels in the imperial exams and enters the palace for the final test—unaware that the man on the throne is the father he has never met.

To escape a forced marriage, Helen Sterling spends a night with a mysterious stranger, only to bear his child in secret. The man vanished, leaving behind nothing but empty promises. Years later, their brilliant son, Edward, excels in the imperial exams and enters the palace for the final test—unaware that the man on the throne is the father he has never met.