A mischievous, troublemaking empress x an even-tempered, wise emperor
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Qiao Ling is a devoted fan of unofficial history.
She is dedicated to inventing all kinds of "according to historical records" stories and wildly imaginative fanfiction. Online, she often gets comments like, "It's my punishment for being able to read that I had to see this."
After one particularly inspired writing session, she stayed up too late and suddenly passed out. When she woke up, she found herself lying in a magnificent bedchamber, surrounded by a crowd of palace maids.
Seeing her awake, the maids respectfully came forward. "Would Your Majesty the Empress like to get dressed now? Before His Majesty left, he said he would dine with you after court."
Qiao Ling was instantly horrified. She pointed at herself. "Huh? The empress? Me?"
An incense stick later, the whole palace was in an uproar, and even the emperor had hurried back.
Qiao Ling thought she had transmigrated to ancient times, but her childhood sweetheart and imperial husband told her she'd simply lost her memory.
She didn't believe a word of it. "How is that possible? You can't even tell that your childhood sweetheart has been replaced! You're a heartless, unfaithful scoundrel!"
The emperor calmly replied, "Yesterday I met with Marquis Yan You of Huai'an and General Feng Shuo of the Cloud Cavalry. Before you went to bed, you told me that, according to reliable historical records, Yan You once bore Feng Shuo a son."
Qiao Ling was so shocked she fell silent. Those two men were both pillars of the Wei Dynasty at the height of its glory, but they were also two of the foremost victims of her unofficial-history fiction.
The emperor continued, "This afternoon, I am to receive Liu Jingmo, the newly appointed top candidate in the palace exams. A few years ago, you told me that he would become a pillar of the nation, but would also get caught up in the entanglement between Yan You and Feng Shuo, making him a member of their tragic love triangle."
At last, Qiao Ling believed that she had been born into this world, and confirmed that her husband was none other than the famous Emperor Jing of Wei, the ruler who revived the dynasty.
She couldn't help cautiously asking, "Before I lost my memory, did I ever tell you anything about... uh, what the historical records say about you?"
The emperor stared at her expressionlessly.
"You said Emperor Jing of Wei had a private ailment and was therefore childless all his life. He must be a pervert to send Liu Jingmo to break up those star-crossed lovers, Yan You and Feng Shuo."
Qiao Ling's vision went black. "Can I lose my memory one more time?"
Blurb written on 2026.03.12
Theme: Unofficial history may not be true, but it is definitely history