Li Chenglan x Jie Heng | Young Emperor x Powerful Minister
Li Chenglan, raised from childhood in the inner palace, never could have imagined that one day a coup would wipe out every heir to the throne, leaving her a puppet emperor installed by Jie Heng.
Jie Heng, meanwhile, was a jade-faced demon, sinister and ruthless, yet with a smile so harmless it could beguile the soul.
Chenglan almost fell for that face.
She knew Jie Heng disliked her, even hated her.
Chenglan was very obedient, especially in front of Chief Minister Jie Heng, as docile as his little puppy.
Jie Heng was quite satisfied. But Chenglan's patience and obedience shattered beneath Jie Heng's desire-filled gaze and the pale, beautiful fingers slipping inside her clothes.
As her fifteenth birthday approached, the young emperor actually bribed the eunuch faction within the palace, saying she wanted to escape and give up the throne.
But the plot came to light, and Jie Heng appeared before her holding a eunuch's head, smiling as he asked, "Where are you running off to, Lan'er?"
Chenglan was too frightened to speak. The bed curtains parted, and Jie Heng, still reeking of blood, dragged her into his arms as she curled into a ball.
He kissed the tip of her nose and the corner of her lips. Chenglan didn't understand that kind of kiss and thought he was just slobbering all over her like a dog.
She said she would kill Jie Heng, the traitorous minister!
Jie Heng laughed out loud and said, "Good," several times. But that night, things went very badly for Chenglan.
If she wanted to kill Jie Heng, the treacherous rebel, she would have to become an emperor with real power. The young emperor had recently become diligent in her studies, especially interested in the art of ruling.
But the more she learned about ruling, the more hopeless she felt. Jie Heng was already a powerful minister beyond anyone's ability to challenge...
No matter what she did, she was still his puppet.
On the day a neighboring kingdom presented its tribute, the young emperor personally poured Jie Heng a cup of wine during the banquet. Jie Heng smiled, tilted back his snowy neck, and drained the cup.
But that one cup left Jie Heng unconscious for more than three days.
When he woke, a secret report informed him that the young emperor had fled to Jiangnan, faster and farther than the last time.
The letter went into the fire, burning and writhing. Jie Heng was willing to play along~
For three months, the imperial court carried on peacefully without the young emperor.
For three months, Li Chenglan was thoroughly happy in Jiangnan, with its apricot blossoms and spring rain.
So happy that she forgot Jie Heng. She even forgot that she had once been emperor.
The next time she saw Jie Heng, he used a bloodstained sword to lift her red wedding veil--
Jie Heng wore red robes, his gaze ferocious and unrestrained, more frightening than ever. "I've found you, Lan'er~ You'd better think carefully about who you're going to marry."
*Chenglan is actually a year older than she thinks; Jie Heng is a wicked woman~
*Maximum melodrama. Chenglan's marriage in Jiangnan is only a pretense, as explained in the story.
*An alternate world; all institutions exist to serve the story. Chenglan will become a true emperor.
*That's all for the synopsis for now. Note from 2025.11.15
Theme: Through wind and rain, roots take hold and new shoots grow.
