A Lovely Face in His Arms

Everyone knows that the current emperor is mercurial and has no interest in women. The delicate beauties sent into the palace always meet an untimely end, and the entire harem is as desolate as the Cold Palace. The court officials are worrying themselves gray over it. At the risk of his life, the Grand Tutor requests an audience and asks what kind of peerless beauty the emperor would accept into his harem. Qi Huai, who has trouble telling women's faces apart, thinks for a long time and replies, "At the very least, I have to remember her face." Hearing this, the Grand Tutor immediately orders the palace painters to paint portraits of the eligible young women in the capital, striving to make them vivid and lifelike so the emperor will never forget them. But when the portraits are presented, Qi Huai's gaze settles on the face of the painter introducing the young women to him. "Her." * The painter, Pei Zhaoyan, has pearly teeth, red lips, and bright, beautiful eyes. She's a rare beauty, and her skill with a brush is renowned throughout the land. But these days, what people praise most is her extraordinary good fortune: she only had to appear before the emperor once, and now she's about to rise to the top and enter the palace as a consort. Pei Zhaoyan: Good fortune? Want this fate for yourself? The gossiping onlookers scatter like birds and beasts. Before the marriage is set in stone, Pei Zhaoyan tries time and again to think of ways to escape, but the emperor catches her every time. Pei Zhaoyan can no longer run. She thinks with childlike innocence: the harem is just like the Cold Palace anyway, so she might as well become a nun! She never does become a nun, but instead enjoys all the riches and honors and takes her place as empress. Remembering this old story after the fact, Pei Zhaoyan feels conflicted. Weren't they saying the harem was just like the Cold Palace? [Reader's Guide] 1. Happy ending, one-on-one romance, both leads' first time 2. The male lead has no other consorts 3. The male lead only has trouble recognizing women's faces Next novel: The Princess's Everyday Art of Wooing Her Husband Xun Huan, the posthumous daughter of the late emperor, was a delicate, adorable child whom everyone doted on. Her much older brothers raised her like their own daughter and competed to ask whom she loved most. Xun Huan would always lift her chin proudly and say, "Father!" Her brothers protested indignantly, "You've never even seen Father!" Xun Huan giggled. In truth, she had a secret: whenever she got drunk, she dreamed of her father. In her dreams, her wise and mighty father would tell her tales of extraordinary people and strange events, teach her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and even crouch down so she could ride on his back like a horse. But when Xun Huan turned fifteen and got her own princess's residence, her father stopped appearing in her dreams. In a panic, she drank and drank until at last someone as wise and mighty as her father appeared before her. With tears in her eyes, Xun Huan threw herself into his arms. "Father! I've missed you so much!" He Changxuan, sent to protect her, looks at the tear-streaked face of his unexpected daughter: ??? * He Changxuan uses the alias Chang He to stay at the princess's residence. He becomes Xun Huan's favored attendant, always by her side, though his true purpose is to repay a debt of gratitude. But she's far too bold, flirting with him whenever she gets the chance. After being teased one too many times, He Changxuan can no longer sit still. He enters Xun Huan's boudoir while she's sober, only to be chased out by the blushing princess wielding a feather duster. He Changxuan calmly wipes the rouge from his lips. The little princess has quite a temper. Theme: Respect one another and remain faithful to one person for life.