The Empress Acts So Coyly, Her Tears Break His Majesty’s Heart

[Palace intrigue + revenge + the emperor’s devotion in the later story + HE] Yun Shu is exceptionally beautiful and deeply indebted to Empress Wen. The domineering Noble Consort Xu has even managed to eclipse the empress. Seeing the empress’s position weaken, her clan sends Yun Shu into the palace to help the empress win back the emperor’s favor. Yun Shu carefully plans every step and proceeds with caution. In just a few years, she rises from a lowly sixth-rank Beauty to a first-rank Noble Consort. Only she knows how much she has sacrificed along the way. When Xiao Chengnan first sees Yun Shu, he is struck by the unusual air about her, so different from that of an ordinary palace maid, and captivated by her extraordinary beauty. Before he realizes it, he has fallen deeply for her. Once Yun Shu accomplishes her goal, she no longer wants to waste effort currying favor with the exalted emperor. To her surprise, he turns around and does everything he can to win her over. When Xiao Chengnan learns the truth, Yun Shu expects him to fly into a rage. Instead, the emperor, so lofty and untouchable until now, reveals a tender, vulnerable side. “An’an, don’t even think of leaving me!” He holds her hand and begs in a low voice. When she gives birth, the Eastern Zhao emperor’s beloved Noble Consort dies a tragic death after a difficult labor. The emperor, who had never neglected his duties since ascending the throne, is overcome with grief. He suspends court for dozens of days and seems nearly mad. Only after the Grand Princess brings the newborn prince to Longquan Palace, and says something to him, does the emperor finally pull himself together. The ministers at court can at last breathe a sigh of relief. Three years later, in Luocheng, Xiao Chengnan sees the person he has longed for day and night, walking along the street with a little girl. He stands rooted to the spot. The three years he spent in a daze suddenly seem like a joke. The emperor gives her boundless affection, and it takes him a lifetime to warm Yun Shu’s heart.