Long Live the Imperial Uncle

Content warnings: 1. The female lead is not a virgin, while the male lead is; forced marriage and coercive pursuit. 2. The leads are twelve years apart in age. 3. Set in a fictional world, so please don't nitpick the historical details. The boldest thing Jiang Kou ever did was take her older sister's place in the palace selection for imperial consorts. The Jiang family had fallen into decline, and her sister was frail. The imperial palace was a deadly place, and the emperor was incompetent and immoral. Her sister might never return if she entered the palace. Only by going herself could Jiang Kou carve out a new path for the Jiang family. After entering the palace, Jiang Kou was cautious at every turn. Apart from having to deal with the emperor, her days went fairly smoothly. She thought she had made the right choice. That was until the regent, Sikong Che, returned victorious from war. Her peaceful days were turned upside down. This reclusive, ruthless imperial uncle refused the many beauties the emperor offered him as a reward, yet set his sights on Jiang Kou. Not long afterward, the emperor took Sikong Che's advice and made Jiang Kou empress. On the night of the coronation, the emperor and empress were supposed to share a bed. Jiang Kou sat upright on the extravagantly luxurious bed in Fengyi Palace, but the one who arrived was Sikong Che, dressed in a robe embroidered with a four-clawed golden dragon. Ignoring the palace attendants' alarm, he approached her step by step and lifted her chin between his fingers. Jiang Kou's face was drained of color, but she still forced herself to say coldly, "Uncle, you're drunk." A glimmer of amusement appeared in Sikong Che's usually icy eyes. His thumb brushed over Jiang Kou's lips. "In that case, let the empress attend to me as I rest." Theme: Even in the darkness, we must yearn for the light.