A bold, clear-eyed noblewoman × a devoted, scheming prince who protects his wife
Xie Xingyue was born into the prestigious Xie family, with a status as lofty as a princess's. If nothing unexpected happened, she would marry her childhood sweetheart, the nobleman Lu Rong, have children, and live a peaceful, happy life.
But the men of the Xie family, her father and brothers, died in battle. Only Xie Xingyue and her young brother survived. With no one to rely on, the siblings were left alone, and the Lu family canceled the engagement. The emperor took pity on her and arranged for her to become the Princess of Jin.
The Prince of Jin, Shen Liuguang, was a sickly man. Rumor had it he wouldn't live to see thirty.
In an instant, Xie Xingyue became the laughingstock of the capital.
When she first entered the Prince of Jin's residence, Xie Xingyue was cautious in everything she did. She took good care of the prince and the young boy in the household, thinking that if she and the prince treated each other with mutual respect, she could live out her days in peace once he succumbed to his illness.
She counted the days as they passed. Who could have guessed that the prince's health would improve day by day? Xie Xingyue asked, puzzled, "Weren't you supposed to be sickly, Your Highness?"
"Am I or am I not? Wouldn't the princess know?"
Shen Liuguang did not consider himself a man driven by carnal desires. At first, he thought his princess was sensible and sweet, and that was why he was willing to accept her. But when Xie Xingyue turned and walked away toward her childhood sweetheart, Shen Liuguang finally realized how deeply in love he was. "Xie Xingyue, between him and me, who will you choose?"
Notes:
1. This is an alternate setting, so don't overthink the details.
2. Marriage first, love later; one-on-one romance, happy ending, both are each other's first and only.
My new novel, The Empress Doesn't Get It, is now underway. Please add it to your collection!
Blurb:
A gentle, clear-eyed noblewoman × a sweet on the outside, scheming childhood sweetheart emperor
Is the childhood sweetheart's great love his own brother?
Yun Zhaowan's father is the prime minister, and her aunt is the empress dowager. From childhood, everyone considered her the future empress.
After three years apart, she finally received word that her childhood sweetheart was returning to the capital to marry her.
Because of her brother's death, her family had fallen out with the new emperor. She volunteered to marry her cousin in Jiangnan instead, making the new emperor lose face.
But political pressure eventually forced her to take the position of empress after all.
The palace staff all said that His Majesty indulged the empress far too much.
Only Yun Zhaowan knew that his kindness came from a promise the new emperor had made to her late brother.
She tugged at the sleeve of his imperial robe and whispered, "For my brother's sake, Your Majesty, please don't hold my remarriage against me."
"I promise to fulfill my duties as empress and be a virtuous wife. I'll keep Your Majesty's harem peaceful. There will be no fighting for favor, plotting, or harming the imperial heirs."
Xuan Zhaoheng could only smile helplessly and say nothing. She was the only woman in his harem. Who could compete with her for his favor? And as for imperial heirs, when he looked at Yun Zhaowan's flat stomach, it seemed there weren't any yet.
Yun Zhaowan simply thought the new emperor was aloof.
Until one day, she caught His Majesty staring at her brother's keepsakes.
She uncovered a huge secret: His Majesty had a great love, and that great love was her brother!!!
The thing Xuan Zhaoheng regretted most in his life was confessing his longing while gazing at the keepsakes of the Yun family's eldest son.
Yun Zhaowan: His heart holds only the promise he made to my brother.
Xuan Zhaoheng: Her eyes are fixed only on her family and her duties.
*
Yun Zhaowan had a clever little trick for calming His Majesty down. "Your Majesty treats my brother so well. Whenever you talk about him, you stop being angry."
Xuan Zhaoheng: Am I supposed to be angry or not?
He sighed. "Fine, I'm not angry anymore."
Not at all. He rejected the Yun family's memorial with his imperial brush and canceled the empress's pastries for the next day.
"Your Majesty is holding my brother's scroll. Are you missing him?"
Xuan Zhaoheng laughed in exasperation and unrolled it.
The painting showed Yun Zhaowan as a child, swinging in the imperial garden.
Reading guide:
1. Alternate setting with original worldbuilding. Don't get caught up in the details.
2. Childhood sweethearts, mutual pining, imperial couple, both are each other's first and only, happy ending.
3. Sweet, doting, healing romance with no heartache.
Theme: May I be like the stars and you like the moon, shining together night after night.
Are you kidding me? Is this a specially arranged plot for the heroine to marry the hero? Were ancient people so stupid? A man sacrificed his life for the country, but his fiancé's family came quickly to force him to break off the engagement. Do you think others are blind? How did this brain become an official? People are not grateful but make fun of their family?
The author's story and settings of the male and female protagonists are pretty good, but the settings of other characters are disgusting. After three chapters, there is no normal person. I advise you to quit.
Can the things given by the emperor be transferred to others?
"Dai Bin," this is a big bug for the author~
"Don't say anything inappropriate." This is a big bug for the author~
The family named Lu is disgusting, and Lu Rong is also a waste
It's so boring, it's a waste of time to recharge, I want to write it too
Is the second guy stupid, or is he doing something bad on purpose?
""I don't know anything" is a big thorn in the side of the author~
Hui or Ning, what is the name?