Rippling Shadows

This novel has undergone two major revisions. The version on Jinjiang is the definitive one. Jiang Lian is the daughter of a convicted official. To save her life, she willingly becomes a caged bird in the Prince Regent's residence, trading her freedom for the protection of his power. The Prince Regent wields immense power at court and holds life and death in his hands, yet both his legs are crippled. He loves nothing more than holding Jiang Lian close and running his fingers through the dark hair cascading over her shoulders. When this beauty is by his side, he will not tolerate anyone else coveting her. Jiang Lian is obedient in every way, but accidentally crosses the Prince Regent's one forbidden line. Just as she is overcome with fear, the newly enthroned emperor suddenly comes to her, saying he will resolve this predicament for her. Left with no choice, Jiang Lian pretends to welcome his advances, hoping to use the new emperor to escape her current plight. Once everything is done, she means to slip away. But the new emperor refuses to let her go. His brows draw together, disappointment in his eyes. "You only just promised to share a night of passion with me. Why are you breaking your promise now?" The new emperor is young and politically weak, with a face as handsome as fine jade and a gentle, unruffled air. At a banquet, he secretly takes Jiang Lian's hand as she comes to pour wine, lightly tracing her palm with a finger before calmly asking, "What do you think the Prince Regent would do if he saw us like this?" Frightened, she instinctively glances behind the curtain and sees the Prince Regent in his wheelchair looking this way. She hurriedly pulls her hand free and stumbles away. Amid the crowd of guests beyond the curtain, his gaze burns as it lingers between Jiang Lian's retreating figure and the Prince Regent in his wheelchair. He smiles, carefree and unrestrained. The beauty and the power he has long coveted are both falling into his hands, one by one. Content warning: The male lead is sexually inexperienced, the female lead is not. The heroine and emperor get a happy ending. The characters are flawed, so read with caution if that bothers you. My new novel next door is now available. Feel free to check it out if you're interested. The moment Jiang Chengyun learned that she wasn't actually his biological younger sister, he came back to life like a withered tree in spring. His heart cried out relentlessly: I've taken such meticulous care of her for over a decade. Doesn't she belong to me, completely? * Jiang Ningyue has spent seventeen years as the young lady of the Marquis's household, only to suddenly learn that she is the illegitimate child her mother's concubine bore in secret. Her father, Marquis Wenyuan, is furious and wants to throw her out of the household. But to save face, he has no choice but to marry her off, forbidding her from having any further contact with the family. Fortunately, her husband is handsome and treats her with great tenderness. She thinks she has found a new home. But on their wedding day, her husband is thrown into prison for cheating in the imperial examinations. Rumor has it that he will be executed by being cut in half at the waist. To save his life, she breaks her promise to leave the family behind and goes to her elder brother, Jiang Chengyun, in the middle of the night. Candlelight flickers across the desk as Jiang Chengyun sits upright, tapping the document in his hand. He declares righteously, "The confession has already been signed. There's no way to change the outcome." Jiang Ningyue is utterly devastated. As she did when she was little, she collapses against his knees and weeps uncontrollably. He looks down at her, taking in her tearful eyes, her moist lips, and her slender, delicate frame. His Adam's apple bobs. Then he abruptly changes his tune. "However..." Theme: Even in danger, never forget love and freedom.