The Seductive Dowager Queen Courts the Wrong Man

Chu Yueyuan is the youngest empress dowager in Great Qi.

She is beautiful, with a slender waist and generous hips. The only pity is that she is a widow.

Sigh. What use is her beauty to her?

After the old emperor dies, the young and capable regent holds the child emperor as a hostage to command the lords, taking the opportunity to monopolize power. His wolfish ambitions are plain for all to see.

Chu Yueyuan: What does any of that have to do with her? Since the regent has never mistreated her or her elder sister's child, she is happy to enjoy herself, keeping a low profile and scraping by with the little emperor. That is, until one day, she discovers a shocking secret: the old emperor suffered from a chronic illness that made him incapable of fathering children.

So here's the question: who was her elder sister's lover, the little emperor's biological father?

Chu Yueyuan can't help turning her gaze toward the powerful minister who holds sway over the court. From then on, she starts showing the man every possible kindness in her capacity as his sister-in-law.

She feeds him tea and snacks with her own hands,

criticizes every portrait of a noble young lady sent over by the Imperial Household Department,

and leans against the edge of his couch, tenderly taking his injured fingertip between her lips.

After getting drunk, she even works up the courage to ask whether he wants a child.

As time goes by, even the close aides by the regent's side notice something amiss, and they all urge him, "My lord, the little empress dowager has designs on you!"

The man's expression remains calm as he nods. "I know."

Later, Chu Yueyuan realizes she got it wrong, so she quickly shifts her attention and starts testing the young talents at court one by one. Today, she invites the handsome young Vice Minister of Revenue to play chess. Tomorrow, she calls over the refined and radiant top scholar to savor some fine tea.

That night, the usually aloof and self-controlled regent forcibly traps her on the phoenix couch. His gaze is dark, his voice hoarse. "Isn't sister-in-law looking for a child? I'll give you one..."

Chu Yueyuan: Nonsense! When did she ever... Ah... Wait...

Male lead's perspective:

At first, Pei Muwei treated the little empress dowager as nothing more than a golden caged bird to keep. A pretty little bird would circle around him, singing sweetly and charmingly, captivating and alluring, seeking to please no one but him.

He thought that life in the deep palace was lonely, and there was no harm in letting the little empress dowager have a child.

Only later did he discover that the little empress dowager was a bird of paradise who left a trail of hearts wherever she went, spreading her magnificent tail feathers for anyone and smiling as brightly as a flower.

But now that he had already tasted her, how could he ever let her go so easily...

Content warning: both are each other's first, happy ending.

My next book will be called Running Away with the Emperor, Only for the Grand Tutor to Come After Us. I'm rolling around and begging you to add it to your favorites. A deep bow of thanks.

Chu Weijun disguises herself as a man and lives under an assumed name at a temple for many years. At last, after the realm is pacified and the new emperor ascends the throne, she finally learns the whereabouts of her long-lost twin brother.

She immediately heads to the capital to take part in the selection trials for the Imperial Preceptor.

On the day of the trials, she looks at the handsome, distinguished man seated on the red-gold dragon throne, and her expression can't help but change.

The Taoist priest beside her gloats. "Grand Tutor Wei hates monks more than anything. Years ago, he was hunted by rebels and took shelter at an ancient temple. Who could have guessed that the monks there would be so blind as to turn him away!"

Chu Weijun, the one who was blind: ...Don't ask. All she can say is that she regrets it more than anything.

As it happens, the man recognizes her too. His long, phoenix-shaped eyes narrow slightly, his smile neither quite a smile nor quite a frown. "Immortal Chu, we meet again."

From then on, Chu Weijun becomes Great Qi's Imperial Preceptor, helping the man overturn the court and persecute loyal officials, until she becomes the evil monk everyone despises.

What began as a deal in which she wanted his skills and he wanted her power is suddenly thrown off course by an accident, disrupting the partnership between them.

At the Qionglin Banquet, she and the man are poisoned by the Seven Emotions Gu. When the poison takes effect, flames seem to consume their bodies, nearly driving them out of their minds. The two stumble into a side hall, locked together in a tangle. Prayer beads scatter everywhere, and her monk's robe comes half undone. Seeing that they are about to be discovered, she presses down hard on his hand and grits out three conditions:

First, blindfold her.

Second, tie her hands.

Third, she will be on top... and see him through it.

That night, the brocade curtains hang low, shutting out every trace of light. The clatter of iron chains rings through the night until dawn, as if a beast that cannot escape has been locked inside.

The Seven Emotions Gu, as its name suggests, requires seven times to dispel the poison.

Chu Weijun: She's crying... How is she supposed to get through the remaining six times?

Theme: Persevere, and despair will turn into hope.