The Gold-Digging Widow Became the Emperor's True Love

[Flirtatious Gold Digger Widow vs. Emperor Who Fell for Her Looks at First Sight] (Marriage First, Love Later; Both Seem Innocent but Are Cunning; Neither Is Chaste; The Male Lead Stops Visiting the Harem from the Very Start, and the Female Lead Has Him Wrapped Around Her Finger from Beginning to End)

Jiang Yunsheng, the legitimate daughter of a marquis's household, had been the top scholar's wife for less than a year when her husband suddenly died of illness. With a vast fortune in her hands, she became the most conspicuous woman in Chang'an overnight.

Her uncle, the empress's father and the emperor's father-in-law, claimed she had no one to rely on and offered to manage her assets for her.

Even her cousin, the empress, summoned her to the palace at that very moment, hoping to force her into agreeing.

Jiang Yunsheng was unwilling, but she dared not offend the empress.

Just then, the new emperor arrived and interrupted their conversation. Yet he remarked ambiguously, "Second Miss Jiang, you really are just as the rumors say."

**

Jiang Yunsheng paid no mind to the new emperor's cold words. All she wanted was to shut her doors and live her own life.

But the empress and her father kept pressing her, determined to seize the fortune that was her livelihood.

If they wouldn't let her live in peace, then none of them would.

After making inquiries, Jiang Yunsheng learned that the emperor would visit a temple outside the city in five days. She dressed with care and found a way to step right into his line of sight.

She never expected the emperor to scold her coldly: "Have you no manners?"

**

Inside the dim bed curtains, the air thick with heat.

Jiang Yunsheng's eyes shimmered seductively, her voice hoarse. "Your Majesty, this is against the rules."

The emperor pressed down harder, his breath hot. "It seems, my lady, that you still have some strength left."

Ever since Zongzheng Yu ascended the throne, he had held himself to the standards of a wise ruler, striving to be upright and self-disciplined, and to govern with virtue and propriety.

But the wise ruler harbored a secret he could never reveal: from the moment they first met, he had coveted the beloved wife of one of his subjects.

**

Reader's Guide:

1. HE; neither lead is chaste; the female lead and the empress are not biological sisters.

2. Includes domestic and palace intrigue. The female lead always puts herself first.

3. The female lead wants wealth, status, and a peaceful life. She has no political talent.

4. The female lead gives the male lead seventy percent of her heart and holds back thirty percent.

5. The female lead will not be abused! The female lead will not be abused! The female lead will not be abused!

Please add my new serial to your reading list: The Bandit Chief's Husband Is a Powerful Official

[Martially Mighty, Carefree Female Bandit vs. Scheming, Cunning, and Sinister Young Nobleman] (Both Chaste; Female on Top, Male on Bottom; Female Lead Has Maxed-Out Fighting Skills)

To inherit her father's position as bandit chief, Qiao Yuwan went down the mountain to find a way to continue the family line.

She never expected to save a handsome young man along the way. Too bad he was no good person.

Then again, neither was she.

Qiao Yuwan immediately decided to turn the tables on him and borrow his seed.

Li Zhuo was stubborn, though. No matter how she tried to persuade or pressure him, he refused to give in.

Qiao Yuwan flew into a rage. She used his enemies to drive Li Zhuo into a corner, step by step.

Only then did she offer him a helping hand. "Need a bodyguard? The kind who stays by your side day and night!"

Li Zhuo was forced to bow his head.

From then on, Li Zhuo let her have her way with him.

But in his eyes, a chilling glint remained.

Two years later, Qiao Yuwan, still not pregnant, had grown bored.

While Li Zhuo was away, she left him some money and returned to her mountain stronghold.

A few days later, the Prince of Yan arrived with imperial orders to suppress the bandits.

Qiao Yuwan recognized the familiar features of the Prince of Yan and felt a sense of dread.

Sure enough, the next moment he smiled grimly. "Bandits are running amok. I have brought troops to suppress them. Surrender, and you will be spared."

Qiao Yuwan stood in front of the people in her stronghold, shielding them as she eyed him warily.

Li Zhuo advanced step by step, his thumb rubbing over Qiao Yuwan's tightly pressed lips.

At last, the hatred he had nursed for two years had found an outlet.

Now she would be the one to suffer everything...

Reader's Guide:

1. Both chaste; one-on-one romance; HE.

2. The female lead is a real bandit, uncouth and martially mighty.

3. The male lead is two years younger than the female lead, a great rebel with genius-level intelligence. He's cunning and scheming, but a terrible fighter.

Upcoming novel: My Concubine Wants to Run Away [Scheming, Beautiful Fake Heiress vs. Aloof, True Powerbroker] (Both Chaste; One-on-One Romance; Sweet Story)

**

Jiang Shiqi's true identity was exposed, and she was sent back to her village.

Her stepmother wanted to sell her to a widower who had already buried three wives.

Jiang Shiqi didn't want to die, so she had to hurry and find herself a husband.

But Shang Lu, the man she had set her sights on, treated her with icy indifference and even warned her when she approached him.

That was until Shang Lu's mother returned from offering incense and said in a daze that she had found Shang Lu a beautiful concubine.

He was about to refuse sternly when his mother told him the woman was Jiang Shiqi.

Shang Lu changed course mid-sentence. "That would be fine."

**

Shang Lu, the only son of the Shang family, was tall and graceful, upright and self-disciplined. He had earned the title of provincial graduate at eighteen.

A young man of such refined beauty and bright prospects was bound to make people fall for him, and Jiang Shiqi was no exception.

But Shang Lu was utterly indifferent, ignoring every sign of affection she showed him.

Then one day, his mother told him that if he did not consummate his marriage within three days, his life would be in danger.

Three days was too little time to find a wife, but more than enough to take a concubine.

His mother had already found the right woman: Jiang Shiqi, the bewitching young woman from their village.

Out of respect for his mother's loving intentions, Shang Lu thought it over for a moment and agreed.

**

Jiang Shiqi knew that Shang Lu had no interest in women.

Even in bed, he simply got on with it. As soon as they were done, he would draw a clear line between them and never linger with her.

Jiang Shiqi didn't mind.

After all, she and Shang Lu's mother had agreed in advance that she would be Shang Lu's concubine for only one year, and that she would seduce him into doing it as often as possible.

When the year was up, Jiang Shiqi took her letter of dismissal and her money and happily headed for the docks.

She had just boarded a boat when Shang Lu arrived with soldiers and surrounded it.

His usually gentle face was dark as a storm, veins twitching at his temples.

He backed Jiang Shiqi onto the bed, step by step, then bit her neck and pressed against her with a hidden force. "Where do you think you're going?"

**

Reader's Guide:

1. Both chaste; scheming female lead; HE.

2. The male lead has an exceptionally strong sense of morality. He's a bit of a jerk early on, but his actions belie his words.

3. The male lead is stronger than the female lead. The romance is the focus; marriage first, love later; the male lead has to win his wife back.

Theme: I want to live the very best life.