The Empress

[Two upcoming novels: "Matchmaking Pressure" and "The Slender Waist". If they sound interesting, come check them out!] When the empress fell gravely ill, Nianshan, the fifth young lady of the Jing'an Marquis's household, was sent to the palace to keep her aunt company. Two months later, the first thing she did upon returning home was ask her mother to call off the marriage arrangement they had been discussing, then shut herself away. After the empress passed away, the people of the marquis's household returned from mourning her, only to find Nianshan gone. A carriage had taken her away, and she had been secretly sent to an imperial residence outside the capital under the pretext of guarding the empress's tomb. Inside the luxurious palace, the man whom all the world looked up to pulled the cloth wrapped around her waist away, gripped her chin, and gazed down at her. His voice was cold and unhurried. "Shanshan, do you still want to get rid of My child?" At first, Song Xiao did not like Nianshan, but let her into the palace because he did not want his eldest son to grow up without a mother. Later, he had her give birth to a princess. In the end, he watched Nianshan scheme her revenge, doing everything he disliked. But this time, he personally placed the empress's throne before her, hoping only that she would like it. 1. This is a fictional setting. The worldbuilding and logic serve the plot, so please don't nitpick. 2. Content warning: this is not a one-and-only romance. The blurb covers the major landmines in the story, so read with care. 3. Updated daily. If I need to take a day off, I'll say so in the blurb. Anti-piracy measures are in place. Completed novels: The Tyrant Has a White Moonlight in His Heart / The Beloved Concubine / The Marquis's Wife's Leisurely Life Upcoming novels: "Matchmaking Pressure" The Duke Dingguo's household is a top family with a legacy spanning generations. The heir, Lu Heng, is born to privilege, handsome and distinguished, and known in the family as a refined and elegant gentleman. He is the most coveted husband among noblewomen. One day, an unexpected guest arrives at the estate. A delicate sixteen-year-old girl claims to be Lu Heng's betrothed, arriving to press for a wedding with a letter written in the late Duke's own hand. The girl is beautiful and alluring, and she openly flirts with the heir. She is plainly not a suitable match. Fortunately, the heir is dignified and self-possessed, and remains unmoved by her. ** Jiang Yu lost both her parents as a child and lived with her uncle's family. Before her uncle passed away, he gave her a letter and told her to take her aunt and cousin to the capital and seek refuge with the Duke Dingguo's household. The Lu family accepts the engagement only to preserve its reputation, so Jiang Yu goes along with their wishes and stays as a young lady guest. But her goal has never been the highborn Lu Heng. She is only pretending to back down to make the Lu family feel a little guilty and give her another choice of husband. The second branch's son, Lu Xu, is gentle and modest, a far more suitable husband. Sure enough, seeing that she is willing to yield, the Lu family agrees to arrange her marriage to Lu Xu. Jiang Yu happily prepares to move out of the duke's estate and await her wedding. On the night before she is to leave, she packs her bags and is about to put out the lamp when a tall figure silently enters her room. Lu Heng, just returned from a long journey, grips her wrist. His eyes are bloodshot, and his voice is hoarse as he asks, "A Yu, who are you going to marry?" "The Slender Waist" On the eve of her first night with the emperor, A Chan learns that His Majesty is gravely ill and she has been pushed forward as a sacrificial bride to bring him good fortune. If the emperor dies in bed, the person attending him that night will not escape death. Just as she is despairing, she meets a strong, healthy man whose looks bear a three- or four-tenths resemblance to the emperor's. He is Prince Qin, Xiao Yi, trusted by the emperor and currently staying at an imperial residence. Prince Qin is aloof and keeps his distance from women. A Chan doesn't dare bet that she can seduce him successfully. So she makes a bolder decision. On the night she is supposed to attend the emperor, A Chan sneaks into Prince Qin's bed. A sudden turn of events changes everything. The emperor dies, and Prince Qin becomes the new emperor. That day in the empress dowager's palace, Xiao Yi is grabbed around the leg by a toddler who can barely walk. The child looks up at him and calls, in a childish voice, "Father!" A Chan rushes over, terrified out of her wits. Unable to pull her son away, she can only crouch down and apologize. Xiao Yi says calmly, "It's all right." Seeing this, the empress dowager sighs sadly. "The emperor looks like the late emperor. No wonder the child mistook him for his father." Everyone else chimes in, flattering the new emperor by saying that the late emperor's little prince and His Majesty share some similar features. Xiao Yi's heart stirs faintly. He raises a hand to stroke the child's hair, but his gaze subtly shifts to the woman who hurriedly gets to her feet, as though he is deep in thought. Theme: No matter how desperate your circumstances, keep striving to rise above them.