The Young Emperor's Reverse Pursuit of His Wife

Why did Zheng Hui agree to become the new emperor's consort in the first place?

Even she could no longer quite remember the reason.

Perhaps she was taken by his looks.

Perhaps she felt pity for him.

Or perhaps she was feeling rebellious.

By the time the late emperor was on the throne, the powerful in-laws had already taken control of the government.

And once the new emperor ascended the throne, the empress dowager and even the grand empress dowager kept him firmly under their thumbs.

With the in-laws meddling in government and the regional princes ready to make a move, the new emperor was hemmed in on all sides and controlled by others, possessing nothing but the title of Son of Heaven.

In the year of the new emperor's accession, Zheng Hui entered his harem.

The imperial throne of empress was vacant, and all factions watched it covetously. Whoever won it would have to prove their own worth.

Zheng Hui, however, had no desire to claim the throne of empress, nor did she want to remain trapped forever in a harem of scheming and deceit.

She struck a private deal with the new emperor: she would help him take real power, and he would let her leave the palace.

Once their deal was fulfilled, the new emperor waved his hand and kept his promise. Zheng Hui left the palace as she had wished.

But after Zheng Hui had departed, the emperor dismissed the morning court and still had his carriage taken to Weiyang Palace.

Seeing this, his personal eunuch said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Zheng has already left."

The emperor fell silent for a long time, at a loss for words. A sudden feeling of desolation came over him, as if he had lost something without even realizing it.

She had gone from being the harem's most favored consort to an abandoned consort thrown out of the palace. Everyone who wished her ill waited to laugh at her.

But after leaving the palace, Zheng Hui found a residence outside the city, hired a few servants, and settled into a pleasant life.

On the first day, she secretly went to the South Courtyard for a visit.

On the second day, she secretly went to see the performers.

By the third day, a few handsome young men had joined her household.

As time went by, the remonstrance official heard some outrageous rumors.

Everyone knew Zheng Hui was an abandoned consort, but she had once been the emperor's Noble Consort, after all.

The remonstrance official brought the matter up at court, saying that she had brought shame upon the royal family and that such behavior was absolutely unacceptable. He asked the emperor to judge the matter fairly.

The emperor already knew what Zheng Hui had been up to. He was seething, but there was nothing he could do.

He had planned to use the official's remonstrance as an excuse to go speak with Zheng Hui and ask her to show him some consideration.

But before he could even leave the palace, he heard that she was carrying a child, and the child's father was unknown.

*The blurb was screenshotted and archived on January 16, 2022.

--- Forthcoming novel: After Our Divorce, I Played with Your Feelings and Abandoned You ---

[They Had All Been Scheming to Win Me Over] In progress...

After You Hua returned to the capital following her divorce, the noblewomen who had once envied her marriage to the Marquis of Anbei came one after another to mock her. They all wanted to see how she, a discarded wife, would manage to survive in the capital.

Before she married, people said she was innocent, charming, and beautiful inside and out. After the divorce, those once-glowing praises became a blade that stabbed You Hua all over again.

What use is it being beautiful and delicate if you can't keep a man? Now you've become a discarded wife and had to slink back to the capital, bringing shame upon the entire You family.

In the sixteenth year of the Mingde era, You Hua married the Marquis of Anbei. Xie Xun was only fifteen then, an imperial prince the emperor paid little attention to.

When Xie Xun learned that You Hua had agreed to marry the Marquis of Anbei, he stormed into the You residence with bloodshot eyes. The guards at the Left Chancellor's residence nearly mistook him for an assassin and cut him down on the spot.

Only when You Hua appeared was the commotion brought to an end. Xie Xun called softly, "Older Sister."

"Xie Xun, hurry back to the palace. If Uncle the Emperor finds out, you'll be punished again."

"Are you really going to marry Xiao Jingtong? He's so old. Can't you refuse to marry him? Can't you stay here instead of going with him to Jingzhou..."

In the nineteenth year of the Mingde era, You Hua divorced the Marquis of Anbei. Xie Xun was eighteen, and the prince who had once had no say in the palace had become the crown prince.

This time, no one could stop him.

Xiao Jingtong had thought You Hua was only throwing a tantrum, as she had before, and that they would make up once she had calmed down. As for the divorce, he had never agreed to it in the first place.

By the time he learned about the divorce, You Hua had already returned to the capital. In Jingzhou, he angrily clutched the imperial edict the emperor had sent at full speed, thinking he ought to let his young, naive wife cool her heels for a while. She needed to learn there were limits to unreasonable behavior.

This time, he wouldn't be the first to give in. He would wait for his wife to apologize to him.

As far as You Hua was concerned, apologizing was out of the question, but she could take a good look at some men. She hadn't been back to the capital in three years, and there were plenty of unfamiliar faces she didn't know well.

Rong Heng, the new top scholar from a humble family...

Jiang Yiming, a wealthy merchant who had traveled from Jiangnan to the capital...

Fang Jinyu, a retainer in her father's household...

Reading guide:

1. A universally adored heroine, a harem of male supporting characters, and the male lead is blurred out at first.

2. All male leads who have a relationship with the heroine are sexually inexperienced. The heroine is not.

3. Writing advice is welcome, but don't expect the author to make changes.

4. If you criticize characters in the story, please don't criticize the author.

5. The values of fictional characters do not represent the author's values.

The blurb was screenshotted and archived on February 1, 2023.

Theme: Pursue a happy life.