After Remarrying, I Became Empress Again

The first time Zhao Yexue married, she wed the ruler of Liang. She had been empress for only a few years when Liang was destroyed. The Crown Prince of Zhao, Bei Zhan, led his elite troops straight into the capital and seized the palace. Her personal maid fretted, "I wonder what the Crown Prince of Zhao is like. Is he cruel?" Zhao Yexue replied, "He's gentle with those close to him and merciless toward his enemies." The maid looked astonished. "How do you know him so well, Your Majesty?" Zhao Yexue smiled. "We knew each other long ago." The maid was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! Your Majesty is saved!" Zhao Yexue hesitated. "But I deceived him back then." The maid: "..." Overnight, she became a prisoner. The former Empress of Liang was a fallen phoenix, and everyone believed she would meet a miserable end. Even Zhao Yexue herself thought so. On the day the gates opened in surrender, that man rode toward her through the swirling snow. Looking down at her from his horse, he reached out and wiped the blood from her cheek as gently as brushing away a snowflake. With a cold, wicked smile, he said, "It's been years. You look beautiful with blood on you, Empress." The Crown Prince of Zhao was cold by nature and distant from others. He led his army against Liang, his command of war unmatched. In just a year and a half, he broke through Liang's capital and returned victorious, bringing back a rich haul of spoils and a breathtaking woman. He handed every last bit of gold and silver over to the treasury, but kept the woman for himself, hiding her away in his residence. Rumors swirled through the capital: she was the Princess of Zhuang, the former Empress of Liang, who had abandoned the Crown Prince when he was still an insignificant nobody and left him to endure humiliation. Now he had brought her back to torment her and avenge himself. Everyone believed it. One day, someone happened to see the Crown Prince taking Zhao Yexue out to enjoy the spring scenery. A fine drizzle fell and the path was muddy. The woman stood on the carriage step, her brows furrowed, and refused to climb down. The cold Crown Prince held out both arms to her, his voice gentle. "Come down. I'll carry you." [The heroine's first marriage was a marriage in name only.] Ongoing story: "The Day Before Her Coronation, the Dog Emperor Lost His Memory" Synopsis: Hua Wu had once helped the Third Prince, Zhou Jing. She leveraged that favor to get him to promise that if he ever became emperor, he would make her his empress, the most honored woman in Daxing. They married, with Hua Wu seeing Zhou Jing as a powerful ally for the future and Zhou Jing treating Hua Wu as a stand-in for his unattainable love. Each got what they wanted. After several years of a chilly marriage, Zhou Jing finally became emperor. But the day before he was to issue the decree making Hua Wu empress, he suddenly lost his memory. He remembered everyone but Hua Wu. Hua Wu: You've got to be kidding me. The amnesiac Zhou Jing's personality changed completely. Not only did he refuse to make her empress, he kept searching for his unattainable love. Zhou Jing: I have someone in my heart. I can't remember what she looks like, but I've loved her for a long time. Hua Wu placated him: I know, I know. Your childhood friend. Unfortunately, she's been dead for years. The grass on her grave is already three feet high, and she looked just like me. Zhou Jing didn't believe her and searched high and low for his beloved. Then one day, Hua Wu discovered that this woman Zhou Jing remembered didn't merely resemble her. She was exactly identical. Hua Wu, lost in thought: Could my mother have given birth to a twin sister without telling me? Hua Wu had plenty of faults. She was vindictive, petty, had a princess's temper, loved power, and made a fuss about everything. But even if she was good for nothing, Zhou Jing still loved her dearly, so much that he couldn't bring himself to tell her. He'd planned to keep it secret for the rest of his life, at least until they were old and gray. But people may plan, while fate has the final say. After losing his memory, he couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. Theme: Even when caught in adversity, stay true to yourself and keep moving forward with resolve. Don't regret, and don't look back.