The Princess Is Alluring and Flirtatious

(Upcoming story: The Chancellor's Younger Sister. See the author's profile.)

Zhao Fengyun, the fifth princess of Great Zhou, lost her mother, who died unjustly. She lives cautiously in the inner palace, dependent on her younger brother, with danger hanging over them both.

To put her little brother on the throne, and to seize supreme power, she sets her sights on Xiao Yi, the chief minister who rules the court with effortless authority.

She schemes by every means possible, intent only on making Xiao Yi submit to her charms. He stands aloof above the world, untouched by mortal concerns. She is determined to drag him into the vast sea of worldly passions and turn him into a blade in her hand.

With the emperor gravely ill, Zhao Fengyun flirts with the chief minister at the foot of the imperial bed.

Late at night, incense smoke curls through the Alchemy Pavilion and candlelight flickers. Zhao Fengyun climbs onto Xiao Yi's shoulder. "Chief Minister, seeking immortality and saving all living beings is too difficult. Why not save just me?"

Xiao Yi questions her intentions. Zhao Fengyun blushes and says, "I have no ulterior motives. I simply admire the chief minister."

Later, the old emperor dies. Chief Minister Xiao Yi puts Zhao Fengyun's younger brother on the throne, and Zhao Fengyun gets her wish, becoming the most powerful woman in all of Great Zhou.

But on the day the Princess Royal's residence is completed, Zhao Fengyun hosts a banquet for Chief Minister Xiao Yi, then vanishes as soon as the feast is over.

--

Xiao Yi bears a deep blood feud. Carefully plotting at every turn, he rises to become the chief grand secretary, his power eclipsing everyone else's. One by one, his enemies die at his hands.

He thought he would spend the rest of his life standing atop mountains of bones, looking down on all living things.

But then the fifth princess, rumored to be promiscuous and frivolous, catches his eye.

He can see the greed and ambition in her eyes, yet he cannot stop himself from falling for her bewitching gaze, soft as spring water.

Until one day, until one day, Zhao Fengyun lays an ambush and vows to capture him alive.

He looks at Zhao Fengyun and chuckles. "Got too big for your boots?"

--

In the secret chamber of the Xiao residence, the lamplight is dim. Zhao Fengyun sobs, "I'm just a weak woman. What ulterior motives could I possibly have?"

Xiao Yi strokes her tear-streaked cheek, his voice low and hoarse. "Your Highness, that trick doesn't work on me anymore."

[Scheming, captivating princess x seemingly aloof and refined, but actually ruthless and unhinged chief minister]

Reader's Guide:

1. A fictional setting with original worldbuilding. One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship.

2. Includes coercive romance and a groveling-chase arc, among other themes.

Upcoming story: The Emperor's Sister-in-Law

[Unhinged emperor x frail sister-in-law]

The late emperor leaves behind his empress and stepson, who have only each other to rely on.

As she watches power slip away and her stepson be imprisoned, Empress Jiang Yao turns to her brother-in-law for help.

Jiang Yao, whose husband has just died, visits Prince Jing Pei She's bedchamber late at night. Her white mourning clothes cling to her delicate figure, her slender waist so fine it could be clasped in one hand.

"If you would help me, dear brother-in-law... I would be willing to offer you the pleasures of my bed."

Her voice is so sweet it seems as though it could drip with honey.

--

Pei She is a demon who clawed his way out of a mountain of corpses, sinister, vicious, cold-blooded, and heartless.

He covets his imperial brother's throne and lusts after his brother's wife. To get them, he has employed every stratagem and laid countless traps.

His imperial brother has only just died when his lonely, helpless sister-in-law walks straight into his trap.

In his sister-in-law's bedchamber, the candles flicker and springtime passion fills the air. On the embroidered bed, the sister-in-law, usually so dignified, graceful, and self-possessed, has flushed cheeks and disheveled hair. She is lost with him in a sea of pleasure, letting him do as he pleases.

He is wicked by nature. Even as his sister-in-law lies exhausted, tearful and blurred-eyed, sobbing in his arms, he wipes away her tears of pleasure, grips her chin, and forces her to look at him. "Sister-in-law, look carefully. I'm Erlang."

His rough thumb presses against her glistening lips. His voice is hoarse. "Don't call me the wrong name."

--

Jiang Yao thinks he agreed to help simply for the novelty of it. Only after he murders the emperor and seizes the throne, keeping her under house arrest, does she realize he has been plotting this for a long time. Every step she took was part of his plan. She walked into his trap without realizing it, and he devoured her until not a scrap of bone remained.

She sees the error of her ways and uses a temple visit to escape, but Pei She discovers her.

In the dusky evening light, Pei She blocks her path and corners her against the wall, his tall figure completely engulfing her. His large hand settles over her rounded belly. "My child is growing inside you, sister-in-law. Do you still think you can run?"

"The whole realm belongs to me now. Where could you possibly escape?"

Theme: Self-reliance and strength