I, the Emperor, Have Fallen for a Young Lady

■ Gentle, resilient, diligent palace maid × self-deluding, contrary emperor

1.

Jiang Xunzhu had always known the imperial palace was a place that devoured people.

At thirteen, her parents forced her to take her older sister's place in the palace. Though low in status, she had a face that drew attention, and suffered all manner of hardship there.

To make it out of the palace alive, over the years Xunzhu learned to ingratiate herself with everyone, treading carefully at every step. But by a twist of fate, she was assigned to serve the emperor and got involved with someone she should never have provoked.

Having served so many masters, she naturally knew how shallow an emperor's affections could be. The harem was no place for her, and she had even less business trying to get close to the emperor.

On the day she left the palace at twenty-five, Eunuch Shun'an, who served the emperor, leaned close and tried to persuade her to stay: "Please think it over, Auntie. His Majesty was furious in the Imperial Study."

Xunzhu smiled and shook her head. Before long, His Majesty wouldn't even remember who she was.

*

Xunzhu left the palace full of joy to marry her cousin, but her beautiful dream vanished in an instant. Less than half a year later, her husband showed his true colors.

That day, in the torrential rain, she lay covered in blood in a muddy puddle. Only then did she learn that her cousin had always loved her older sister, and that she wasn't her parents' biological daughter at all...

As she lay dying, she fell into a warm embrace. In her daze, she thought she saw a flash of imperial yellow... But how could that be?

When she opened her eyes again, Xunzhu had returned to the day she was fifteen, when Consort Shu had slashed her face. The imperial palace was a place that devoured people, especially those without power or connections.

But in this life, she wasn't leaving.

2.

I fell in love with a girl, but I couldn't be with her.

She was the palace lady I had personally appointed to serve me. Though her face was scarred, she was more talented than many women from noble families. She could play the zither, understood poetry, and knew medicine. She had taken an arrow for me and diligently handled every matter at my side each day. There wasn't another palace maid in the entire palace as perfectly suited to me.

I thought things could go on like that forever, until one day she asked to leave the palace, her eyes full of delight.

The writing brush in my hand snapped, but I didn't ask her to stay. There were so many women in the world. Why let a palace maid trouble my heart?

I sulked for only a few months before I couldn't resist leaving the palace to see her. I thought she'd probably married by then and completely forgotten me.

The sky was dark, and the rain fell hard. She lay alone in the water, no longer possessing the radiance she once had.

I was the Son of Heaven. I couldn't show my joy or anger. But as I held her in my arms, my heart ached.

"If only I'd known, I would have been ruthless and kept you locked by my side."

When I woke again, everything had changed. I was much younger, and the girl who had rejected me was now nestled in my arms, acting coy...

I... naturally accepted her gladly.

#I thought at first that it was only a passing fancy.

#But later, all I wanted was to lay the best things in the world at her feet.

[Reading guide]

1. Not a strong female lead, little political intrigue, a sweet romance.

2. Both leads are sexually inexperienced before and after rebirth; one-on-one, happy ending, five-year age gap.

3. The female lead is reborn first; the male lead follows a little later.

4. A powerful man humbles himself for love. Neither lead is perfect.

5. Completely fictional setting. No historical research needed.

Theme: Work hard and love life.