Forced Into the Brothel, I Sought a Powerful Patron. He Abandoned Me, Only to Learn He Was the New Emperor

【One-on-One Romance + Both Leads Are Chaste】 When the new emperor ascended the throne, the General’s Residence was framed for treason, and its members were thrown into prison. Shen Yueying, the general’s daughter, was sent by her parents to her maternal grandparents’ home in Jinzhou in the dead of night. But bandits attacked along the way, and she was forced into a brothel. Desperate to survive, she had no choice but to attract the attention of a powerful patron when her first night was put up for auction. The man had an extraordinary bearing and a face like an immortal’s. Knowing he came from a distinguished family, she hoped only to rely on his power for a while, until the General’s Residence was cleared of charges and could bring her back to the capital. Shen Yueying spent her days entangled with her patron, carefully navigating their relationship. At last, the day came when the General’s Residence was exonerated. She eagerly faked her death and returned to the capital. Back at the General’s Residence, she buried the humiliating memory of having given herself to another man. But as the days passed, she realized her belly was gradually growing. Just then, word reached the inner chambers that the new emperor had gone mad and declared a statue his empress... * Xuan Linyi chose to personally travel south to investigate the case and protect loyal officials. With the situation in Jiangnan unstable, he concealed his identity and posed as an official conducting an inspection. He entered a brothel alongside the local prefect. There, he saw a woman. Perhaps it was the sorrow and fear in her eyes that stirred his compassion. Somehow, he ended up in her room... He had always prided himself on keeping his distance from women, but with her, his self-control and caution failed, and his heart softened. Just as he resolved to take her back to the capital with him, a great fire broke out. As the flames roared around him, he became an empty shell. Back in the capital, he commissioned a golden statue and, undeterred by his ministers’ objections, resolutely installed it as empress. Consumed by longing and guilt, he could not pull himself free. Then, on a chance trip outside the palace, he encountered the woman who should have died in the fire. At that moment, she was laughing and chatting happily with a man, their affection plain to see...