A cool, seemingly gentle but secretly ruthless empress VS a supposed sage who is actually a mad power minister
Ye Zhaorong married the Crown Prince of Yan at sixteen. They treated each other with courtesy and lived in perfect harmony, the picture of an ideal couple.
Two years later, the crown prince ascended the throne, and she naturally became the empress of Yan, mother to all under heaven. Her life should have been smooth sailing, but her husband, once so loving by her side, changed completely. He turned out to be a fickle womanizer.
The vast imperial harem was packed with countless beauties and concubines. Ye Zhaorong remained unfazed, taming them all with the gentle grace of a spring breeze, never letting anything go wrong.
The young emperor treasured Ye Zhaorong above all else. An empress so dignified and generous was hard to find, even with a lantern.
Lonely in the deep palace, Ye Zhaorong often lay awake remembering the Duke of Dingguo on the northern frontier. A man forged on the battlefield was hard to forget. Who hasn't had an old romance too tangled to unravel?
When the Duke of Dingguo finally returned victorious, she stood on a high terrace and looked down at the renowned general. She suddenly remembered how desperately he had once begged her. He had been so pitiful.
“Your Majesty, I'm back.” Huo Xuanjing bent over, trapping Ye Zhaorong in her phoenix robes, his eyes bloodshot with madness.
Ye Zhaorong raised a brow and smiled, bewitching as a demon. “My lord, after all these years, you're still so audacious.” Her captivating fragrance drifted through the air, while in the main hall nearby, the emperor was still drinking and laughing, making merry.
A peal of thunder rang out. Ignoring Huo Xuanjing's barely restrained expression, Ye Zhaorong turned to leave. “I wonder if His Majesty's hangover soup is ready. I'm worried, so I should go check.”
Huo Xuanjing, a wreck, stared fixedly at her retreating figure. Three years after his death, he had finally seen this heartless woman again. In their previous life, she had seduced and used him, yet when he died, she hadn't shed a single tear. This time, he would never let her go, not until death.
In the main hall, the debauched emperor held a bowl of hangover soup, his eyes deep and inscrutable. “My empress is so thoughtful.” Thoughtful enough to topple his empire in their previous life, thoughtful enough to imprison him until death. Now that he had been reborn, he would flay her, tear out her tendons, and grind her bones to dust!
“Your Majesty, this soup will clear your mind and calm your spirit. I made it myself. Why don't you try some?” Ye Zhaorong curved her lips into a smile, her breathtaking beauty blooming in an instant as it wound around the man before her like silk.
“...” The emperor stared in a daze. He hadn't seen her smile in a very, very long time. Her smile caught hold of his boundless hatred, leaving only boundless joy behind.
The Duke of Dingguo returned in haste, only to enter and find the emperor and empress united in a tender, devoted scene worthy of a love story. His eyes turned blood-red, and he instantly crushed the Ding kiln cup in his hand.
Reader's guide:
1. Both male leads are reborn, but it doesn't help. It's a storm of hatred and love, so just enjoy the romance!
2. Happy ending. Nobody dies this time; everyone lives happily.
3. The emperor has to win back his wife through a true trial by fire. The minister hero plays the other man for love. Everyone suffers from bouts of melodramatic, lovesick brain.
4. The male lead is sexually pure!
Blurb dated March 20, 2026
Theme: Put talent to good use; let the capable take their place.
Excuse me, are all men C's?
Ah