After the Substitute Marriage, the Somber Emperor Dotes on Me Alone

A brooding, obsessive emperor X a laid-back, lustful palace consort

After Lu Yun'an took her elder sister's place and married into the imperial palace, the first thing she did was find a secluded pavilion and keep its gates shut.

Don't ask. She simply didn't want to die.

They said serving the emperor was like keeping company with a tiger, and the new emperor was said to be bloodthirsty, cruel, and sullen.

A night in the emperor's bed could mean a promotion to consort, but as a newcomer, Lu Yun'an was relieved not to be summoned. At the same time, she was even more careful to keep a low profile, hoping to stay alive.

Then, three months later, something unexpected happened: she found a handsome guard outside her palace gates.

The young guard had pale, refined features and lay unconscious outside the hall, his sharp brows drawn over closed eyes. He wore a simple guard's uniform, yet somehow carried himself with an air of nobility.

Lu Yun'an stared straight at his handsome face, swallowed, and clicked her tongue in admiration. Her old weakness for handsome men had flared up again, and before she knew it, she had brought him into the palace for treatment.

Afterward, remembering her own position, she grew terrified of the tyrannical, terrifying new emperor and shut herself away even more carefully.

Then, on the night of the Qixi Festival, she fell into a trap through one careless move and staggered back to her palace. There she encountered the young guard, who had come to thank her. Unable to resist the effects of the drug, she took him into her chambers and spent a night of passion with him.

Unexpectedly, at midnight, Consort Liang, with whom she had previously clashed, barged into the palace with her entourage. She ordered the gates kicked open. "How dare you, Consort Lu, defile the imperial harem! You should be put to death at once!"

Exhausted after a long night, Lu Yun'an jolted awake. She saw the young guard pulling on his clothes, a flash of menace passing through his gloomy eyes. The familiar pressure made her tremble uncontrollably.

A low, furious voice came from the bed. "Let's see who dares!"

An overwhelming presence stopped the hands that were about to pull the curtains aside. Outside, a woman's incredulous voice rang out. "Your Majesty?"

Lu Yun'an, who was on the verge of tears and consumed by fury and despair: ?

Wei Yu had suffered from a strange illness for a long time. He did not know why, but at the beginning of every month his chest would ache and his head would throb. Whenever some insolent servant caused trouble, he would kill them.

Over time, word spread throughout the palace and beyond that he was cruel and capricious. Everyone kept their distance, which suited him fine. At least it gave him a little peace and quiet.

One night after selecting his consorts, he fell ill while out of his chambers. In order to return quickly and take his medicine, he had to take a shortcut. Passing a secluded palace gate, he caught a waft of fragrance from within and immediately felt refreshed.

He was about to push the gate open and ask which imperial physician was preparing medicine there when he heard a voice inside. "Xiao He, go deliver these sachets to the halls of the consorts yourself tomorrow. Otherwise, they'll charge us a delivery fee again. The money we save is enough for me to eat beggar's chicken twice more."

Another woman complained, "Your Highness, you're still thinking about food? The candles in our palace are almost burned out."

Wei Yu, passing by: ? When did my treasury get so poor that I can't even support a consort?

Theme: We were made for each other