The Marquis's Beloved Concubine

[My upcoming novels, A Delicate Boudoir and Bewitching Calamity, are open for preorders. Please add them to your reading list!] The Xie family was convicted, and all the daughters were sent to the Music Bureau to serve as maids. Yuheng was the daughter of a concubine. She had no talent for music, and after she committed an indiscretion before the emperor, he sent her to the frontier to entertain the troops. Inside the tent, candlelight flickered. Yuheng knelt on the ground, her heart dead within her. Suddenly, someone walked up to her and lifted her chin, examining her closely. After a long moment, he said in a low voice: "This one is mine." Yuheng was both lucky and unlucky. She had been reduced to making a living by serving others, but halfway through, she was taken in by the Marquis of Tingyang, son of the Pure and Worthy Grand Princess. Though she had no title or status, the marquis doted on her and let her enjoy unimaginable wealth and luxury. For a time, Yuheng was completely swept away, especially when they were alone. The marquis would hold her in his arms and softly call her "A Heng" again and again beside her ear. She felt her heart melt. Until one day, Yuheng accidentally found a small portrait beneath the marquis's pillow. The beauty depicted there looked quite a bit like her. Looking more closely, she saw the signature beside it: "A Heng." Only then did Yuheng realize that the "A Heng" the marquis cherished and called so tenderly was not her at all. - [Reading Notes]: * HE. Set in an alternate world; don't worry about historical accuracy. * Extraordinarily melodramatic! * There are tons and tons of authorial liberties, so this isn't recommended for readers who care about historical accuracy. * Everyone has different limits and different squicks, so this story doesn't come with a list of warnings. If you have any triggers, please read with caution. /// Upcoming Novel 1, A Delicate Boudoir: Yan Ruzhuo was born lucky. She came from a prominent family and had never known hardship. Thanks to her great-grandmother, the Lady Shuwan, she could even claim a distant connection to the imperial family. Carved beams and painted rafters, delicacies and fine dishes. Yet behind all that glitter was a mess of family troubles. Her grandfather, who brought home two sons by concubines in his old age; her father, who was useless and irresponsible; her mother, who swallowed her anger for the sake of peace; her cousin, living under their roof while harboring vicious ambitions; and the little maid who conspired with a servant to steal and sell her jewelry... Even Yan Ruzhuo had no idea that behind her great-grandmother's life of imperial favor lay a secret story from the palace that no one had ever known. - /// Upcoming Novel 2, The Magpie in High Places: - Theme: Love should be open and honest, with nothing concealed.