The Imperial Preceptor Is Jealous Again

[Complete! Finished! Read with confidence, everyone!]

[Male lead: seemingly gentle and harmless, but actually a scheming charlatan x Female lead: seemingly spoiled and pretty but empty-headed, actually ambitious]

[Dark, jealous hopeless romantic x Oblivious career-minded woman]

In her previous life, Lin Yunfei tried to change her unjust fate of being confined to the inner chambers and embarked on the impossibly difficult path to seize the throne.

Because she was a woman, she was scorned by the court officials, burdened with false accusations, and ultimately died a tragic death.

Fortunately, fate took pity on her and gave her the chance to start over.

Lin Yunfei surveyed the whole situation with clear eyes and decided to keep a low profile while building a power base of her own.

The first aide she set her sights on was Xie Cheng, the Imperial Preceptor.

In her previous life, he had belonged to a different faction, yet had helped her time and again. He had even given her an eight-character prophecy: "Words damage one's reputation; delusions harm oneself." He had predicted her fate down to the last detail.

Could anyone in the world really be that prescient? Lin Yunfei refused to believe it.

She was determined to unmask him, find something to use against him, and make him work for her.

But Xie Cheng proved far easier to win over than she had expected. He even eagerly swore a deadly oath of loyalty to her.

Lin Yunfei suspected he had an ulterior motive, but couldn't put her finger on what it was.

The arrogant words of men sought to drown out women, but Lin Yunfei was determined to lead the women of the realm in founding a new dynasty.

She took legal action on behalf of girls abused by cruel men, helping them escape their misery and stand tall.

She founded schools for women and promoted women to official posts, allowing them to show their talents to the fullest.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, except for Xie Cheng, the aide she couldn't keep under control.

He seemed to have forgotten his place, audaciously interfering in whom she spent time with and whom she went out with.

*

Beside the imperial palace stood a tall pagoda. At its summit lived Xie Cheng, the Imperial Preceptor.

He was always gazing out over the noisy world from the railing, a gentle, faint smile playing on his lips.

Everyone who had met the Imperial Preceptor came away with the same thought: Surely nothing in the world could stir his heart.

Only Xie Cheng knew that he had long since been captivated by a dazzling woman.

He had once reached out to help her at her most wretched, but hadn't realized he had fallen for her.

It was only after she died that Xie Cheng finally understood: his arrogance had cost him the woman he loved.

Fortunately, Heaven was kind, and he saw her radiant, sun-bright eyes once again.

When Lin Yunfei came to Linfeng Pagoda to visit him, Xie Cheng prepared tea and refreshments, ready at last to say the words he had been planning for so long.

"Xie Cheng is at Princess Jiahe's command alone."

Xie Cheng thought he had made his love for her obvious, but she was entirely focused on her quest for power and utterly oblivious to romance.

And she was so captivating that he spent his days in the pagoda plagued by jealousy and anxiety, unable to eat or sleep.

(Short bonus scene)

After a matchmaking meeting, Lin Yunfei went to Linfeng Pagoda, planning to discuss with Xie Cheng which promising young man to win over.

Instead, he regarded her coolly, his tone entirely unlike usual. "I thought Your Highness wouldn't come to see me anymore."

Lin Yunfei was baffled. "Why would you think that?"

Xie Cheng tapped the edge of the table now and then with his fingers. "If Your Highness has a consort, it won't be convenient for you to come here."

"Why not?" Lin Yunfei was still confused.

"If Your Highness, as a married woman, spends so much time with me, your consort is bound to get jealous."

But when she was unmarried, was it really all right for her to visit him and be alone with him in a room?

Lin Yunfei felt that his words were dripping with sarcasm. "Imperial Preceptor, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"I thought I had made myself perfectly clear," Xie Cheng said, taking her in with his gaze. "Your Highness has yet to achieve your great ambition. It would be best not to think about marriage for now."

#Reborn to reclaim everything that belongs to the empress

#The Imperial Preceptor is looking at her in a suspicious way

#I thought he was my aide, but he wants to be my imperial consort

Notes:

1. The political intrigue is light. The dynasty is fictional, so please don't nitpick historical accuracy.

2. This is a slow burn. The early chapters focus more on her career, while the romance becomes more prominent later.

3. The male lead only loves the female lead, both in his past life and this one.

Theme: Break free from the cocoon and rise from the ashes