A little princess who just wants free meals x a brooding new emperor who goes mad all by himself
After the old dynasty falls, Princess Zhaoning becomes a prisoner of the new emperor.
According to her original fate, she would carry the hatred of a fallen nation, assassinate the new emperor, and rally the old court's loyalists.
She would escape again and again, entangled with the new emperor in love and hate for ten years.
In the end, her attempt to restore the dynasty would fail, and she would leap from the city tower.
The new emperor would keep vigil over her body until his hair turned white overnight, then massacre half the imperial city.
It would be a grand, tragic romance born of a fallen dynasty, and neither of them would have a happy ending.
When Zhaoning, who had transmigrated into the story, opened her eyes, a dagger was already pressed against the new emperor's chest.
After going through the original owner's memories, she quietly lowered her hand.
Assassination, escape, restoration, then getting captured again.
Ten years entangled in love and hate with a madman, and then the two of them would die horribly.
No way.
Besides, the former imperial family had only taken the original owner in as a scapegoat. She didn't have much affection for them anyway.
She'd treat it like a job that came with room and board.
Restoring a dynasty was exhausting. Running away was exhausting. Loving and killing each other was even more exhausting.
Zhaoning lowered the dagger and looked up at the man waiting for her to strike. She asked in a small voice:
"As long as I don't run away, will you keep feeding me?"
The new emperor: "?"
From then on, Zhaoning didn't try to restore the dynasty, assassinate him, or run away.
The world outside was in chaos, but the palace had a warm bed, snacks, and more than a dozen imperial chefs taking turns asking what she wanted for dinner.
When the weather turned cold, she curled up by the window with a hand warmer.
When the new emperor returned wounded, she complained that his blood would stain the bedding, then bandaged him anyway.
When he spent all night reading memorials, she sat beside him with a soft pillow in her arms.
The new emperor watched her for half a year before finally believing she had no schemes.
She really did just want to eat and sleep.
He thought their affection had grown into a loving marriage over the years.
Zhaoning thought it was a companionship duty that came with room and board.
Later, the new emperor became harder and harder to please.
At first, he only wanted her to stay in the palace.
Then he wanted her to dine with him, move into his bedchamber, and take the empress's seat.
At first, he only held her at night. Later, he wanted to do many other things with her at night, too.
In the end, he wanted her to keep her eyes open, look at him, kiss him, call his name, and say she loved him.
Zhaoning could take no more.
"I don't run away or try to restore the dynasty, and I keep you company every day. Why are you getting harder and harder to please?"
The new emperor stared at her, years of madness buried in his eyes.
"Because you're only too lazy to leave."
"It's not because you can't bear to part with me."
Only then did Zhaoning realize that the tragic romance the two of them were supposed to share had, because she had chosen to lie flat halfway through, fallen entirely on the new emperor.
Later, the new emperor went more and more completely mad.
He opened the palace gates, sent all the gold, silver, carriages, and horses before her, and set her free.
Zhaoning actually climbed into a carriage and took a trip around the outskirts of the city.
The wind was too strong, the road too bumpy, and the food from the inn was worse still.
By evening, she had the driver turn around and take her back to the palace.
The new emperor was still standing in the empty hall, as though ready to burn down the entire realm.
When he saw her return, he said nothing for a long time.
Zhaoning walked over and slipped her hand into his cold palm.
"The food outside isn't good."
"I thought it over. I'm not leaving after all."
The new emperor stared at her. "Is it just because of the food?"
Under his gaze, Zhaoning felt a little guilty.
She rose on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips.
She had only meant to lie flat and coast through her life. Who knew the man looking after her would grow more and more unhinged, and insist on hearing her say she loved him?
Fine.
She'd go mad with him.
"Just keep feeding me from now on."
Theme: Learn to love and be loved through the freedom to choose.
