[A story of ruthless possession, also known as "The Tyrant Pursues His Wife Under a Secret Identity and Ends Up Cuckolding Himself"]
The Sheng family of Xijing had been a distinguished clan for generations.
With two senior court officials in the family, they were undoubtedly leaders of the scholarly world.
As the eldest legitimate daughter of the Sheng family, Sheng Hongyuan had been engaged to the Prince of Wu's heir since childhood. Her life of peace and privilege seemed settled from the start.
Until the day Xijing fell.
Hongyuan's father and brothers, men of unbending integrity, would rather die than draft an edict for the new dynasty.
Her father and brothers were thrown into prison, and an imperial decree arrived at their home. Hongyuan thought the emperor was about to execute her entire clan. Instead, the decree named her empress.
The wolf on the throne watched her from afar, lips curling in mockery. "I can seize the whole realm. Did you think you could escape me?"
*
Hongyuan had no way to escape for now. For the sake of her entire family, she entered the palace in tears.
The wolf probably meant to humiliate her. He never once showed his face after their wedding. Hongyuan was relieved to enjoy the peace and quiet, and went three months in the palace without knowing what her husband looked like.
One night, she slipped out of her chambers, intending to visit her former fiancé, who had been imprisoned for so long. Halfway there, she ran into a guard.
The guard stopped her politely. "If Your Majesty has a message to send, I can take care of it for you."
Hongyuan thought she had met a good person.
She asked the guard to send a letter to the Sheng family. "The emperor is cruel and won't let my family visit me. Sir, you have a kind heart. Please help me."
She asked him to bring her a snack from outside the palace. "The emperor is cruel, and the imperial kitchen looks down on me because I have no favor. I can only rely on you, sir."
The guard was gentle and courteous, and did everything she asked.
Grateful for this handsome, obedient man, Hongyuan gradually found herself falling for him.
She ordered the guard to start a fire to help her fake her death and escape the palace. "The emperor is cruel. What if he remembers me one day and decides to kill me? Help me, and I'll marry you."
*
The guard risked everything to carry out each request, and the two of them escaped the palace without a hitch.
With the mountains high and the seas wide, they were free at last. But Hongyuan realized that the guard seemed to have become a different person.
After nightfall, he was brutal and greedy, taking without restraint.
Hongyuan trembled in fear, waking every morning with tears still on her cheeks.
Only then did she realize that she had escaped the wolf's den only to stumble into the tiger's lair.
She sobbed, "I was so wrong about you."
His gaze darkened, and he gave her a cold smile. "A daughter of a distinguished family, a highborn lady, my empress, wanted to roam the world with her lover. I was wrong about you."
Theme: A stranger yesterday, a friend today
