Reborn as the Minister's Wife

[Sweet Historical Romance, "I Find You Irresistible," is now underway. Blurb at the very bottom.] Yan Yueyue is the legitimate daughter of the Chengyuan Duke's family. Born to wealth and status, she is renowned as the most beautiful woman in the capital. Yet she was betrothed at a young age to Pei Zaisi, the legitimate son of the Pei family. They grew up together, envied by everyone around them. But Yan Yueyue has a secret she has never spoken aloud: she often dreams of being fitted with golden shackles, confined in a wealthy household, and kept as a caged songbird for people to toy with as they please. The dream is so terrifying that she cannot bring herself to believe it. That is, until the Pei family is framed for a crime that never happened, her husband Pei Zaisi becomes a prisoner, and she is locked in icy shackles and dragged into a secret passage deep within the palace. Only then does she understand why: at some point, the lofty ruler developed a shameful desire for her. The day news arrives that her husband Pei Zaisi is dead, Yan Yueyue is so stricken with grief that she spits up blood. But the hungry cries of the child in her arms remind her that she must keep living. From then on, the delicate and pitiful legitimate daughter of the Chengyuan Duke's family transforms into an icy, ruthless palace concubine, a pampered beauty whom the emperor can love but never possess. When palace servants mock her as base and filthy, she remains expressionless, her red lips parting as she has a man skinned alive and left by the roadside to feed the wild dogs. When a concubine calls her child a bastard, Yan Yueyue has her eyes and nose gouged out and turns her into a human swine after pushing her off a cliff. She is as vicious as they come, all to protect her and Pei Zaisi's child until they are old enough to survive. . One day, a coup breaks out and the palace gates are breached. A man who has always been a paragon of refinement now grips a long sword, the blood beneath its blade spreading across the ground. Yan Yueyue clutches her child and curls up behind a curtain, until that familiar figure appears before her, stepping through the snow and moonlight. Pei Zaisi wipes the blood from his hands, gathers her into his arms, and gently kisses the tearstains on her face. "Yueyue, I'm here to take you home." Yan Yueyue wipes all her tears on his bloodstained lapel and sobs in his arms, pouring out every grievance. Not a trace of her former arrogance remains. Everything she'd prayed and dreamed for, day after day and night after night, has actually come true. Her husband has come to take her home. · Pei Zaisi was born into an official family and lived for twenty years, only to have his wife stolen from him and his family destroyed. At that moment, he thought, if His Majesty shows no mercy, why should he remain a loyal subject? He will assassinate the emperor, slaughter the royal family, and take back his wife and child. Reader's guide: 1. The story unfolds in chronological order, with a proper beginning and ending. The opening isn't the blurb's scenario. 2. The leads are five years apart in age, and the male lead is the original husband. 3. The numbered passages in the story are adapted from classical poets. 4. Comments are closed, so please read quietly. The leads are not each other's first partners. (Important.) ---- Sweet historical romance, "I Find You Irresistible," is now underway. Please add it to your favorites! ---- After her family falls into decline, Gu Lian has only her older brother to rely on. But she is so beautiful and alluring that everyone wants to take advantage of her. Gu Lian knows that an ordinary man can't protect her, and she needs money to support her brother's studies for the imperial exams. So she turns her attention to the man who has just moved in next door. The man has a fierce air, like a sword newly drawn. He is handsome, but rarely smiles. Every move he makes reveals his noble bearing, and even his everyday clothes are extraordinarily valuable. Gu Lian is certain he must be rich and powerful. To tempt him, Gu Lian pretends to accidentally brush her fingers against the back of his hand, then gives him an innocent smile when he looks at her. When he is injured, she feeds him soup with tender affection. At last, the man falls for her, pins her against the wall, and kisses her tenderly. · Xiao Chiyan knows Gu Lian approached him with an ulterior motive. At first, he thinks he's met plenty of women like her and will never fall for Gu Lian. But later, Xiao Chiyan thinks that if he can give it to her, he can let her ask for anything she wants. Ten thousand taels of gold and overwhelming power are nothing compared to a smile from Gu Lian. Bonus scene: Everyone in the capital knows that Xiao Chiyan brought a peerlessly beautiful woman back from a small town and dotes on her endlessly. But the servants in the general's residence rarely catch a glimpse of her. Until one afternoon, a young servant sweeping the courtyard sees the woman dozing against the general's chest from a distance. Her face is as lovely as a hibiscus flower. She seems utterly exhausted, her cheeks flushed pink and a fine sheen of sweat on the tip of her nose. Reader's guide: 1. The male lead is a general, and the female lead is delicate and easy to sweep off her feet (not really). 2. A slice-of-life story, but at heart it's still a sweet romance. 3. Sweet and clean romance, one-on-one. Theme: Eat well and live well