The Substitute Empress

Feng Su, Empress of Dayuan, was of noble status and worshipped by countless people. She was also the legitimate daughter of Gu Yuanshen, the Grand Secretary of the current dynasty.

She had never been meant to sit on the empress's throne. Her elder sister, Feng Hui, had been chosen as the crown prince's consort.

But Feng Hui, who always seemed gentle, quiet, dignified, and reserved, ended up eloping with a poor scholar and spending the rest of her life with him.

In a rush, Feng Su put on the red bridal veil and married Xu Yao, who was still the crown prince at the time. On their wedding night, Xu Yao gazed at her with tender affection and promised to treat her well, only to turn around and plant a parasitic Gu in her.

Xu Yao had a secret beloved, Su Xiaowan, who suffered from a strange illness. To cure her, a Gu had to be planted in someone with an extremely yin constitution, then nurtured with their blood. After forty-nine days, the Gu had to be drawn out and the person's blood fed to her.

Before entering the palace, Feng Su had a beloved of her own. But her moon was so bright that she never even learned his name. Carrying that lingering attachment with her, she became the most dazzling woman in all of Dayuan.

After entering the palace, she actively filled the harem and earnestly advised the emperor to share his favor among the consorts. She even took the lead in organizing entertainment in the harem, striving to make every concubine feel the warmth of home. She truly embodied the generous bearing of a woman fit to be empress.

But one day, the Gu mutated, and in a dazed, unbearable haze, she collided with Xie Huai, the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial Service.

Xie Huai was a powerful eunuch whose influence dominated the court. He was distinguished, noble, and incomparably handsome.

As the head of the eunuchs, he was usually taciturn and aloof, with an air of noble detachment. Rumor had it that his moods were unpredictable and that he was ruthless and murderous. No one dared defy him.

As he caught the faint fragrance in his arms, a long-lost familiarity inexplicably enveloped him. Xie Huai looked down as Feng Su clung to him, her consciousness fading.

"Your Majesty."

Afterward, Xie Huai looked at the orchid-patterned handkerchief Gu Jiu had dropped, and his memory returned to the Lantern Festival many years ago.

In a narrow alley, he had been covered in blood when a woman came toward him with a sweet smile. She took a handkerchief from her sleeve and bandaged his bleeding wound. Before leaving, she gave him a piece of candy and told him not to be afraid.

So many years had passed, so long that he no longer dared to hope, yet one day, she was brought right before him once again.

An old-fashioned, melodramatic, sweet romance and wish-fulfillment story, under 200,000 characters.

The blurb is original, and screenshots have been kept as proof.

2024/2/19

Theme: May everything I wish for come true