Synopsis
[Gentle on the outside, ruthless and ambitious within] x [Suspicious, brooding, and sinister common-born emperor]
(This story has a lot of potential triggers, so please, please read the content warnings at the very bottom!)
Adultery / coercive possession / obsessive love / a rotten person with a sincere heart / melodrama / love and hate entwined
Xue Caisheng entered the palace as a child. Starting as a low-ranking palace woman, she struggled her way up step by step until she became deputy director of the Bureau of Bedchamber Affairs, in charge of the emperor's sleeping arrangements.
She had authority and responsibilities, modest savings, and a betrothal. She and her future husband were devoted to each other, and life couldn't have been more comfortable.
But her fiancé was gravely injured while saving the emperor. After discussing it among themselves, his family decided she should conceive a child with another man. They drugged her and locked her in one of the palace's duty rooms.
She never saw the man's face clearly. In her hazy state, she glimpsed a small red birthmark beneath his collar.
After that absurd night, Xue Caisheng hurried away, intending to give birth in peace, forget the whole thing, and return to her quiet life.
She tried to leave the palace, but the young emperor locked her in his bedchamber. He laid a hand on her slightly rounded belly. "A Cai, what if the child in your belly starts looking more and more like me? Once you leave the palace, will your child even survive?"
Later, her fiancé's family was convicted in a single day and condemned to execution by beheading. She narrowly escaped the same fate, but watched her husband's head fall at the execution ground, blood spattering the earth.
Before her tears could fall, a pair of long fingers covered her eyes. The young emperor bent close, his voice low as he leaned to her ear and chuckled. "A Cai, marry me, and I'll be yours. If you won't, I'll become your ghost."
Knowing that life at the emperor's side was like living beside a tiger, Xue Caisheng quickly gathered her money and secretly sent messages to others, preparing to flee during a palace sacrifice.
The sky was clear, the bright moon hung high, and the mist parted to reveal the light. Xue Caisheng descended the mountain, thinking she had finally escaped, when a sudden chill touched her neck.
The silver blade flashed, making her close her eyes instinctively. Zhang Que spoke languidly. "Xue Caisheng, the imperial sacrifice is not over yet. Why are you here? Are you trying to run away?"
*
Zhang Que had won the throne at a terrible price. He had spent his early years wandering among the common people and was not brought back to the palace until he was twelve. There, he faced open and hidden attacks, blades and bloodshed. A puppet emperor, he had to be cautious in everything and never once let down his guard.
The Empress Dowager allowed him to learn the rites and receive an education, but never let him take part in government. He wore the robes of an emperor but had none of a ruler's authority.
Zhang Que believed himself to have a heart of iron and stone, yet one woman managed to ensnare him.
The girl had starry eyes and a jade-like face. Though she wore no makeup, her beauty was cold and striking. Her deep brown eyes were distant yet captivating, and Zhang Que couldn't help but stare.
He had never heard of anyone like her in the palace, and yet he felt she looked somehow familiar...
On a snowy night, Zhang Que confessed his feelings, only to learn that she and her husband shared a deep bond and had no intention of divorcing. He congratulated her with a smile, but behind her back, he plotted at every turn, eventually having her husband's family convicted.
He thought that would be enough to keep her by his side. He never expected her to join forces with an outsider and risk being convicted just to escape his grasp.
Unhappy, he took his sword and blocked her path at the foot of the mountain. But the instant he saw her, his heart softened. If only she would lower her head, he could wipe the slate clean.
But there was one condition: she must stay in the palace forever, as his wife, his prisoner, and his possession, like a fish in his pond.
Incense curled in the air, masking the scent of desire. The offering table and lamplight swayed, while the Buddha statue, eyes lowered, sat as still as a mountain.
Before the Buddha, one must not kill. But one may offer a sacrifice.
Ashes fell softly from the incense. In the midst of their passion and confusion, she saw a small patch of red beneath his collar, so familiar...
"A Cai, shouldn't you listen to me in bed? How did you make your husband happy before?"
"Let me see... what you look like..."
Content warnings:
1. The characters are not perfect. The heroine comes from a lowly background, so she will do whatever it takes to find a way to survive. Because of his childhood experiences, the hero is extremely suspicious and cruel. He is thoroughly messed up when it comes to love, with a touch of Stockholm syndrome.
2. This is not a story about a powerful heroine, not a wish-fulfillment story, and not a sweet romance. The tone will not be especially happy.
3. The heroine is not a virgin, while the hero is. The heroine's former husband really is disabled, and the hero has no harem from beginning to end.
4. Adultery in the early part, coercive possession later. The turning point comes after the hero's identity is discovered.
5. Strong old-school melodrama. No transmigrate, no System, and no golden finger.
6. Not suitable for readers who are devoted to either the hero or the heroine. Both of them suffer.
7. This story is set in an imaginary world and won't stand up to scrutiny. All official systems and customs exist only to serve the story, so just enjoy it for fun.
The story is already written, and I'm humbly trying to build up my readership. I'll start posting at 300 saves. Please take pity on me!
Theme: Human determination can overcome fate.
