In her previous life, Hua Yu spent twenty years causing trouble wherever she went. She had been a princess, a canary in a gilded cage, and a prisoner... Looking back, only two things truly mattered, one good and one bad.
The best thing was stopping her brother’s arrow when she was five and saving the boy who was about to die in a wolf’s den.
The worst was at nineteen, when she put a knife to her own throat and forced Wei Hanyu to let her go.
She mistook Wei Hanyu’s protection for a prison, and was determined to escape the gilded cage on Mount Juan. But once she got away and stepped into a world torn by war, she realized how ridiculous all her past tantrums had been.
On the battlefield, her brother cut off her head. Her former country erupted in cheers, and only Wei Hanyu, who had rushed to the city gate, stared in anguish.
At that moment, she thought: If I get another life, I’ll love him properly.
*
Hua Yu was reborn.
When she opened her eyes, seven years had passed.
Wei Hanyu had already united the state of Yong and become the emperor, a man feared throughout the land as a tyrant.
And she had somehow become the least favored, most pitiful beauty in Wei Hanyu’s harem. She never had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear, and anyone could trample on her. She was bullied mercilessly.
Hua Yu had been born to a princess’s life, and had never suffered a day’s hardship, even in the womb.
With tears welling in her eyes, she charged straight for Wei Hanyu, only to see the emperor, no longer the callow youth he once was, snap the neck of his favored consort. His expression was cold and arrogant, his voice chilling:
“I hate anyone who looks like her.”
Hua Yu: “?”
She glanced down at the consort’s face, which looked about half like her own, sucked in a breath, and hurriedly pulled her foot back from the threshold.
*
Many years later, Hua Yu lounged on the empress’s throne, listening as an old eunuch who had served the tyrant for years told stories of the past.
Only then did she learn that after the former Empress Yuan died tragically, the emperor had summoned sorcerers from across the land. For seven years, he had raised towering altars draped with banners to summon her soul, while the chanting of scriptures and ringing of bells and drums never ceased.
All to tell the gods of heaven and earth that he wanted his beloved to come back.
[Some Details]
* After the female lead died, she transmigrated into the corpse of another woman seven years later and lived under a new identity. This is classified as an ancient setting transmigration story.
* A silly little sweet treat, made with a lethal dose of sugary everyday moments. Very little political intrigue, simple palace scheming that won’t make your head hurt. Written to indulge the author’s tastes, with no concern for historical accuracy.
* After being reborn, the female lead is 17 and the male lead is 29, with a considerable age gap.
* In both lives, the male lead is very much a dad: he tries to control everything, including Hua Yu. There will be scenes involving a ruler used to smack her palms, so please be careful if that’s not your cup of tea.
* Childhood sweethearts make up 30% of their relationship in their previous life.
* The harem is for show and was not established by the male lead. He has kept himself pure. If you ask why, he’s an outstanding graduate of the School of Virtuous Men.
Theme: A little mischief adds spice to life.
