Beauty Before the Throne

When Shang Yingying entered the palace at eleven, she had no money to bribe the steward, so she was assigned to serve a low-ranking Baolin concubine of the late emperor. Over the next seven years, Shang Yingying watched her mistress rise and fall from favor, changing from an innocent girl into a madwoman. By the time the late emperor died, she had risen only to the rank of Cairen, and eventually ended her life with a strip of white silk. Convinced that the imperial harem was a demon's den that devoured people without a trace, Shang Yingying counted the days on her fingers, hoping only to leave the palace and go home in three years. The new emperor ascended the throne. Shang Yingying saved up silver to bribe a eunuch, hoping to secure an easy post. How had she ended up assigned to serve in the emperor's presence? From then on, everyone in the palace knew of Auntie Yufu, the beautiful and gentle palace maid who served the emperor directly. Every consort who had seen Yufu said she had a willow-slim waist and foxlike eyes, with a naturally alluring, flirtatious air. Surely it would only be a matter of days before she entered the emperor's bedchamber. Yet half a year went by without a new concubine joining the harem. Then rumors spread that Auntie Yufu planned to give up her position as a palace maid serving the emperor and sit the exams to become an official in the Six Bureaus for Palace Women. Only then did the consorts relax, wondering if they had misjudged Yufu all along. - When she finally had nowhere else to turn, Shang Yingying knelt before Yan Xuli once more and bowed her head, weeping as she pleaded: "Your Majesty, this humble servant begs for your mercy." Yan Xuli lowered his eyes and leaned down slowly, taking hold of her slender lotus-like neck. His long fingers caressed it lazily, peeling away the lotus petals. He had spared her again and again. Since she had said it herself this time, she could not blame him for refusing to let her go. But even Yan Xuli could never have imagined that the delicate hand he had taken in his own, cool to the touch, on a whim in the imperial study one midsummer's day would be one he could never let go of for the rest of his life. - Reading guide: 1. Contains palace intrigue. The emperor has had previous partners. After the main story begins, he will only sleep with the heroine. One-on-one romance, happy ending. 2. Set in an imaginary dynasty. All details serve the plot; no historical nitpicking, please. 3. The leads have a romance. This is not a heroine-focused story about her being happy alone. 4. Seven-year age gap. At the start, the hero is 25 and the heroine is 18. P.S. The heroine's name comes from the line: "A lotus blooms, still full and radiant." - Theme: Rise on the wings of the wind to soar ninety thousand li