Synopsis
Hui Feng was born frail and, for as long as she could remember, had practically lived on medicine.
Ordinary girls grew up nourished by sunshine and rain, healthy and bright.
She alone was watered with bowl after bowl of thick, bitter medicine.
It was hardly surprising that she developed a cold, faithless heart as bitter as the medicine.
*
To secure his position as Crown Prince, Li Chengyan had shed untold amounts of blood and driven countless political enemies to ruin. He was certainly a capable ruler and warrior, but the court and the imperial harem had also seen more than their share of deadly intrigue.
One political struggle after another had made his blood colder and his heart harder.
At the same time, his position had grown ever more secure.
By the time he had usurped his father's power and the throne was within his grasp, he was riding high, brimming with confidence and convinced he held the entire world in his hands.
But Heaven has a wicked sense of humor. Its way of making a cold-blooded creature stumble was to make him fall for a woman even more faithless and heartless than himself.
When Li Chengyan finally came to his senses, all he could do was watch as the seemingly delicate yet tenacious bindweed slowly wound itself around him. Though it left him wishing he were dead, he still savored every moment...
*
Hui Feng never loved Li Chengyan, from beginning to end.
At first, he threatened her clan to make her go with him. Then he threatened her dearest friends and family to make her obediently bear his child. Finally, he used her maternal instincts and the child's future to force her to truly fall in love with him, just as he loved her.
Hui Feng managed the first two. But no matter how much she deceived and forced herself, she could not summon even the faintest affection for Li Chengyan. All she felt was helpless impatience and disgust, not even the stronger emotion of hatred.
-
"Just pretend. Do it for your child..." His trembling hand brushed her carotid artery, stroking it again and again. He held the life of the woman he loved in his hand, yet his voice was almost pleading.
But all he received in response was Hui Feng's icy black gaze. She watched him do all this in silence, cold and utterly devoid of feeling.
The emperor, whose love had bred fear until he was nearly mad, gave a bitter laugh. He struggled to control his grip, then covered his beloved's eyes.
He would not look at his own nearly contorted face, nor at the undisguised mockery in her eyes.
His sinister expression returned, and with it, his true nature.
He remained as obsessive as ever:
"Zhao Huifeng, tell me you love me."
P.S. 1. The heroine is a bit of an empty shell.
2. The male lead is not a virgin, but the female lead is.
3. Forced pursuit and possession.
4. The male lead is nine years older than the female lead.
Completed novel: The Merciless Consort Is Still Moved
The story of Empress Wencheng and Emperor Renzong of Song
Blurb: Zhang Lingrou was born into an official family. Beautiful from childhood, she was also naturally aloof and doted on by her elders, which made her spoiled and imperious.
But life is unpredictable. After only a few good years, the family's sole pillar passed away. Her widowed mother had no choice but to take her to live with the Princess of Liang in the capital, Bianjing, and make ends meet.
Heaven took pity on them.
When Lingrou was eight, her life took a turn. To save her increasingly declining household, the Princess of Liang followed the example of Princess Pingyang of the Han dynasty, selecting beautiful girls from her household and sending Lingrou and several others into the palace. She hoped that one day they might catch the emperor's eye and bring the princess's household prosperity and advancement.
Lingrou was undoubtedly the most promising of them all.
At fifteen, her graceful dancing caught the eye of one particular man...
*
The emperor, nearing thirty, sat upright on his throne, gazing down at the beautiful girl dancing gracefully in the hall. His sharp phoenix eyes narrowed, and his long, jade-white fingers secretly stroked the side of his cup.
He possessed all under Heaven, yet was deeply captivated by such beauty. It was only natural that Lingrou became one of the women in his harem.
The beauty was not only alluring and graceful, but also a rare, vibrant presence in the deep palace.
She would get jealous when he favored other consorts, yet her soft, fragrant warmth left him wanting more.
The way she balanced favor and authority was one he had used to control his ministers, but she turned it on him instead.
Zhao Zhen found it novel. He did not stop her. Instead, he fell ever deeper, until he had given her his heart...
*
Since the Princess of Liang had set her sights on Lingrou's looks from the start, life at the princess's residence was not difficult for her. After entering the palace, she was also protected by two aunts, so her spoiled nature never changed.
Lingrou hated sharing with others, and hated sharing her husband even more. But unlike most women, she was clever enough to hide it, and her heart was cold enough to do so.
So Lingrou resolved to take revenge on the emperor, the one responsible for forcing her to share her husband with others.
The method was simple: break his heart. The heart of that amorous, fickle emperor!
Reader's Guide:
1. This story is based on Empress Wencheng and Emperor Renzong of Song, so the characters are fourteen years apart in age.
2. The male lead has a harem and other children.
3. The male lead will suffer, but the female lead won't. In the end, he becomes a devoted dog who belongs to her alone.
4. The ending is happy, though some details have been changed.
5. The romance only begins after the heroine comes of age.
6. This is just a novel, not history. It contains many original elements and is highly fictionalized, so please don't scrutinize it for historical accuracy.
Theme: A keen understanding of human nature makes for good writing
