On the eve of her night of service, A Chan accidentally learns that the Emperor is gravely ill. She is about to become a pawn in a conspiracy to seize the throne.
If the Emperor dies in his bed, whoever serves him that night will be put to death.
Just as she is overcome with despair, she meets a strong, healthy man whose appearance resembles the Emperor’s by thirty or forty percent.
He is Prince Qin, Xiao Yi, a highly ranked, battle-hardened lord trusted by the Emperor. He is currently staying at the imperial retreat to recover from an injury.
Prince Qin is cold and aloof, and keeps women at arm’s length. A Chan doesn’t dare bet she can seduce him.
So she makes an even bolder decision.
On the night she is to serve the Emperor, A Chan sneaks into Prince Qin’s bed.
*
The political winds shift overnight, and the Emperor dies. To everyone’s surprise, Prince Qin becomes the new emperor.
That day, in the Empress Dowager’s palace, a toddler who can barely walk wraps his arms around Xiao Yi’s leg. He looks up and calls out in a childish voice, “Father.”
A Chan rushes over and is so frightened she nearly loses her soul. Unable to pull her son away, she can only bow and apologize.
Xiao Yi calmly says, “It’s all right.”
Seeing this, the Empress Dowager sighs sadly. “The Emperor and the late Emperor were brothers. It’s no wonder the child mistook him for his father.”
Those around them chime in, ingratiatingly remarking that the late Emperor’s young son bears some resemblance to the new Emperor.
Xiao Yi’s heart stirs. He gently strokes the child’s head, but his gaze discreetly shifts to the woman hurriedly getting to her feet, as if he is pondering something.
Reader note: This is not a typical pregnancy-and-run story. The leads sleep together before the heroine enters the harem. Their relationship ends before she develops feelings for the hero, and there is a time gap between each relationship.
Theme: Your fate is always in your own hands
