Snowstorm at the Imperial Terrace

Both the male and female leads grow throughout the story. Early on: [A destitute but resilient orphan girl X a bold and flamboyant young general] Later: [A wise and determined empress X a battle-hardened lord of the northern frontier] On the day of Xiao Hanguang's wedding, her grandfather the emperor and her elder brother, the crown prince, died one after the other. With the court beset by internal and external threats, Xiao Hanguang had no choice but to leave her fiancé behind, disguise herself as her brother, and take the throne. The court was controlled by the imperial in-laws. To reclaim power, Xiao Hanguang chose an ally: Song Haiyan, the great general who had just returned victorious from the northern battlefield. Song Haiyan had fought in the north for many years and won countless honors. Everyone at court feared him, and she couldn't help feeling guilty whenever they met. After all, when she was still a princess, she and he had once shared a romance. As the Great Chu's God of War, Song Haiyan had reached the highest ranks of the court at a young age, but even his smooth-sailing life had its regrets. As a boy, he recovered from an injury at a monastery for healers and fell in love at first sight with the princess who practiced there. When they failed to elope, he went to great lengths to win her hand, and at last the imperial family approved their engagement. But on their wedding day, all he saw was the princess's coffin. He vomited blood in the mourning hall and fell gravely ill. Only later did he learn that she had never died. She had ascended the throne and become the emperor of Great Chu. After the morning court session, Xiao Hanguang returned to her chambers and found someone had gotten to the imperial bed before her. The arrogant, overbearing general lounged against the dragon pillow, his deep eyes fixed on her. His presence was imposing and dangerous. “Your Majesty is so busy with state affairs. Have you forgotten something?” Xiao Hanguang suppressed the tremor in her heart. “What?” Song Haiyan reached out and wound a strand of her hair around his finger, smiling faintly. “When Your Majesty faked her death all those years ago, did you remember that you left behind a lonely, bereaved husband?” Bonus scene: One day, Xiao Hanguang made a private visit to the general's residence. A servant told her Song Haiyan wasn't there, but was at the cemetery, keeping company with the beloved wife who had died many years ago. Xiao Hanguang was baffled. Song Haiyan had spent years fighting on the battlefield and had never married. When had he gotten a deceased wife? She found him at the cemetery, leaning drunkenly against a gravestone bearing her name. Was I the beloved dead wife? Reading notes: 1. The dynasty is fictional, with some elements inspired by the Northern and Southern Dynasties. 2. This is not a power fantasy about a female emperor sweeping all before her. The heroine only takes the throne in her brother's place, and the story does not involve social reform. 3. One-on-one romance, with mutual devotion and a happy ending. My upcoming novel, “After the Substitute Marriage, I Fell in Love with My Archrival,” is on my homepage. If you're interested, please bookmark it! Theme: Defying the current and pressing onward