The Bold and Audacious Daughter of a Powerful Minister vs. The Patient, Scheming Puppet Emperor
Huo Qingjun knew all along that the emperor, Xiao Yan, had feelings for her, but not many.
He made her empress and kept the imperial harem empty only to appease her father, who commanded a massive army and held sway over the entire court.
But people aren't made of wood or stone. As time passed, by the fifth year after she entered the palace, the two of them had gone from treating each other with icy courtesy to living in harmony.
The Empress Dowager devoted herself to Buddhism, the harem was free of rival beauties, and the emperor was gentle by nature, even tender in bed. Aside from her father and brothers constantly urging her to produce an heir, which could be a bit irritating, Huo Qingjun found her life as empress fairly comfortable.
Then, in the bitter winter of that year, her father passed away. Not long after, her brother was accused of colluding with the enemy and plotting rebellion, leaving the Huo clan on the brink of disaster. She went to plead for mercy, but the emperor wouldn't even see her. Instead, he sent her to a secluded palace residence. Only then did she see clearly that Xiao Yan had always been as hard-hearted as stone. She had never warmed his heart.
Their harmony and tenderness in bed had all been part of his scheme to bring down the Huo clan.
She drank a cup of poisoned wine. When she opened her eyes again, the sun was warm, and spring had returned to the Jiaofang Palace. She had been reborn at the start of her fifth year as empress.
Xiao Yan was holding a bowl of warm medicine to her lips.
Huo Qingjun gazed at his misty eyes. The vapor seemed to weave a vast net around her, and her hands clenched the quilt without meaning to.
In this new life, she wanted only to escape that net and save her brother and the Huo clan.
But gradually, she began to realize: Why wasn't Xiao Yan following the careful plan he'd carried out step by step in her previous life?
Xiao Yan:
Since childhood, I've kept a woman in my heart.
We were childhood sweethearts, a dragon and phoenix destined to fly side by side.
But she doesn't seem to believe that I truly love her.
[Bonus Scene]
At first, Xiao Yan called her “Qingqing,” and she was sick of it.
“My name is Qingjun. Qingjun. Qing, ”
But he teased her, moving beneath her until the word “jun” escaped her lips as a breathy sound.
Later, as he gazed at her sleeping face beside him, he stroked her dark hair. “Qingqing. My darling.”
*An imaginary dynasty. No historical fact-checking needed.
*One man and one woman, exclusive pairing, both sexually inexperienced, happy ending.
Theme: Live well and stay positive
