After Being Betrayed, the Noble Consort Ran Away

In the spring of the twentieth year of Qinghe, Prince Jing seized the throne. The former Crown Prince was placed under house arrest, and the women of the Eastern Palace became prisoners. Only Ming Yao, the Crown Prince's favored consort, was brought into the palace by the new emperor and made a Noble Consort. Ming Yao refused, so the new emperor threatened the life of the little princess. At last, in the dead of night, the Noble Consort bowed her head. Looking at the Noble Consort in robes as red as fire, her dark hair loose, the new emperor recalled that night three years ago. His gaze grew darker. "Yaoyao, bear me a child, and I'll let the princess go." For her daughter, Ming Yao thought she could endure a little longer. Then she happened to learn that the new emperor had plotted to make her lose her virtue to Prince Rui, forcing her to enter his residence as a concubine. Furious and heartbroken, she decided to leave. After lulling Shen Yuan into lowering his guard, Ming Yao stood at the edge of the cliff, looking at him with a calm, serene expression. She had once loved him so deeply. Now she hated him just as much. "Yaoyao, stop making a scene." Shen Yuan spoke evenly. He knew Ming Yao, and had already arranged for the Imperial Guards to protect the cliffside. But she suddenly drew a dagger hidden in her sleeve and pointed it at her chest. Shen Yuan's eyes widened in shock. "They say you need to see the person alive or find their body. Whether I jump off a cliff or into a river, how could you be at ease without seeing my corpse?" Ming Yao smiled faintly and plunged the blade into her heart. "Only by killing myself in front of you can I put an end to your hopes." Bright red blood gushed out, and Shen Yuan ran toward her like a madman. She could no longer see, but Shen Yuan's unrestrained expression must have been quite a sight. 1. This is a fictional setting. The worldbuilding and logic serve the plot, so please don't nitpick. 2. Content warning: monogamous pairing, melodramatic husband-chases-wife storyline. The blurb contains all the story's potential triggers. 3. Updated daily. If I need a day off, I'll post a notice in the blurb. This story has chapter protection enabled. Pre-release 1: Seduced into Love (Reborn) Shen Luan had a hard life in her previous one. Before marriage, as the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyuan, her stepsister stole her marriage match, and her stepmother schemed to marry her off to the Marquis of Anyang, a man more than twenty years her senior. After the wedding, the Marquis of Anyang despised and neglected her from their very first night. Several of his stepchildren were around her age, and he also had a favored concubine. Though she held the title of principal wife, she survived by treading carefully, and eventually died in destitution. Reborn on her wedding night, Shen Luan decided to live differently. Life in the marquis's residence was hard. Fortunately, the heir, two years older than her, was an elegant and upright man. Though he never acknowledged her as his "mother," he treated her with some courtesy. Shen Luan knew that in the future, the heir would break with the Marquis of Anyang over his favoritism toward concubines, win a title through military merit, and wield power over the realm. She didn't want to waste away in the marquis's residence, so she took the initiative to care for the heir's younger brother, hoping to earn the heir's help in leaving. At last, the heir returned in triumph. Before Shen Luan could ask him for help, he came to visit her late one night. The refined man who had never called her Mother, addressing her only as "Madam" in a cold voice, now called her "A Luan" in a husky tone. Shen Luan's heart trembled. Forcing herself to stay composed, she said, "Heir, please behave yourself. I am, after all, your elder. We mustn't overstep." "And what if we do?" He clasped her wrist, his palm burning hot. "A Luan, leave him and marry me." Pre-release 2: Spring in the Forbidden Court (original title: Zhaozhao) During the autumn hunt in the twelfth year of Jiayuan, the emperor was injured and disappeared. The nation could not go a single day without a ruler, and some princes and imperial relatives began to entertain thoughts of seizing power. Before long, the emperor returned safe and sound. He dealt with the rebellious prince with an iron hand and brought three princes to heel. He also brought back a young girl, saying she had saved his life. He settled her in the palace and raised her with the status of a princess. The girl's astonishing beauty and the fact that she'd saved the emperor's life made the princes eager to pursue her. If they married her, she would be a valuable asset in the struggle for the position of Crown Prince. Soon, all three princes began courting her. When Zhaozhao went up the mountain to gather herbs, she saved a tall, handsome man. She later learned that he was the emperor himself. When he awoke and saw the jade pendant Zhaozhao wore, he recognized her as the daughter of an old friend. Seeing she was alone, he brought her back to the palace, intending to find her a good match and give her a grand wedding. The emperor was harsh and exacting toward the talented young men who pursued Zhaozhao, and had only just settled on one or two candidates. Looking at the lovely young girl with her radiant face and delicate beauty, the emperor experienced the stirrings of love for the first time. A little scene: One day, a palace attendant reported that someone had drugged Zhaozhao, and she had nearly lost her chastity. The emperor was furious. When he rushed over, he saw Zhaozhao raising a hairpin, about to slash her face. He snatched it from her hand, and the long pin pierced his palm. His hand was covered in blood, but he didn't seem to notice. Looking at the young girl with her eyes red from crying, the emperor said in a deep voice, "Zhaozhao, come to my side." Theme: Stand up to the hardships of fate and never give in.