Sese is the daughter of the newly enthroned Crown Prince, and the cherished fiancée of a powerful minister.
She never expected that not long after their wedding, her husband, who had always indulged her every whim, would suddenly turn against her and frame her elder brother and sister.
To save himself, the Crown Prince strangled his own son and daughter with his bare hands. Everyone at court called him too weak and cowardly to rule, and waited for him to be deposed.
The powerful minister strolled into the Pillow Garden and saw a woman sitting with her knees drawn up, gazing at the moon, her profile lonely and forlorn.
Thinking back to how she had toyed with him at her fingertips, sowing suspicion between father and son and discord between brothers, he remembered what a sorry state they had all been in.
Divorcing her now was out of the question. He was even less willing to hand her over to his younger brother. So he picked up his brush and sketched her profile beneath the moon again and again. He could capture her peerless beauty, but not her utterly black heart.
As for Sese, all she could think was: The world is mine. As for my cousin, perhaps I should keep looking.
[Notes]
1. Set at the end of the Wu Zhou dynasty, with the empress on the throne, this follows Princess Anle's path to becoming Crown Princess.
2. I think it's quite sweet. The male lead and second male lead agree, and it has a happy ending, so one of them is bound to get hurt.
3. An ensemble of women, with political figures of all genders competing on equal terms.
4. Shares a setting and some characters with my completed novel Chang'an Without the Moon. You can read this one on its own, too.
5. A historical novel. Major turning points follow the historical record closely; smaller events and relationships are imagined where the records are silent. I'll explain in the author's notes.
[Reason for entering the contest: Set in the later years of Wu Zetian's reign, this novel follows Li Sese, daughter of the deposed Crown Prince, as she returns to the capital from exile. Across the ten years in which the empress chooses an heir, the Li Tang dynasty struggles to restore itself, and Li Longji attempts to eliminate Li Xian's branch, the Li and Wu clans, male favorites and nobles, senior ministers and female officials engage in fierce competition while depending on one another. With the fading of the Wu Zhou dynasty as its central thread, the novel offers detailed accounts of real historical events, including the banquet at Shicong, the tragedy in the Eastern Palace, the Buddha's Finger Relic at Famen Temple, and the Shenlong coup. Through the rise and fall of the Li and Wu families and their bitter infighting, it focuses on imperial women and female officials who are given little space in the historical record but played pivotal roles, including Princess Anle, Princess Yongtai, Zhang Emei, and Lady Yan.
To portray in full how a great dynasty from a thousand years ago renewed its vitality through internal upheaval, the novel brings three generations of rulers, Wu Zetian, Emperor Zhongzong, and Emperor Ruizong, into the same arena, showing their sharply contrasting personalities and governing philosophies. Shangguan Wan'er, Lady Yan, and the female official Sima Yinzhu enter the story in turn, each assisting the ruler in her own way. Zhang Yizhi, Empress Wei, and Zhang Emei each shape policy from behind the throne. The poets Song Zhiwen and Zhang Yue, both thwarted in their careers, find new purpose in life, while two generations of princes consort, Wu Chongxun and Wu Yanshow, become lost in the whirlpool of power and regret their choices. In the second half, a succession of northwestern generals, including Tang Xiujing, Zhang Renyuan, and Guo Yuanzhen, face off against the Tibetans and Turks... Against the backdrop of these sweeping historical events, the protagonist's choices become all the more vivid and profound.]
Theme: With the heart suspended among ten thousand moons, seize your moment from the Wild Goose Pagoda; with your feet steering through a thousand flowers, answer destiny from the Dragon Palace
Li Dan, an ungrateful, ruthless and mean person, is just like his son.
Everyone in this article has a female master, Li Xianhui, Se Se, Wu brothers, Li Longji, Li Zhu sisters
It's finished. If you like it, can you give it a 5-point rating? Thank you thank you.
The hanging is over and you can give scores. Thank you. Thank you.
Return to normal daily updates, the countdown will end on October 10th, sprinkle flowers~
The most original ancient thoughts in the book are Webster's "I died for my son, and the son couldn't bear it", and the second is what Princess Xue said while holding Li Ying's shoulder in Chang'an under the Moon, "The king's kindness is profound. Erlang is here to serve the king, so don't cherish your life." Madam wrote so well!
In fact, it is difficult to say that it was Wu Chongxun who fell out of favor. The Queen had murderous intentions towards her second sister and brother. Nothing anyone else could do would be of any use...
The influence of Buddhism on the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty was indeed similar to the North American "vote bank".
Just a reminder, there will be no updates on Wednesdays.
Even if she doesn't like her, she can't ignore her appreciation and affirmation of her... Teacher Qingyi's quarrel is very well written, and everyone likes it. I feel sad after reading this.