When the Black Lotus Was Used and Abandoned by Her Imperial Sister-in-Law

[Blurb]

Black-lotus, unhinged younger uncle or young general x beautiful imperial sister-in-law who feigns affection

On the eve of her wedding, Xiao Anshen, who was about to be crowned empress, suddenly fell gravely ill.

The palace physicians were helpless, and the emperor was frantic with worry. But Xiao Anshen, her face deathly pale, said nothing. She knew all too well what was causing her "illness"

It wasn't an illness. It was a love-afflicting gu.

Several months earlier, on her way to the capital, Xiao Anshen had been set up and infected with a love-afflicting gu.

With nowhere else to turn, she had rushed into a secluded room at the back of an inn. Gripping the robe of a strange young gentleman, embroidered with a python motif, she softly begged him to help her.

The young woman's ink-black hair fell across her knees, and the corners of her eyes were flushed red from the heat. Beneath the lamplight, the handsome gentleman lowered his gaze.

That night, snow fell heavily outside. Within the room, the curtains hung low, and passion filled the air.

But how could a brief affair ever be taken seriously?

When daylight came, Xiao Anshen left without hesitation and calmly returned to the arms of her betrothed, the emperor.

The past few months had been peaceful.

So why had the love-afflicting gu, long since neutralized, suddenly flared up again now?

-

Her secret was about to be exposed.

Just as Xiao Anshen was trapped in a desperate situation, the doors to her bedchamber were suddenly pushed open. A figure approached against the light, step by step, as if no one could keep him out.

The moment Xiao Anshen met the newcomer's eyes, her face turned deathly pale. She shrank back again and again.

The familiar figure looked down at her, a smile on his lips and darkness in his eyes, as if he were about to devour her whole.

"Still trying to run?"

He dragged her back with ease, his icy fingertips tracing her face inch by inch. By her ear, he asked, "Sister-in-law, you wouldn't want our affair to come to His Majesty's attention, would you?"

"Then be good and do as you're told."

-

Prince Qin Yun Jingye, the emperor's younger brother, was appointed general as a teenager and became renowned throughout the land.

Everyone said he was an upright gentleman, pure as a bright breeze and clear as the moon. But Xiao Anshen knew he was a complete madman.

Just beyond the wall, the emperor was eagerly preparing for their wedding.

In the dim tent, Yun Jingye bowed his head to kiss away her tears, deliberately coaxing soft moans from her.

Didn't you want so badly to become empress?

Once I kill my brother and take the throne, you can be my empress. What's the difference?

[Reader's Guide]

1. Both leads have only been with each other, and the ending is happy. The heroine and the second male lead are not married; the way they address one another reflects an information gap from the characters' perspectives.

2. Coercive pursuit and a rivalry between men for the heroine, with a focus on romantic tension.

3. The leads aren't perfect characters, and both have flaws.

4. A fictional dynasty, so don't take the historical details too seriously. The "love-afflicting gu" in the blurb does not involve fantasy elements.

The title, blurb, and character descriptions, as well as the main text, follow the current version. A deep bow ^_^

Theme: True love lasts forever.