(Leaving it like this for now. I'll squeeze out a bit more when I get some inspiration.)
Sixteen-year-old Yun Yaoyao, the concubine-born daughter of a fifth-rank capital official, is forcibly summoned to the palace by the old, senile emperor to bring him good fortune. With a grand wave of his hand, the emperor names Yun Yaoyao his empress.
Who knew that on their wedding night, the old emperor would get so excited that he died on top of Yun Yaoyao? Before she can even react, she's been promoted to empress dowager.
One day, while visiting a peach grove, Yun Yaoyao runs into the new emperor, Xiao Wang. She flees in a panic, leaving behind the red cord her mother gave her.
To her surprise, Xiao Wang personally brings the red cord to Shou'an Palace to visit Yun Yaoyao and show her his goodwill.
After that, Yun Yaoyao often "runs into" Xiao Wang. He teaches her to read and write and helps her learn how to handle people and social situations.
The two young people grow close, and a love that society would never accept begins to take root. Later, behind the curtains of the imperial bed, Xiao Wang and Yun Yaoyao ignore the mourning period still in effect and embark on a passionate romance in full view of everyone.
When the three-year mourning period ends, the ministers petition Xiao Wang to fill the harem and produce an heir as soon as possible.
Knowing that her relationship with Xiao Wang can never have a happy ending, Yun Yaoyao takes the initiative and volunteers to go with the imperial consorts to Guo'an Temple to pray for blessings.
Xiao Wang cannot make Yun Yaoyao stay, so he lets her go. He resolves to be a willful emperor, take no consorts, and have only Yun Yaoyao for the rest of his life.
Three more years pass, and the empress dowager returns to the palace with the imperial consorts.
Xiao Wang stops her carriage in front of everyone and lifts the curtain. The woman inside has shed her youthful innocence and now has a bewitching, captivating beauty.
Their passion was never extinguished, and now it burns even more fiercely. Once again, love overwhelms them, and they rekindle their relationship in the imperial palace.
Yun Yaoyao's belly grows bigger by the day, and the scandalous affair between the empress dowager and the new emperor is made public. The ministers grit their teeth and agree to Xiao Wang naming Yun Yaoyao as his Noble Consort.
But Xiao Wang isn't satisfied. He wants Yun Yaoyao to become his empress!
Reading Guide:
1. Fictional setting, don't overanalyze. Both leads are virgins.
2. The story is absurd. If you don't like it, please don't complain.
3. Romance-focused.
Theme: Life is unpredictable, and things can get wildly complicated.
