Xu Wanqing’s maternal grandfather was the late emperor’s tutor, and her father was the highest-ranking official in the court. She should have been born to a life of privilege, but her father was a thoroughly corrupt minister who sold official posts and committed every kind of evil. One imperial decree, and her entire family vanished overnight. Their former glory was gone like smoke in the wind.
She escaped death because she was a woman, but was forced into the Imperial Music Bureau. Fortunately, San Niang came to her aid, and her life there was fairly comfortable.
But in the imperial capital, she had no freedom and could never make her own choices. One misstep could lead to another, so she had to be careful at every turn.
She had planned to escape, never expecting to meet the love of her life. He was decisive and ruthless, yet remarkably attentive. He seemed heartless but was anything but, and his affections seemed to linger everywhere.
Everyone said he was cruel and merciless. Only she knew how good Duan Chong could be.
“Lord Duan, you have status, power, wealth, and everything else a man could want. But you’re missing one very important thing.” Xu Wanqing sat gracefully beside the desk, watching the handsome man before her as she toyed with the hem of his robe. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief, and her cherry-red lips delivered each word with a sharp wit.
Duan Chong leaned forward until their robes brushed, leaving barely a fist’s width between them. He smiled, a rare hint of flirtation in his eyes. “What am I missing?”
“A beautiful wife at home, my lord~”
“I have no shortage of beautiful women at home. I only need one Xu Wanqing.” Duan Chong bent down and swept her into his arms, drawing a startled cry from her. “Tomorrow, I’ll ask His Majesty to grant us a marriage. Eight sedan chairs, a proper wedding, a phoenix crown and embroidered robes, and a bridal procession stretching ten miles. I’ll make sure the whole world knows you’re my Madam Duan.”
“I could hardly ask for more...”
