I Am No Gentleman

[Hypocritical Tyrant x Innocent Minister's Wife]

The Grand Princess Gaoyang had recently been widowed, and set her sights on Gu Yunzhou, the Grand Tutor's only son and Minister of the Court of the Imperial Clan.

She went to plead with her younger brother, Emperor Yuanfeng.

Emperor Yuanfeng wasn't an idiot. A princess couldn't marry into a powerful minister's family, or the empire would fall into turmoil and the realm would be in danger.

He found Gaoyang a hundred or so strapping male companions, promising that she could have a different one every night.

But the Grand Princess Gaoyang drugged Gu Yunzhou with a powerful aphrodisiac and had her way with him.

As she did, she spread the details, causing a scandal throughout the capital. When she and Gu Yunzhou awoke, Gu Yunzhou tore the bed curtains to shreds and nearly strangled her to death on the spot.

The whole thing had gotten far too ugly.

Emperor Yuanfeng was worried. His own sister had behaved like a brute, and he had to clean up after her.

So he summoned Gu Yunzhou's wife. He planned to make amends and compensate her, then return her husband to her, washed clean of the scandal.

That day, a light rain fell. Lin Wanzhi entered the palace alone, holding an umbrella.

She knelt in the hall. Her shoes and stockings were wet, and her soaked skirt clung to her ankles, outlining her slender figure. A thin veil woven from rain mist covered her hair.

Emperor Yuanfeng lowered his eyes to look at her. Her fingers were pale and delicate, pressed to her forehead.

Those hands had never known a moment's hardship. Gu Yunzhou had taken good care of her. He'd cared for her so well, yet let her come to the palace in the rain without even holding an umbrella properly. She couldn't even keep the rain off herself.

"Your subject's wife pays her respects to Your Majesty."

She trembled, the wet fabric at her shoulders revealing a lustrous pink.

Emperor Yuanfeng frowned. The comforting words on the tip of his tongue, "Gaoyang was out of line, and Gu Qing had no choice. You are to be pitied as well. I grant the two of you an estate far from the capital, where you may live in peace," slowly, slowly sank back down his throat.

Instead, he said in a deep voice, "Madam, do you believe that an aphrodisiac can make a man lose his senses?"

Lin Wanzhi raised her eyes at his voice. The emperor's commanding gaze bore down on her, pinning her in place.

"I don't believe it."

Emperor Yuanfeng descended the steps and walked toward her, one step at a time. Looking down at her, the hem of his dragon robe brushed her slender wrist as he said coldly, "You have been unlucky in love. Perhaps you failed to cultivate good karma in a past life. I grant you residence in the Celestial Immortal Hall, where you may pray and devote yourself to cultivation."

Reader's guide:

|The female lead isn't a virgin, the male lead is|The emperor steals his minister's wife|Coercive love|The powerful man bows his head|

|Mad, scheming siblings break up the couple; the male lead gradually loses all moral restraint|

Next novel in preparation:

[Pure-hearted, naive, cruel heir x gentle, strong-willed orphan girl x silent, ruthless power minister]

Ye Qingyu was sixteen, the only daughter of the Grand General who Defends the Nation.

After her parents sacrificed their lives for the country, the emperor showed his benevolence by granting her in marriage to Xie Ke, heir to the Prince of Huan.

The Prince of Huan's household treated the orphaned daughter of loyal officials with great respect as she married into the family.

After the wedding, Ye Qingyu's life was fairly carefree.

Though she'd heard rumors that her husband had a childhood sweetheart, and that the two had once been on the verge of discussing marriage.

Though her husband was cool and polite to her during the day.

Though he never allowed her to set foot in his study.

Still, Ye Qingyu knew her husband had feelings for her, or perhaps he had gradually grown fond of her over time.

She still remembered their wedding night. Her husband had only lightly slipped one corner of her skirt off her shoulder and told her to turn around, remaining quite distant.

But now, three months later, her husband came to her every night, holding something sharp as he pressed her down and called her, "Ayu, Ayu..."

Once, in the throes of passion, Ye Qingyu called him "Dear Ke."

For some reason, her husband seemed to be provoked. He fell silent and grew fierce, nearly breaking her.

Ye Qingyu thought it over and realized her mistake. "Dear Ke" was what his childhood sweetheart used to call him.

She had taken someone else's place and stolen someone else's destined love. If her husband still couldn't let go, she wouldn't force herself to stay in a loveless marriage.

She found him in his study. "I don't want to ruin your life. If you want to marry her, you can give me a divorce agreement."

Xie Ke said nothing.

Ye Qingyu lowered her eyes, her face gentle and soft. She rubbed her belly. "I already have someone to depend on... but the child will join my father's household, the House of Ye."

"You're pregnant?" Xie Ke's gaze suddenly darkened. "You want me to marry someone else? You want me... to sleep with another woman?"

"You don't need to worry, husband. My elder brother-in-law is in charge of the household now. I'll do my best to persuade him."

Ye Qingyu tried to keep smiling, though her husband had never referred to himself as her husband in that way before. Her elder brother-in-law was usually haughty and acted as if she didn't exist, and she was afraid to ask him for help.

"Don't go," Xie Ke said, stopping her coldly.

From then on, Xie Ke's personality changed completely. He clung to her day and night, speaking gently and never leaving her side.

Ye Qingyu thought she had finally made it through the storm, and that her husband had at last fallen for her. She figured they could live happily together, until one night, a tiny inconsistency made her blood run cold.

The man who had held her close every night wasn't her husband at all. The father of the child in her womb was someone else.

There weren't many men in the prince's household. Once she figured out who it was, Ye Qingyu's legs nearly gave out in fear.

And somewhere darker, out of her sight, the man who never spared her a glance during the day, Xie Yinzhi, who held immense sway at court, was kept from entering her room for the first time.

He wanted to enter but couldn't. He wanted to get close but couldn't. He wanted to hold back but couldn't...

When Xie Yinzhi heard what was happening inside, he gradually went mad, completely forgetting that in the beginning, he had agreed at his younger brother's tearful request to take his place in the wedding bed.

Now, the play was over.

#Cute, clueless sister-in-law, do you know why you're having morning sickness?#

#My brother-in-law, who pretended to be my husband and made it real, seems to have gone mad#

Theme: Bowing your head and destroying yourself for love.