A mischievous princess of a fallen kingdom x a restrained, proper, tea-drinking male caretaker
When Changning was nine, iron hooves trampled the capital's splendor. Her father died in battle before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and her mother took her own life in Weiyang Palace.
She was a princess of Great Chu, a kingdom that had fallen.
Beneath the yellow earth, in a dark secret chamber, she became a student of Meng Cangwu. He promised to protect her for the rest of her life.
Mr. Meng was handsome and refined, with an air of elegance. There was nothing wrong with him, except that whenever she made him so angry that he couldn't take it anymore, he would grab a rattan switch and beat himself with it.
She once wondered if he had a masochistic streak, but he said, "When King Cheng made a mistake, his son Boyu was flogged. Your Highness has no companion to study with, so I must take his place."
She could only swear by the heavens that she would mend her ways and admit her mistakes.
Tyrannical rule ran rampant, and the people suffered.
From county magistrate to governor, minister, and chancellor, Meng Cangwu rose through the ranks one step at a time.
When Changning was fifteen, she finally returned to the capital after seven years away.
Her betrothed, chosen for her when they were children, was now the crown prince of the new dynasty, Yun Tianlan. He admired Mr. Meng's talent and came and went from the Meng residence as if it were the Eastern Palace.
Under a parasol tree, Yun Tianlan held Changning's policy essay and told her he loved her and wanted to marry her as his empress.
That's how life was: the man who was once her prince consort was now telling her he wanted to make her his empress.
But if she could become emperor, why settle for being empress?
On the battlefield before an army of thousands, Meng Cangwu received the jade token left by her mother and knelt before her. He swore to Heaven and Earth that he was loyal to Great Chu, and that the princess was the sovereign he had chosen.
After the realm was pacified and peace began to flourish, the ministers who had once objected to a woman ruling started worrying about Her Majesty's marriage prospects.
But Chancellor Meng never said a word.
After the regular court lecture ended, Her Majesty the Empress took hold of the chancellor's sleeve and parted her red lips. "But I love you, sir. What should I do?"
[Short Scene]
The chancellor shoved open the doors of the Hall of Diligent Governance, his killing intent on full display. Seeing Her Majesty the Empress with one shoulder bared and a flirtatious male entertainer, his expression darkened further.
"Are you leaving on your own, or do I have my men drag you out?"
When the entertainers saw that Her Majesty said nothing, they sensibly scrambled out of the hall and thoughtfully closed the doors behind them.
"Your Majesty once swore to me that you would be a wise ruler. Is this how you intend to keep that oath?"
Changning blinked innocently. "What? After taking care of state affairs, am I not allowed to have a life of my own?"
Meng Cangwu sighed helplessly. "Your Majesty..."
Changning looked at the man before her, who was over thirty and still unmarried. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Call me Your Highness, sir."
Meng Cangwu's kiss was fiercely possessive. He cupped her face with his slender fingers, his voice slipping through the small gap between their lips. "I can never resist Your Highness."
Reader's guide:
1. Important! There is no romance between the heroine and her teacher before she comes of age. Teacher-student romance is a personal preference, so don't imitate it in real life.
2. One-on-one romance, happy ending, ten-year age gap.
3. The main focus is the heroine's growth. What can you do when you fall in love with someone who shares your ambitions?
4. An empress story, not a female-dominated world. It's a conventional fictional feudal society, though the setting is very loosely based on reality.
Theme: The road to growth is hard, but you have to keep going.
