I Refuse to Marry into the Palace

Everyone knows that the Princess of Xiang, the only daughter of the Prince of Xiang, was adored as the apple of his eye from childhood. Beautiful and sheltered, she was raised in luxury, and once she came of age, many people coveted her. Song Tan was born to the Prince of Xiang’s second wife. She and Crown Prince Yu grew up together as childhood sweethearts. They were inseparable as children, often sneaking out of the palace to play. She flew kites while the crown prince held the string, and when she didn’t want to do her lessons, he copied her handwriting to complete them for her. Song Tan naturally assumed those days would last a long time. But Xiang was in decline, and her father had no choice but to give her up with a heavy heart. He sent a marriage agreement to Lin, to be placed before that terrifying man. The King of Lin. They said he was cruel and violent. Sent to a military camp as a child, he won several battles before being summoned back. As soon as he returned, he raised an army in rebellion, killing his father and elder brothers to seize the supreme throne. Song Tan was terrified. She could never accept being married to a man like that, so she made a bold decision, one she would regret for the rest of her life She fled her wedding... and eloped... After a grueling journey, she abandoned all the dignity of a princess. She thought she’d hidden herself well, but fate was against her. Pursued all the way by soldiers, Song Tan had no choice but to push open a nondescript door. He was on the other side. The King of Lin. On the day Wei Xi returned to court, he silently swore to himself that he would trample everyone underfoot. He would repay every humiliation and every contemptuous glance many times over. Even if he had to live a dishonorable life, he would never again be left to drift from place to place. His mother was lowborn, and the late king disliked him. His childhood was miserable, so he volunteered to go to the military camp and train. An overlooked prince would meet a bad end wherever he was sent. Wei Xi never complained to outsiders. He had cultivated a ruthless nature, and his cold, stern features hinted at his callousness. A slight purse of his lips was enough to make his subordinates draw a sharp breath. After ascending the throne, Wei Xi set his sights on Xiang as he pursued the unification of the realm. From among the portraits of women sent to him for marriage, he happened to draw Song Tan’s. The Princess of Xiang had fled her wedding and run right under his nose. How interesting. The moment he saw Song Tan, he recognized her from the portrait. She had deliberately covered her face with dust, but those bright, flowing eyes were unforgettable. Wei Xi was angry. So many people wanted to become the Queen of Lin and weren’t qualified, yet he had chosen Song Tan himself, and she still didn’t want him. It was nothing less than a provocation. He forcibly knocked her out and took her back. Then he discovered that Song Tan hadn’t merely run away from her wedding. She had eloped. Enraged, he had her lover arrested and thrown into prison, only to find that the man was Crown Prince Yu of Xiang. “What I want has never been beyond my reach.” Wei Xi gently pinched her chin and lifted her face, meeting her watery eyes. In the dark dungeon, there was her wounded Crown Prince brother on one side and her sinister, terrifying fiancé on the other. Song Tan wanted to cry, but her voice had gone hoarse. All she could do was tug lightly at Wei Xi’s sleeve. “Let him go. I won’t try to run away again.” Wei Xi lowered his eyes to look at her. His sinister gaze was like a deep pool frozen over with ice. The man gave a mocking laugh. “I can let him go, but it depends on whether you’re willing.” Song Tan was carried back to his bedchamber. A tear fell onto Wei Xi’s shoulder, and he suddenly bit down by her ear. “Save it. You can cry when we get back.” [Brooding, possessive tyrant × innocent, resilient princess] [Both leads are chaste. The male lead is emotionally and physically inexperienced, but he’s a jerk. Read with caution if you can’t handle that.] [Warring States setting, fictional history, pure melodrama, a little political intrigue] [The heroine and the second male lead are in a relationship at first. Later, the male lead takes her from him by force.] The next book, I Picked Up an Emperor, is currently being fully drafted. [Cold, brooding, restrained deposed emperor × kind, gentle poor girl, as resilient as a reed] The day the palace gates were breached, Qi Wenyun, the deposed emperor of a doomed dynasty, was escorted out to safety. In despair, he jumped into the sea, only to be found by a fisherwoman on the shore. Against all odds, he survived. When he opened his eyes in a daze, he saw a completely unfamiliar face. The young woman’s brows lifted slightly as she gazed at him with concern. The damp sea breeze blew in from the shore, salty and fishy. For some reason, it made his heart feel as if its cold ashes had come back to life. He was willing to keep living in this world, just a little longer. Xi Jiangxiang brought home a man she’d found outside. Her neighbors gossiped, but she paid them no mind. From the first moment she saw Qi Wenyun, she knew it: she’d been swept away like a wave crashing onto shore. She had never seen a man so handsome. Qi Wenyun fetching water: handsome. Qi Wenyun cleaning fish: handsome. Qi Wenyun chopping wood: handsome. Even reading in the drab little room at home, he had an air of nobility that was impossible to ignore. Xi Jiangxiang asked him about his background, but Qi Wenyun never told her. She didn’t want to pressure him, but she cherished their quiet life together. Just when she finally worked up the courage to ask if Qi Wenyun would marry her, he left. Only later did Xi Jiangxiang discover that the man she’d picked up was the emperor. He had fallen into the mud, and she had saved him from utter ruin. Qi Wenyun would never forget the day Xi Jiangxiang smiled at him, her cheeks flushed like the brilliant rosy clouds at dawn. “Since I saved you, why don’t you repay me by giving yourself to me?” But his heart was full of resentment, and the past was too painful to recall. [If you’re interested, please add it to your favorites! Thank you, everyone.] Theme: Love isn’t a game of strategy. Cherish the person in front of you.