Tying the Skirt Waist

In the fifth year of Taichu, the Princess Consort of Prince Duan went up the mountain to offer incense. A natural disaster struck on the way, and her carriage plunged off a cliff, leaving no remains.

The princess consort was renowned for her virtue and incomparable beauty. She and Prince Duan had grown up together, and their marriage was harmonious.

Prince Duan was devastated by his beloved wife's death. Worn down to a shadow, he finally could bear it no longer and personally went to the Xie residence. Enduring his illness, he pleaded with his brother-in-law:

"Please, Your Lordship, find her for me."

The princess consort's brother, Xie Taiwei, came from a prestigious family and held the post of Grand Tutor. He had the bearing of an immortal and was noble in character, peerless in the world.

All the scholars in the realm said that the eldest young master was like snow-jade from Kunlun, dazzlingly beautiful, untouched by worldly concerns. He had never even touched a woman's hand.

He lowered his eyes and agreed. "I, your servant, will not fail Your Highness's trust."

Yet that very night, a maid passing the young lady's old boudoir saw a human shadow cast on the window paper.

With slender shoulders and a graceful neck, the figure slowly made its toilette, hair piled high and adorned with gold ornaments. Its silhouette, figure, and every movement were strikingly like the princess consort.

The maid's legs went weak. She knelt in the corridor, not daring to make a sound.

Just before dawn, the door opened.

The eldest young master emerged, straightening his clothes. His usually immaculate collar was slightly undone, a trace of rouge at the neckline, and an extremely faint smile at the corner of his lips.

-

Three months later, the princess consort was found.

That same month, the late emperor passed away.

Prince Duan naturally ascended the throne. He and the empress were as loving as ever, and their deep affection became the subject of a famous tale.

Three months later, the new emperor died suddenly, shaking the court and the country.

As panic spread, news came from the palace: the empress was pregnant, carrying the posthumous child of the emperor.

That night, the rain poured down.

Xie Lingyi, dressed in mourning white, knelt before the late emperor's coffin. The white funeral banners snapped in the wind.

The candlelight flickered, illuminating her face, pale as paper.

Footsteps approached from behind.

Unhurried. The soles of boots ground against the floor, their silent menace terrifying.

She did not turn around. Her fingers, gripping the Buddhist prayer beads, had turned white at the knuckles.

Xie Taiwei, the most powerful maternal relative and court official in the realm, slowly walked to her side and stopped.

He bent down elegantly, his breath brushing her cheek. His voice was clear and soft, distant as ever, just as composed as when he used to lecture:

"Congratulations, little sister."

She shuddered violently and shrank away.

He followed relentlessly, wrapping an arm around her. His long, jade-like hand pressed through her mourning clothes against her belly, gently stroking it.

"But..."

He paused, then laughed softly.

"Prince Duan died so suddenly. When this child is born, they will have to call me uncle..."

As he spoke, he leaned even closer, his thin lips like a blade brushing the woman's earlobe.

A moment later, the man's husky voice, mingling with the patter of rain, struck her eardrums, so tender it sent a chill through her. "Or... Father?"

Coming Soon: "After Deceiving the Untouchable Beauty"

Theme: Romance that lasts until death.