Red Forehead Ornament

Coming soon: Jian'an Illusion, a cool-headed censor x a wickedly charming emperor. Plot-driven.

The Blurb:

Jiang Fu was born the daughter of a marquis, but by a twist of fate, she was born into the Jiang family of Weiyang instead.

Because she is beautiful and refined, the wife of the Duke of An sets her sights on her just before her coming-of-age ceremony, forcing her to become a concubine to her eldest legitimate son.

Young Master Chu is brilliant and strikingly handsome. He and Jiang Fu grew up together and once loved each other, but they have always wanted different things.

To escape the pressure from Madam Chu, Jiang Fu heads north to Jian'an and seeks refuge at the residence of her birth father, Marquis Zhongyu. Unexpectedly, she becomes caught up in the treacherous political currents of the capital.

*

At sixteen, Tang Jin becomes the top scholar and makes a name for himself throughout Jian'an.

He is the cream of the crop among the sons of high-ranking families. He once thought his future would unfold as his family expected, with him rising to the position of Hanlin Academician and becoming famous throughout the land.

He believes that this lonely path, coveted by countless people, will not be difficult to walk.

But the path he wants to take is covered in brambles. Though no one cares about it, it is still hard to cross.

Until one day, a young woman arrives at the marquis's residence and tells him those brambles are only an illusion. There is nothing ahead to fear.

The girl is radiant and lovely, with a vivid red flower painted between her brows. Every frown and smile of hers tugs at his heart.

"Red is the color of joy and good wishes. I hope my Ah Fu has a happy life."

When she gets married, he personally paints that touch of red between her brows.

Reader's Guide:

1. Happy ending. The leads are not related by blood.

2. Not an entirely sweet romance. There is some factional political struggle, and the hero will suffer a little along the way.

3. Jian'an City is the capital of this fictional country, not the historical ancient prefecture in Fujian.

------Coming Soon: Jian'an Illusion------

[Righteous Censor x Wickedly Charming Emperor], plot-driven.

When Tang Ying is crown princess, she endures humiliation alongside the crown prince for years. But the first thing he does after ascending the throne is strip her father of his title and exile the women of her clan to the border.

Heartbroken, Tang Ying asks to be deposed and leaves for a distant land, where she becomes a nun at Lingsang Temple.

Two years pass. When her master dies unjustly and there is nowhere to appeal, she unexpectedly meets a man in white: Lord Yao, who is both her mentor and friend, and is willing to shield her from the storm.

He gives her a new identity and name, teaches her how to serve as an official, and helps her clear her master's name... After enduring countless hardships, she earns fame throughout Weiyang for solving a case of bribery in the imperial examinations.

At the Shiqiu Pavilion, she meets her former husband again. They are no longer husband and wife, but ruler and subject.

The emperor, seated high above, looks at the woman before him. Her gaze is clear and sharp, and she wears a man's fox-fur cloak. Her bearing is elegant, and she is no longer the gentle, dignified consort of the Eastern Palace.

He clenches his fists and breathes heavily, suppressing the pain in his chest. First, he appoints her as a censor. Then he promotes her uncle.

She is confused.

"Don't you think I'm frightening? Then I'll give you real authority."

"Don't you feel isolated and helpless in Jian'an? Then I'll personally build up your maternal family's power."

The emperor's eyelids tremble slightly, and he presses his lips together without realizing it. When her answer never comes, his heart sinks.

She'll refuse, won't she... He only said those things to keep her by his side, but how could she ever be willing to stay for him again?

To his surprise, the woman he has longed for day and night accepts his offer of an official appointment.

He is taken aback, bewilderment rising in his eyes. "Why do you want to become an official?"

The woman smiles, her gaze firm as a solitary pine standing tall in the wind.

"To reform the administration, root out corrupt officials, impeach wrongdoers, and give the people a way to seek justice."

Reader's Guide:

1. One couple, one-on-one. The blurb only offers a glimpse. The hero is a good man, and the heroine won't be treated unfairly.

2. The heroine truly shaves her head when she becomes a nun. After returning to secular life, her hair will gradually grow back.

3. The hero has concubines in name only, and the heroine has someone she once loved.

4. Fictional setting. The official system is broadly modeled on the Ming dynasty. The emperor is not surnamed Zhu and is not based on a historical figure.

5. This is plot-driven! Plot-driven! Don't be misled by the prologue and first chapter, which may seem like a romance. They establish necessary background. The story will include romance, but if you only want a purely romantic story, this may not be the book for you. QAQ

Core theme: Interests aren't limited by gender. Independence begins with awakening.