Prequel Extras

[This story is complete. It is set in an alternate history and centers on the siblings Murong Chong and Murong. It is the prequel to the three-part series about the emperor’s coercive love, told from the perspective of Western Yan. It recounts the siblings’ childhood before they reclaim their country. The story of the male and female leads after they restore their kingdom is woven into the trilogy. Interested readers can browse my profile for the complete story of the siblings’ lives, from beginning to end.] Blurb: When Qin’s cavalry broke through the capital of Yan, Longcheng, heavy snow had just begun to fall. Snow covered Fu Xian’s shoulders, hiding the bloodstains on him and burying the bodies of the city’s people. Blood slowly soaked through the snowflakes, as if a field of red plum blossoms had bloomed. The red was so glaring that Rong Yue couldn’t help raising a hand to shield her eyes. But the man beside her would not let her look away. She watched with her own eyes as the capital was doused in oil, then consumed by blazing flames. The man on horseback laughed heartily. His bright brows and sharp eyes were filled with delight. He had a handsome, dignified face, yet at that moment he smiled like a child who knew nothing of the world, seemingly pure and untouched by worldly dust. And yet he was doing the most filthy, evil thing in the world. The man tossed aside the last torch in his hand, and the army rode off in a long line. The howling hot wind carried waves of fire that stung Rong Yue’s eyes. When she came to her senses, she realized she was already in tears. She could no longer tell whether it was the heat of the flames, fear, or grief. She had been through too much today, as if she had fallen all at once from heaven into hell. As they left the city, Rong Yue and her younger brother, Rong Yi, huddled inside the carriage and took one last look through the window at the majestic imperial capital engulfed in flames... Now serializing: The Tyrant Takes His Sister-in-Law (please add it to your collection) She was born into a distinguished family and became empress of a kingdom, but her husband’s elder brother forced her to marry him, his younger brother claimed her for himself, and all kinds of men coveted and teased her. They seized her by force, threatened and tempted her, and drew her into tangled love and hatred and a painful romance. All because she was too beautiful and kind, she ended up with a lifetime of romantic debts. Xiao Ziyou: Mu Jun, how about we spend our lives together, just the two of us? Mu Jun, you owe me so much. How will you make up for all these years of longing? Mu Cheng: We were betrothed first. Why should Xiao Ziyou get to beat me to you? How can he steal his subject’s wife? Is it because he’s the emperor, so he can take the woman someone else loves? Mu Jun, now I’m the emperor too. You like emperors, don’t you? Why don’t you love me? I want you to love me. You were always meant to be my wife. Mu Zhan: Sister-in-law, you can’t act like this. You accept my favors when you need me, then kick me aside and treat me like dirt when you’re done using me. You cross the river and destroy the bridge. Am I some kind of monster? Why are you so afraid of me now? I don’t want to be your ninth brother. I want to be your husband. I want to spend my days and nights with you, have children together, share a bed in life and a tomb in death. Good girl, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. Come into my arms. I’m the emperor now too, and I can protect you. Yes, I killed your son! After you lost your memory, you spent day and night entwined with me. Do you regret it now? Ha! You’re in pain? Whatever pain you feel is not even a fraction of mine. What right do you have to blame me? Didn’t you kill our child too? I killed my brother, seized his throne, and murdered my nephew. I did it all for you. Mu Jun, don’t even think of getting away from me. Can this peerlessly beautiful woman, trapped in a bloody struggle for imperial power, find redemption and a peaceful end? Female lead Li Mujun: I’m a peerless empress, and I don’t want to be one. It’s exhausting. An old-school, melodramatic story set in an alternate Northern Qi. The female lead is based on Li Zu’e. You can read the first two Deep Well Ice stories in my profile. Reading parts one and two before part three will make for a smoother experience, though you can still follow this story without them. Coming soon: My Husband Is a Cross-Dressing Big Shot (reborn, gender-swapped) Blurb: Everyone says, “A talented man and a beautiful woman make a perfect match.” But Wang Wan, the most beautiful woman in the Great Xia Empire, with her breathtaking beauty and exquisite features, still couldn’t win the heart of Xie Yu, the most celebrated scholar in the land. She was terribly upset and couldn’t understand what had gone wrong, so she went to ask Princess Yang Wu for advice. “Sister Awu, I’m so pretty. Why doesn’t Brother Yu like me? Does he dislike beautiful women and only like handsome boys?” Otherwise, why would he rather go for an outing with those handsome young men from distinguished families than fly a kite with her for a little while? “The Way of Heaven takes from what has too much and gives to what has too little. Beautiful women tend to be a little dim-witted. You’re a perfect example, Wanwan. And the more cultured a man is, the less he likes a woman who has nothing but looks. A sweet little flower like you has no appeal to Xie Yu.” Princess Yang Wu merely looked at her with disdain. “Then what should I do?” Wang Wan knew she wasn’t clever, but she was eager to improve! She could learn! So she asked anxiously, “Sister Awu, you’re so smart. Could you teach me how to become a cultured woman?” Seeing how determined she was to win Xie Yu, Yang Wu’s expression darkened a little. After a moment’s silence, however, she finally answered. “...All right.” Later, Wanwan came running back in tears, wiping her eyes in front of him, her voice full of misery. “Waaah... Brother Yu said he doesn’t like women who act so coquettishly! He likes me even less now!” She was crying at the top of her lungs, while Yang Wu’s anxious heart finally relaxed. He stepped forward, patted her little head, and pulled her into his arms to comfort her. “There, there, Wanwan. Xie Yu is a block of wood who can’t appreciate your beauty and charm. He has no taste! Let’s stop liking him, okay, darling? You’re going to marry me someday, so you can’t keep admiring other men.” At that, Wanwan’s heart jolted and she suddenly understood. She looked down at his flat chest, then stared at him in shock. “Sister Awu, you’re actually a man!” No wonder he’d never had breasts! He was tall, but his body had developed slowly... She’d always thought Yang Wu was simply exceptionally gifted, but it turned out he really was a man! Yang Wu’s face went completely blank. “...We’re together all the time. I thought you would have figured it out by now.” The crown prince Yang Mu, who routinely plays two roles (a proud, sharp-tongued, cold beauty with a mature, womanly air as Yang Wu) x Wang Wan, the kind-hearted first beauty of a distinguished clan Crown Prince Yang Mu has this to say: When I had no choice but to dress as a woman, that lovely girl stole my heart. Other people may think she’s a silly girl, but in my eyes she’s wise in her own way, pure-hearted and kind, the most beautiful woman of all. Well... despite our completely opposite personalities, we became “good sisters,” and later a loving married couple... Note: After marriage, they will switch bodies and genders. The story involves past and present lives. The male lead was truly a woman in his previous life, while the female lead was a real man! Now serializing and coming soon. Please add them to your collection. Theme: The more bravely a canary faces the wind, the more beautiful she becomes.