They Got Their Cremation

The eldest daughter of the Gongyi family, Gongyi Lu, owns a bronze mirror that can reveal the past lives have lived. With the essence of a lifetime's affections, it weaves a reflection of the moon on water and flowers in a mirror. Should the truths of these past lives be known, or is it better not to know? - The Missing Golden Urn: Fallen princess × sinister regent The state of Jiang was torn apart by civil strife. The ruler was killed, and a young emperor took the throne. A general of humble origins had earned great merit by helping him ascend, rising to the highest rank and becoming Jiang's all-powerful regent. On the day the regent returned to court after his campaign, he vanished without a trace. Instead, before the late king's spirit tablet, he seized the chin of Princess Minghui, who was keeping vigil, and sneered, "Minghui, never thought I'd come back, did you? From now on, you'll be my slave, my maid, my concubine. You're no longer Princess Minghui, nor my betrothed." He hated that she'd joined forces with outsiders to bring about his death, and that even now she could look so pitiful and convince him she was innocent. He hated that she had never cared for him, and hated even more that, after all this, he still couldn't bring himself to kill her. He crushed her proud spirit and used the life of her little brother to force her to humble herself and serve him in bed. Until one day, the young ruler of Jiang died of a high fever. That night, she shed tears and, right in front of him, leapt from a hundred-foot wall, leaving not a single word behind. - Long Illness, Wine Brilliant, beautiful, and tragic sword-forging genius × dissolute playboy The Xie family of Lihe, a sword-forging house in Jin, had a history spanning a hundred years. The fourth young lady, Xie Lingjin, was renowned for her talent and possessed an extraordinary gift for sword-forging. She was also famed for her beauty, but her legs were disabled, leaving her confined to a wheelchair all day. If not for this disability, she could have married Lian Zhen, the refined and upright son of the Grand Tutor. In the end, Fourth Miss Xie married Gu Yue, the wastrel son of the Gu family of Wushu. Gu Yue found Xie Lingjin cold and dull, and treated her with indifference day after day while carousing with other women. Xie Lingjin said, "Marriage is decided by one's parents and arranged by the matchmaker. I know marrying me has put you out. Once my father has passed, we can divorce. What do you say?" Gu Yue agreed without a second thought. In the third year of their marriage, they unexpectedly had a daughter. Xie Lingjin treated the girl very well, but having a daughter did nothing to make Young Master Gu mend his ways. Then, in the seventh year of their marriage, Xie Lingjin's father passed away. On the night of the funeral, Gu Yue returned home to find his wife and daughter gone. Only his four-year-old daughter remained, along with a divorce agreement, its writing bold and sweeping, on the table. - Fading Beauty Innocent beauty × cold king Heng Zhao, the ninth young lord of Ning and the dream lover of every young woman in the kingdom, had a beloved. But she had become the favored consort of his father, the old and foolish king: Lady Yue. Lady Yue was illiterate, but her beauty was peerless. The moment she entered the palace, she became the most favored woman in the harem. To make up for the pain in his heart, the Ninth Young Lord frantically sought out women who resembled her. At last, one day, a beautiful dancer from his household offered herself to him. He was stunned for a moment, and that night, as they made love, he called her "Jiaojiao" over and over. Not long afterward, his father died. He led troops to take the throne from his elder brother, the heir apparent, and with what seemed like divine aid, entered the palace and became king. The only beauty in his household who had ever served him naturally became the new queen. Lady Yue, once the favored consort and now fallen from grace, had no children and was supposed to die as a funerary sacrifice. She burst into his coronation, covered in blood, and asked him through tear-filled eyes, "Have you forgotten me? I don't want to die. Ninth Young Lord, save me." The eunuch beside him shouted, "Insolence! You should address him as Your Majesty!" He held the new queen by the arm and frowned faintly. "I already have a queen, and we are deeply in love. Lady Yue was my father's consort. What does she have to do with me?" She looked toward the high platform. He heard her give a bitter laugh before she left the ceremony. That night, when the eunuch who had delivered the order for her sacrifice returned, he knelt at the king's feet and happily reported: Lady Yue had just taken her own life, leaving behind a letter. In crooked handwriting, it read: May Your Majesty reign for a thousand years. Reading Guide: 1. These are standalone stories full of melodramatic heartbreak and cruel, despicable men. If that's not your thing, don't read. They're extremely melodramatic. 2. If you don't like this kind of over-the-top drama, seriously, don't read it. 3. The scumbag men all get tragic endings. They all die. 4. Please don't scold me, please don't scold me, I beg you, don't scold me. You can click the X instead. Please don't scold me, sob. This humble author just likes melodrama, please! Theme: Treasure the present