Cherished Moon

Original title: My Dog Emperor Was Reborn

~~Blurb~~

She was empress for seven years in her previous life, but in the end, her entire family met a tragic fate.

As Yan Rouyue lay dying of illness, she thought that perhaps Xiao Zheng had had no choice. Being emperor must have been so hard for him. Everyone was exhausted. In the next life, they should never meet again.

Between one moment of darkness and the next of light, Yan Rouyue was reborn at fifteen, back when she had just arrived in the capital.

The young Prince Hui before her seemed to be the same Xiao Zheng from her previous life: imposing and stern, consumed by official duties, impossible to approach or attain.

But when he once again had the chance to come before her, he was warm and passionate, even urgent, utterly unlike the man she remembered. He held her hand as if it were a lost treasure returned to him. "This time, I'll never let go again."

#Both leads are reborn, and they are devoted to each other in both lives#

#Please check out my upcoming story: The Eastern Palace's Beloved Sparrow#

After Chancellor Lu, who had controlled the government for over a decade, was convicted and brought down, Crown Prince Xiao Xun personally visited the Lu residence on the day it was confiscated.

Amid a mountain of charges and utter chaos, he ordered them to bring out Lu Tang, the young daughter who had once been Chancellor Lu's favorite.

Though she was disheveled and covered in dust, the delicate, pale girl was still breathtakingly beautiful, her charms beyond compare.

"Didn't Chancellor Lu submit a petition saying I was immoral and dissolute, of unclear birth, unfit to be the crown prince, an unsuitable match for his daughter, and unworthy to be a wise ruler and virtuous minister?"

Xiao Xun's handsome face, as beautiful as a jade mountain, held a faint smile. Every word fell like a blade of frost.

Ink strokes and red seals marked two lines on the fine paper: an imperial decree.

Lu Tang, who had been destined for exile in the north alongside her father and brothers, became a lowly servant in the Crown Prince's residence, without even a rank.

As the turmoil raged, Lu Tang once thought of taking her own life, but Crown Prince Xiao Xun stopped her with his own hands. Furious, she said, "If Your Highness intends to wipe us all out, wouldn't it be better if I saved you some trouble?"

The elegant, noble Crown Prince left another mark on her delicate, pale skin. "Who said I wanted your life?"

Xiao Xun's warm breath fell against her ear. "What I want is for you to witness with your own eyes whether I deserve to be a member of the imperial family, the Crown Prince, and a wise ruler and virtuous minister."

Lu Tang fought back her tears, refusing to let them fall. But the Crown Prince, still angry with her, had no idea how he would end up trapped by his own schemes.

Especially in the year he had no choice but to select a Crown Princess...

#One-on-one romance, happy ending#

#The heroine cares about the physical side of things before the emotional side, and she won't just give her heart away later either#

#The Crown Prince will have to pursue his wife#

Upcoming story: My Husband Used to Be a Bandit, formerly titled A Spoiled Bride

Because she refused to use the dowry savings her mother had left her to support her stepmother's son, Xie Yanyan, the third daughter of the Marquis of Changxin's household, endured years of mistreatment from her family. They even switched her marriage to her stepmother's daughter.

Her younger sister Xie Yingying became engaged to the handsome son of a Minister of the Court, while Xie Yanyan was promised to Zhou Shaohuai, an illegitimate son of the Marquis of Xiande who had only recently been brought back from Jiangdong.

He was the bandit chief who had terrorized Jiangdong for six whole years, a vicious killer who had only just accepted the imperial court's offer of amnesty and been appointed a fourth-rank military officer.

Her grandmother made it clear: if she was willing to give in and pay up, the elders could find a way to call off the marriage.

Without hesitation, Xie Yanyan took the ledger box containing all her savings and went to Zhou Shaohuai's residence herself. "I hear the young general has weapons, soldiers, and courage. I have money. Let's make the best of it."

Zhou Shaohuai had just come from the training grounds. Sweat covered his brow, his outer robe hung open, and his body beneath was strong and muscular. His gaze was as cold as a blade, and a faint, half-inch scar over his left eyebrow lent a murderous air to what should have been a very handsome face.

"Didn't you come to break off the engagement?" Zhou Shaohuai asked in surprise, his gaze sweeping over the pretty young girl before him, whose skin was as white as snow. "I used to be a bandit."

For some reason, Xie Yanyan blushed. "Can bandits really be this handsome?"

Zhou Shaohuai: "...They can."

From that moment on, Xie Yanyan knew that her husband wasn't just handsome, but honest too, if a little shameless.

#A marriage that turns to love with a former bandit chief#

#She'll also take on the worst of her maternal family and her husband's family#

#Of course, she'll also give her whole heart to those who treat them well#

Upcoming story: The Vermilion Mark in the Prince's Heart (Reborn)

[Battle-hardened, cold-faced god of war] x [delicate, breathtaking beauty]

Gu Mingluan, the third young lady of the Earl of Jiachang's household, was born with beauty capable of toppling kingdoms. Her fame as a beauty filled the capital, and from childhood she had been promised to the Second Prince, Prince Zhao.

But before Gu Mingluan came of age, disaster struck and she was kidnapped. Though she was ultimately rescued unharmed, her reputation was damaged. Her family blamed her for disgracing them, and after marriage, she was treated with cold neglect in Prince Zhao's household.

Two whole years later, the Second Prince took her on an outing for the first time. Gu Mingluan thought her husband had finally changed his mind, but instead he gave her an aphrodisiac and pushed her into the bed of Seventh Imperial Uncle Xiao Chengyao!

Only after several rounds of passion under the drug's influence did she learn that she looked very much like Xiao Chengyao's unattainable first love. The Second Prince had brought her there to blackmail Xiao Chengyao and force this celebrated war hero, his Seventh Imperial Uncle, to help him seize the throne.

Gu Mingluan died by suicide in grief and rage. The last figure she saw before dying was Xiao Chengyao, rushing toward her...

Born anew from death, Gu Mingluan opened her eyes again to find herself back before her marriage.

This time, she decided to become a stand-in for Seventh Imperial Uncle's beloved, hoping at least to secure a lifetime of peace and safety.

But when she finally opened the portrait of the woman Xiao Chengyao had treasured for years, the more she looked, the more confused she became.

Wasn't that... her?

"It's you." The handsome, steadfast Seventh Imperial Uncle drew her into his arms again. His burning kisses seemed to etch themselves into her bones, making up for every regret and missed chance from their previous life. "It has always been you."

[Notes]

Both leads are reborn. Set in a fictional world. A delightfully melodramatic sweet romance.

One-on-one romance. The leads have only ever loved each other, in both lives.

The male lead is only six years older than the heroine; his title just makes him sound older.

The former husband, the Second Prince, will try to win her back, but he'll be thoroughly crushed.

Theme: Love can heal all darkness and brokenness. No one is perfect, but I'm willing to grow alongside you.