A Graceful Beauty (Reborn)

[Complete] The new novel, Bright Moon in My Arms (Reborn), is now updating. Coming soon: The Minister of Crime's Wife, Spring at the Imperial Terrace, and After I Returned, I Married the Tyrant Again. Yun Ying was a renowned beauty at the Music and Dance Bureau. Her palm dance at the Longevity Festival dazzled everyone and left the empress's elder brother so lovesick that he insisted on bringing her into his household as a concubine. All the women at the bureau envied her, but Yun Ying was unwilling. In her previous life, the man who wanted her had given her fine clothes and rich food, but he was utterly vile in his dealings and loved nothing more than tormenting delicate beauties like her. The empress had always been kind, but no matter how many times the girl begged, she refused to revoke her decision. This beauty was breathtaking. Keeping her in the palace would be a waste when she could be given to her brother. Just as the empress ordered her maids to escort Yun Ying out of the palace, someone outside suddenly cried, “Long live the emperor!” Yun Ying gritted her teeth and decided to take a gamble, turning her gaze toward the man who sat supreme beneath heaven. All the imperial concubines knew that although the emperor treated people generously, he disliked nothing more than women in the harem crying. But gradually, every palace attendant with even a little beauty began to consider tearful makeup fashionable, all rushing to imitate it. The culprit, bullied until she was sobbing, protested, “What does their tearful makeup have to do with me? Your Majesty just wants a new excuse to bully me.” The emperor on the couch had shed his daytime refinement and detachment. He gently lifted the beauty's head and bent down to kiss her. “A Ying, you look so pitiful when you cry. Why not cry a little louder?” At first, he had merely felt a little soft-hearted when he saw the young girl with tear-filled eyes. Later, he developed the same vile inclination, enjoying making her cry every day, then coaxing her back to him. And little by little, she found her way into his heart, becoming the only person he would indulge and cherish for the rest of his life. * His Majesty: I can't bear to let anyone else wrong her, but sometimes I can't help wanting to bully her until she cries. A Ying: Your Majesty, if you keep this up, you'll lose me. A seemingly upright gentleman who is actually an emperor VS a willful crybaby with a tiny waist and the occasional clever trick. His Majesty's tendency to bully her only awakens later in the story. Please see the warnings at the end. I recommend reading them. Pirated readers are not welcome to leave comments. If you read pirated copies, keep quiet. Coming Soon The Minister of Crime's Wife When Jiang Lanwu was fifteen, a new emperor ascended the throne and granted a group of palace attendants permission to return home. She bribed the director of the Palace Service to leave the palace and marry her cousin. Her husband was a noble and radiant man. After their wedding, they lived together in harmony, treating each other with deep respect. But then a cheating scandal in the imperial examinations sent her husband to prison on false charges. A Wu ran everywhere seeking help, but to no avail. She could only watch as her husband was exiled a thousand miles away and she herself was thrown out by her uncles. Just as she was at a loss, a nobleman happened to pass by and took her and her mother-in-law in. In return, however, she had to attend to another nobleman. Her benefactor said that if she served the nobleman well, her husband might still have a chance to survive. His Majesty had countless women. Once her husband returned under the general amnesty, she could still be Madam Jiang. Late at night at the imperial retreat, after bathing, the beauty knelt on the ground clad in nothing but a thin veil and presented the emperor with her husband's blood-written petition. But the emperor did not hurry to read it. Instead, beneath the lamplight, he studied her face. “I have long heard that your beauty is unmatched in the world. Now that I have seen you, I find the rumors were true.” Spring at the Jade Terrace She couldn't remember when she had attracted the most powerful man in the world, but the emperor had never stopped thinking of her. The new emperor ascended the throne and, in accordance with the late emperor's decree, honored Consort Zheng as Empress Dowager. Beneath the jade steps, her former beloved was now a chancellor. He answered every question before the emperor flawlessly, but when he faced the empress dowager, he lost focus for an instant. Zheng Yuqing was on the verge of tears, but beneath her sleeve, someone clutched her hand tightly. The new emperor was strikingly handsome, the twelve jade pendants on his crown swaying gently as he smiled with warmth. “If the empress dowager looks at him one more time, the head of Attendant Qin will be delivered to the Palace of Eternal Trust tonight.” With his sword pointed at Chang'an, the first thing the new emperor did was visit this nominal consort mother at the Palace of Brocade Joy. She was the most favored woman in the six palaces, but her origins were suspect. Rumor had it that his father had forcibly taken her from a minister. His father had once said in front of all the ministers, “This son is nothing like me.” Yet on this one matter, they were strangely in agreement. * From the first moment I saw her, I wanted to take her for myself. One day, I will make her willing to be mine. Warnings: The emperor has a harem at the beginning of the story and has two daughters. In her previous life, the heroine was married to someone else; in this life, she is not. I don't recommend researching the characters' historical accuracy or asking whether they are virgins. The story contains a great deal of fiction. Reference books include Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government, History of Song, Complete Tang Poems, some Song lyrics, Buddhist scriptures, and books on tea culture. Sources are noted in the author's comments whenever they are quoted, except where the source is specified in the text. Please don't mention me under other people's stories, and don't mention other authors under mine. Thank you all. Completed works: The Empress Is Flirting Again Today The Empress's Alluring Fragrance Spring at the Jade Terrace Theme: When the mountains and rivers seem to end, a new path appears among the willows and flowers.