Entwined with You Beneath the Silk Canopy

[A battle-hardened prince who lives off women but fights like a stray dog × a gentle, soft-spoken runaway concubine with a tender exterior and a stubborn core] Chu Zhaoning was as lovely as a lotus, gentle and kind, but stubborn to the core. Her birth mother was a concubine who lived in a separate residence. After a forced marriage failed, she gave birth to Chu Zhaoning and hanged herself. Chu Zhaoning swore that she would never be with a man without a matchmaker’s blessing, and would never share a husband with another woman! When the principal wife tried to send her legitimate younger sister into the palace, she arranged for Chu Zhaoning to become the concubine of a sixty-year-old imperial relative. So Chu Zhaoning fled to the capital under the name Song Lihua. Du Zhenshan, a wealthy merchant in the capital, fell in love with her at first sight and wanted to hire her as a tutor for his only son. He was a handsome, refined gentleman from a family whose home overflowed with gold and jade. Anyone with sense could see which choice was better. Chu Zhaoning was sharp-eyed and quick-witted. She accepted the position but rented a separate house. She needed money to rent a house and hide a man: Zhang Yihu, a deserter. On the way to the capital, he had carried her on his back through difficult terrain while she was gravely ill. Now his mother was dead, his family had cast him out, and he had nowhere to turn. She had planned to keep him for three months, then urge him to find his own way once the emperor granted an amnesty and cleared his desertion charge. But he kept tempting her into his bed... The Mid-Autumn moon shone bright, and the wine had gone to their heads. He kissed her and pleaded in a trembling voice, “Please? I’m begging you!” Flustered and enchanted, she whimpered, “A little... a little longer...” Not long after, autumn brought cool breezes, and the County Princess of Yunyang held a banquet and invited her to admire the chrysanthemums. Across the crowd, she caught sight of the princess’s fiance, Prince Qin Li Jinnian. She froze on the spot. Could the prince really have the exact same looks and build as Zhang Yihu? She returned home early and hid in a dark alley. A luxurious carriage emerged from the dusk and stopped quietly at the alley’s entrance. A man in brocade robes and a jade crown stepped down and knocked at the door. Two matrons inside bowed deferentially. “Your Highness, dinner is ready, and the rooms have been cleaned.” He said, “Go quickly. Whatever you do, don’t let my wife see you.” When the door opened again, he had changed into plain clothes and hemp trousers. Holding a lantern, he waited at the alley entrance, craning his neck to look for her... * The eldest prince, Li Jinnian, was bold and forthright. He dared to scold the emperor and beat powerful ministers, and everyone feared him. After returning victorious from a campaign against the Western Fan, he was celebrated throughout the court and the country. The emperor arranged his marriage to the County Princess of Yunyang. The princess was a peerless beauty, and he was both a brilliant scholar and warrior. They should have been a perfect match. But beneath his imposing, striking appearance were two hearts. One was set on using the military households behind the princess to secure the position of Crown Prince and avenge his mother. The other had drawn out countless threads of affection, all leading to the woman hidden away in a separate residence: the runaway concubine, Song Lihua. When he heard that his mother was gravely ill, he disobeyed orders and returned to the capital, where he was hunted. Under the name Zhang Yihu, he abducted her and forced her to help him pass the checkpoints. They went through life and death together on the road. She was as delicate as a flower and as frail as a willow, yet she dared to kill for him. She looked so shrewd, yet fell for his tricks every time. Her heart was made of stone, and she swore she would never share a husband with another woman. If he told her who he was, she would surely be furious and run away. How could he force the woman he cherished most? He swore to spend a year slowly cooking that pot of “uncooked rice” until it was done! She came home late that day, and he rushed over to pull her into his arms. “Your hands are so cold. Hurry and warm them in my coat. I made the pork offal stew you love for dinner...” They went home together and sat facing each other beneath the lamplight. She chewed slowly. “Tomorrow, I have to accompany my employer out of town.” He gently served her some food. “Then come back as soon as you can. I’m all alone at home, and I’m afraid of ghosts.” Reader advisory: 1. The main couple are both chaste, according to the author’s definition: a person is not chaste if they have been intimate with a third party while married. The second male lead is a widower raising a child. At first, he sees the heroine as a substitute for his late wife, but that changes later. 