[Core trope: The ruler takes his minister's (younger brother's) wife]
Wen Ning transmigrates into a book as the tragic female lead who is seized by force. She was engaged to the emperor's younger brother, but the young emperor takes her for himself because of her beauty.
Gu Xing seized power in a coup. Ruthless and heartless, he plucks the delicate flower that is the original heroine, then discards her like trash once the novelty wears off. She dies young in the depths of the imperial palace.
When the imperial decree granting her marriage arrives, Wen Ning thinks she has changed her fate and secured victory.
But when Gu Xing's deep gaze pins her into a corner, she realizes how overbearing and obsessive he is. Once he sets his sights on something, he is determined to have it.
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Why ruin your reputation for a woman like me?" Wen Ning's eyes turn red, her gaze captivating.
"I have never cared what the world thinks of my actions." The emperor wipes away the tears at the corner of her eye, leaving no room for refusal.
Wen Ning assumes Gu Xing is only being influenced by the story's plot, and that before long he'll forget all about her.
Until one day, someone calls her a demon and uses a magical artifact to reveal her true appearance. Gu Xing throws that person in prison and continues to treat Wen Ning as before.
Gu Xing whispers in her ear, "I know you're not her, but I don't care. Just stay by my side, safe and sound."
Gu Xing loves Wen Ning with all his heart, but his affection is a cage, and a shackle that traps her in this era.
To escape Gu Xing's control and return to her own time, Wen Ning turns her attention to Zuo Yuan, the powerful prime minister.
Zuo Yuan is gentle and refined, a devout follower of Confucian rites. He despises the enchantress who bewitched the ruler, and even thinks she should take her own life to atone.
But when the beautiful woman before him weeps, tears falling like pear blossoms in the rain, a ripple stirs in his eyes, usually as still as deep water.
Reader's guide:
1. The female lead is Wen Ning. The body she transmigrates into is called Zhao Rou. They share one body and two souls, and the original heroine remains as a soul rather than disappearing.
2. Tragic ending warning. The female lead only wants to return to her own era. There will be an alternate happy-ending bonus story.
3. The male lead and second male lead each have unrequited feelings for the female lead. The male and female leads are not virgins; the second male lead is.
4. The male lead has a harem and children, but becomes devoted to one woman later on.
5. Less than 1% palace intrigue, with a slight focus on a group of women (?).
6. A self-indulgent project. Please don't offer writing advice.
Theme: Your fate is in your own hands
