Soft Silk Smoke

[A willful, self-serving favorite consort * a principled emperor who plays favorites] [Neither lead is perfect. The heroine is chaste, while the hero is not. There is a little palace intrigue, but this is not a sweet romance. The emperor favors her early on.]

Jiang Lingyi was breathtakingly beautiful. From childhood, she thought the world of herself, with ambitions reaching for the sky. When her mother arranged a match with her cousin, she considered him too mediocre to deserve her. She humored him, keeping him dangling as nothing more than a pawn she could discard at will.

Then, in a fleeting glimpse, she met Xiao Ji. He carried the air of imperial nobility, wielded overwhelming power, and came from a family so exalted it left her in awe. From the moment they met, she caught the scent of immense wealth and supreme authority. She wanted to attach herself to this towering tree, securing a lifetime of fine clothes, sumptuous meals, and endless splendor.

But people are never satisfied. Her initial greed took root and began to grow. She no longer wanted only wealth and security. She wanted more, everything more dazzling and coveted.

Xiao Ji was a prince of the imperial family. His mother had chosen a highborn wife for him. He excelled in both letters and arms, surpassing all the other princes. Proud by nature, he looked down on everyone.

When he first met Jiang Lingyi, he was struck only by her stunning beauty. It was only after spending time with her that he realized how tactful and charming she was, and he granted her a little favor.

It was not until their daughter, A Luan, was born that his gaze truly lingered on her. Even her little schemes and small mistakes became amusing quirks he was willing to indulge.

But he gradually realized that desire was surging in the beautiful woman's eyes. What she wanted had long since gone beyond what he could grant. A tangled relationship born of calculation and indulgence would become more perilous with every step, until there was no turning back.