Back to My Nemesis's Youth

[I'm really not good at writing sweet romances set in ancient times. I'm considering switching to political intrigue, but I've never written it and know very little about it, so I'll find a teacher and learn first. This story is temporarily on hold. I'll revise the outline and start writing again later.] On the day eighteen-year-old Yan Shunhua was married, Beique invaded, and her husband was shot through the heart by Beique's Crown Prince, Di Yuan. As the empire teetered on the brink of collapse, Yan Shunhua fought to save it. She killed her father, her elder brother, and her younger brother. After killing three emperors in succession, she finally became the renowned Empress of Daliang. For over a decade, she matched wits with Beique, but Yan Shunhua had been frail and sickly from birth. Overwork eventually brought her down with a grave illness. As the Empress of Daliang lay dying, Beique's cavalry swept through the winter and breached the imperial capital. The young emperor was ruthless and bloodthirsty, leading his troops in a massacre. He killed the empress, slaughtered the nobles, and buried two hundred thousand surrendered Daliang soldiers alive. Daliang ran red with blood, and its people suffered terribly. When she opened her eyes, Yan Shunhua was back thirteen years in the past. She was sixteen, gravely ill and recuperating at an ancient temple in the mountains, just a princess anyone could bully. Her mother was under house arrest, her elder brother watched her like a hawk, her childhood friend had turned against her, and her betrothed treated her with icy indifference. There was also a young man staying temporarily at the temple. His beautiful features shone like the blazing sun, but his temperament was as cold as ice. A red mole beneath his eyelashes made him all the more striking and alluring. She had no idea what grudge the young man held against her, but he tried to kill her every day. After failing several times, he grabbed Yan Shunhua by the neck and abducted her. The young man's temper was terrible. Yan Shunhua casually remarked that he had a bewitching, wanton beauty, and he flew into a rage, calling her licentious and frivolous. From then on, he mocked her every day. Yan Shunhua was no meek, submissive sort. She let loose all kinds of suggestive remarks and used every underhanded trick she had on him. She often left him gnashing his teeth, his ears burning red. The moment Yan Shunhua learned the young man's true identity, she turned cold and kept her distance. He sneered. First, he would leave her isolated and surrounded by enemies; then he would imprison her in the palace and trap her in his bedchamber. Only then did Yan Shunhua understand: to love someone was to wish them life, and to hate them was to wish them death. This future emperor's love and hatred were both far too extreme. Ji Shaoyuan once had a dream. In the dream, a terrible nemesis appeared in his life, a life in which he had been invincible and unstoppable. Like a cloud blotting out the sky, she circled above him, refusing to leave. From the moment she appeared, he never won again. Only after she died did he lead his troops into Daliang. After waking, Ji Shaoyuan hurried out of the imperial palace and went to lie in wait at a remote ancient temple in Daliang. At last, he found his nemesis. A frail, weak, mist-like, porcelain-white, fickle, venomous little girl who cried every day. Ji Shaoyuan loathed this sickly girl. She defied convention, was wild and sharp-tongued, spoke frivolously, and acted wantonly. One day she would smile sweetly at a handsome young gentleman; the next, she would praise a gentle, refined scholar as peerlessly beautiful; the day after that, she would call a martial artist who could ride and shoot a bow a man with eyes like cold stars. She was truly a hopeless flirt. Sometimes she would stare at his face in thought and say he shone like the blazing sun and was as cold as ice, his brilliance too dazzling to look at directly. At first he was furious, but then a trace of delight crept in. He said coldly, "Even the brightest sun has a moment when it dims its light for the one it loves." They say life is full of regrets. Emperor Di Yuan had three regrets in this life: First, his wife was heartless and cruel. Second, his wife was fickle and faithless. Third, his wife was frail and sickly from birth. Some people are born standing at the very top, looking down on everyone else. They think nothing of others and hold themselves above all. Everything and everyone must yield to their will and bow at their feet. Then there are others whose hearts hold mountains, rivers, and old friends. They love the moon shining over the sea, know the cycles of plants and trees, and understand the fragility of life. There are so many ways for people to go in opposite directions. The hard part is finding a way to arrive at the same place. A bewitching moon x a cold sun Ruthless and cold-blooded / supreme and self-important / Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish / intensely possessive PS: Content warnings 1. This is a story written for fun, not an empowering female-led progression fantasy. At its heart, it's a lighthearted romance set in ancient times, with kindergarten-level political intrigue. 2. The leads have extreme personalities. They're both the cruel, cold-blooded, self-important sort, full of terrible habits. They're not the perfect boyfriend or girlfriend type, so don't read if that's not for you. 3. Neither lead has a harem, in either their past or present lives. They are each other's first and only. 4. The author's abilities are limited. This story has no substantial plot or grand themes. It's just a sweet romance. The author is a hopeless romantic who loves this kind of thing T^T Theme: Excellent people are drawn to one another.