The Empress Just Doesn’t Get It

* Both leads are sexually inexperienced; sweet romance and childhood sweethearts

Gentle, clear-headed noblewoman x outwardly mild but secretly ruthless childhood sweetheart emperor

What should you do when you tell your childhood sweetheart you won't marry him and will marry someone else instead? He gets angry.

Yun Zhaowan's father is the prime minister, and her aunt is the Empress Dowager. From childhood, she was the chosen future empress.

After three years away, she finally received word that she could return to the capital to marry.

When news came of her older brother's death, her family fell out with the new emperor. She asked to marry her cousin in Jiangnan instead, embarrassing the emperor.

But under pressure from those in power, she ended up taking her place as empress after all.

The palace attendants all said the emperor 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 on the sleeve of his dragon robe and asked softly, "For my brother's sake, Your Majesty, please don't hold my attempt to marry someone else against me."

"I promise to do my duty as empress and be a worthy one. I'll keep Your Majesty's harem peaceful, with no vying for favor, scheming, or harming the imperial heirs."

Xuan Zhaoheng could only smile helplessly and say nothing. She was the only one in his harem, so who could compete with her for his favor? And as for an imperial heir, he glanced at Yun Zhaowan's flat stomach. There didn't seem to be one yet.

Yun Zhaowan simply assumed the new emperor was aloof.

Yun Zhaowan: In his heart, all he cares about is the promise he made to my brother.

Xuan Zhaoheng: All she cares about is her family and her duty.

The thing Xuan Zhaoheng regretted most in his life was telling Yun Zhaowan how much he missed her while holding one of her brother's keepsakes that year. It made her misunderstand his true feelings.

*

Bonus scene

Yun Zhaowan had figured out a little trick to calm the emperor down. "Your Majesty treated my brother so well. Whenever we talk about him, you stop being angry."

Xuan Zhaoheng: Am I angry or not?

He sighed. "I'm not angry anymore."

Not at all. He had rejected a memorial from the Yun family 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 unfurled the scroll.

It showed a little Yun Zhaowan swinging in the imperial garden.

Reader's guide:

1. Set in a fictional world with original details. Please don't overanalyze.

2. Childhood sweethearts, mutual pining, imperial couple, both leads are sexually inexperienced, happy ending.

3. Sweet, healing romance with no angst.

Upcoming novel: Marry First, Then Ask for a Divorce. An arranged marriage between members of prestigious families, followed by love.

A sharp-minded newcomer pretending to be a fool x a proper, traditional nobleman

Ling Hansu was an abandoned daughter of a newly wealthy family, raised at one of its estates. When the Emperor wanted to curb the power of the great clans, an imperial decree married her into the centuries-old Chu family.

Everyone said she was lucky.

And she really was. Her husband was as handsome as Pan An, elegant as an orchid and jade tree, and often away from home. Her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law looked down on her humble origins and wanted nothing to do with her. With no one to control her, and plenty of money and leisure, wasn't this better than life at the estate?

So Ling Hansu did her best to fulfill her duties as a nobleman's wife.

In front of her husband, she was obedient and gentle, dignified and proper, modest and deferential, never overstepping. No one could find a single fault with her.

Chu Qinghui was the exceptional young master of a centuries-old clan, peerless in the world.

In his eyes, his wife was another victim of this imperial marriage. What right did he have to resent her?

His wife was considerate and gentle, and the household was peaceful. She took good care of him. Even without deep affection, they lived together in harmony. He stopped being so distant and began trying to grow closer to her, only to overhear something at a banquet one day.

"He's so stiff and proper. Who could put up with him? I'm only playing along with him."

He had never heard that light, carefree voice before.

Only then did he realize that Ling Hansu's cautiousness was an act, and so was her gentle, quiet nature.

The first time he saw her laugh, he discovered how radiant she could be.

After that, Chu Qinghui broke with his usual mild and proper ways.

He wanted to be part of Ling Hansu's life.

But his wife was so capable and thorough that Chu Qinghui had no way to get close to her.

Then one day, he discovered a secret and seized the opportunity to get to know Ling Hansu better.

*

Bonus scene

As usual, Ling Hansu brought a late-night snack to the study, set down the food box, and turned to leave.

"Stop."

She obeyed and stopped. When she turned back, she lowered her eyes out of habit. "Do you have any other instructions, Third Master?"

Chu Qinghui stood and walked closer, until his shadow completely covered her.

He raised his hand and brushed his fingertips across Ling Hansu's cheek. The intimate gesture made her shiver.

"After pretending for so long, can you still tell what's real?"

Ling Hansu's pupils shrank. A genuine flash of shock appeared beneath the ever-present mask of gentle obedience.

Chu Qinghui had discovered her insincerity. Was he going to take revenge on her?

And sure enough, one day...

Ling Hansu was tending wildflowers in a corner of the courtyard, a little spot all her own.

But now there were elegant tools and seedlings beside them, and Chu Qinghui had personally brought her flowers from the Western Regions.

Ling Hansu kept her expression gentle. "Third Master is so busy. How could I trouble you with such a small matter?"

Chu Qinghui seemed absorbed in the flowers. "If it matters to my wife, then it isn't a small thing. I had someone bring fertilizer and set up a little shelter beside it. That way, you can grow shade-loving plants here too."

Ling Hansu's heart tightened.

Not only had he come, he was taking over her territory! He really had come to get back at her!

Never mind. This courtyard belonged to him too. She could just give it back to him.

Mountains can crumble, people can leave. Better to run while she could.

Chu Qinghui protested that he was innocent.

He wasn't there to claim her territory.

He was there to make peace.

#I pretended too well, and he believed me.

Theme: The moon still shone where it once had, and once illuminated the clouds as they returned.