Bewitching Soul

New novel: Divorced, Then Married My Ex-Husband's Older Brother is now underway [Complete] Empress x powerful court official Five years ago, Qi Zhaonan was ordered to escort a surrendered captive to the capital. The defeated ruler offered up a woman, claiming she was peerlessly beautiful, with the grace of ice and the radiance of a spirit. At nineteen, Qi Zhaonan was a noble-born top scholar, aloof and refined. He detested such bewitching temptresses, but as an envoy, he had no choice but to escort her himself. That night, beneath the pouring rain, in a humble room filled with alluring fragrance and boundless springtime passion, his heart was finally stirred, and his proud spirit was broken. Before he could make any promises, the beauty suddenly changed her tune. "Lord Qi, how can a fleeting affair be taken seriously?" Five years later, the young envoy had long since gained control of great power. On the day he returned to the capital to report on his duties, the favored consort, who reigned supreme in the imperial harem, was being elevated to empress and granted an honorific title. Her eyes brimmed with affection, but she was looking at the man in the dragon robe. Meng Lanyi had been a consort for five years. Amid the curses of the assembled court officials, she was made empress. While the emperor discussed state affairs with his ministers, she personally brought him a bowl of ginseng soup. Concealed beneath the desk, the powerful court official rumored to be ruthless and heartless hooked a finger around hers. She was both embarrassed and annoyed, afraid he would take revenge and ruin the hard-won position of empress she had finally obtained. She avoided him at every turn. * But when she suddenly heard that a young censor, renowned for his fearless candor and integrity, had been imprisoned on false charges, Meng Lanyi wept and had no choice but to beg the powerful official she had once toyed with for help. Deep among the lotus blossoms, the water rippled. Qi Zhaonan looked coldly at the beauty who had captivated the entire imperial harem, now leaning against his knees. He said carelessly, "Your Majesty, why should I save someone who has nothing to do with me?" Tears glimmered in Meng Lanyi's eyes. "He is... my cousin." His gaze turned icy. He gritted his teeth, lifted her chin, and looked down at her. "When you beg for help, you have to act the part. Your Majesty knows what to do, don't you?" * Though he knows her heart belongs to someone else, he will still turn this forbidden palace upside down. Meng Lanyi sneaked a glare at the man sleeping contentedly beside her, then wiped away her tears and regretted it in silence. She should never have provoked this madman on the road to the capital. [Content Warnings] 1. The heroine has previous sexual experience, while the hero is a virgin; the hero has only ever been with her, body and soul. 2. The emperor is no good man; the heroine has another love in her heart; there is no enmity over the fall of a dynasty; the heroine gets together with the hero only after ending things with the emperor. 3. Classic guilty-pleasure romance, a court official stealing the ruler's wife, a forced romance, a love triangle, and a pregnancy escape. 4. Entirely fictional setting with original elements; no historical accuracy intended. [The blurb has been screenshotted and archived. The subject matter and setting have been reported to and approved by the editor.] Theme: Stay true to your original intentions