The Forbidden Palace's Beloved

[Thank you all for enjoying the story. I can see your comments in my author dashboard, though I can't reply to every one. Thank you to every reader for your support.] The young emperor ascended the throne, but because of a weakness he'd had since birth, he remained bedridden for a long time. As empress, Wei Yinmei was alluring and beautiful, but after marrying the emperor, she showed no sign of pregnancy for a long time. Soon, the emperor died of illness without leaving an heir. Everyone said the throne was likely to fall into the regent's hands... The regent was peerlessly handsome, a man among men. He watched and waited, ambitious and hungry for power, eyeing the most exalted seat in the land. Who didn't know that the empress and the regent had been childhood sweethearts? But when the Wei family saw the regent lose power back then, they acted decisively, broke off the engagement, and sent Wei Yinmei into the palace. With the regent's methods, how could he let her scrape by and stay alive? As it happened, news came from the palace just then: The empress was carrying the late emperor's posthumous child. ** That day, Wei Yinmei wore plain white as she kept vigil for the young emperor, whose body had not yet grown cold. The regent appeared as well, and everyone retreated and knelt to pay their respects. Wei Yinmei rose gracefully from her cushion, eyes lowered. She called softly, "Seventh Uncle," her moist, limpid eyes full of panic and timidity. Xie Zhuo glanced at her, but his gaze did not linger on her for even a moment. His powerful presence left everyone holding their breath. His expression remained impassive, but when a palace attendant said, "Her Majesty the Empress wishes to ask permission to go to the imperial mausoleum and guard the young emperor's tomb for three years," the corners of his lips lifted in a faint smile. That night, Wei Yinmei tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and sensed someone sitting lazily on the edge of her bed. She looked at him, remembering the humiliation she'd suffered lately, her eyes blurred with tears. His long fingers caressed her cheek, like a tender blade brushing past her ear. "You know whose child you're carrying, don't you?" "Even when the young emperor was alive, he couldn't stop me from entering the harem openly. What makes you think things will be different now?" "You don't want to get tangled up with me, but do you really think you can escape me by running to the imperial mausoleum?" His voice rose at the end, threaded with a dark emotion too difficult to name. Premise: 1. Childhood sweethearts, reunited after a breakup, happy ending, one-on-one romance. 2. The leads were engaged, but after the male lead fell from power, the female lead was forcibly sent to the palace by her family. 3. A ruthless, ungrateful man X a delicate yet unyielding noblewoman. The young emperor is no good person, and the marriage was in name only. 4. Includes a possessive love plot. The female lead is delicate at first, but gradually grows stronger. 5. This is a story of tangled love and hate. If this isn't your kind of thing, don't force yourself to read it =v= 6. The complete, revised edition, with additional plot scenes. Other completed work in my collection: Jiao Luan. Pseudo-siblings, an aloof crown prince X his beautiful imperial sister. Theme: Trust is the most important thing between husband and wife.