2. Rivalry for the heroine | a groveling pursuit | taking by force | lovers reunited after a breakup | an ensemble cast and political scheming 3. A fictional dynasty loosely modeled on the Tang. Divider Coming soon in my author page: the sweet historical romance The Mad Dragon and the Runaway Phoenix. Please add it to your collection! [A bold, radiant tribal queen × a gentle, elegant crown prince] King Wumeng injured himself when he was young and spent years trying to have a child with his wife. At last she conceived, but gave birth to a daughter. Year after year, the Wusa seized Wumeng’s salt wells and took over its trade routes, leaving the people of Wumeng in misery. They fervently hoped their aging king would have a son and restore Wumeng’s glory. King Wumeng held his daughter and sat alone all night. After much soul-searching... Eighteen years later, the young Prince of Wumeng, An Yulong, went toe-to-toe with the young Prince of Wusa and never once gave ground. One day, An Yulong fell into an ambush laid by the Wusa. She leapt from a cliff and landed in front of a beauty fishing by the river. An Yulong had flung her arms and legs wide to keep from sinking, bobbing helplessly in the water. He tossed out his fishing hook and dragged her closer, then smiled and said to himself, “Did I just catch a turtle?” The “turtle,” with a broken leg, suddenly pressed a cold blade to his throat. “Carry me back to recover.” He really did carry her back. Under her imperious demands, he tended her wounds and cooked for her. And, quite unexpectedly, they spent the night together. When her injury healed and she was about to leave, she pinched his cheek and promised solemnly, “Wait for me. I’ll come back and marry you.” He smiled like a flower. “If you want to marry me, come find me in the capital.” Three months later, An Yulong came to the capital to pay tribute and receive her title. She first went to the address the beauty had given her, but there was no such place and no sign of the woman. She looked around in dismay, then wandered into the palace hall, her heart in turmoil. The investiture ceremony flowed on. She paid her respects to the emperor and thanked the Crown Prince, but his voice sounded familiar. She looked up, flared with anger, and jumped to her feet. Snatching a golden melon hammer from a guard, she raised it and charged at the Crown Prince. “You little turtle, you lying bastard!” * Zhu Mingfeng’s childhood nickname was “Baxia,” the name of the turtle-dragon among the nine sons of the Dragon King. After fishing up the bold and beautiful tribal woman, he told her his name was “Jiang Baxia.” She was well-versed in the classics of the Han people and kept calling him “Little Turtle.” But this “turtle” was anything but little. The emperor’s eldest son, he had won great distinction in three campaigns against the northern nomads. But when he returned, the Crown Prince’s position had gone to someone else, and the woman he loved had become the Crown Princess. So he asked the emperor to grant him a fief in Shu, putting distance between himself and court intrigues. For years, he traveled and enjoyed the scenery. Who would have thought the Crown Prince would die unexpectedly, and the emperor would summon him back... After a fierce struggle for power and a turbulent shift in the court, he accepted an arranged marriage and became Crown Prince. Not long after, the new King of Wumeng traveled thousands of miles to the capital to receive her title. She was said to be passionate and generous. After a month of lavish gift-giving, the ministers praised her as the “Jade-Faced Little Flying Dragon.” On the day of the new King of Wumeng’s formal investiture, the more he looked at this Flying Dragon, the more familiar she seemed. After a few polite words of encouragement, the Flying Dragon suddenly looked up at him. She leapt to her feet and snatched the hammer in one fluid motion, raising the golden melon hammer as she charged straight at him. Recognizing her, he came to his senses and sprang to his feet, gathering his robes as he raced wildly around the hall. “Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor!” Theme: Blessings come from wanting little; troubles come from wanting too much.