In the first year of Tianyuan, the Emperor decreed a grand selection. Su Jiaojiao was the youngest among the selected maidens. While her peers one by one received the Emperor’s favor, she spent three years in the most secluded palace, unnoticed. Three years passed, and the once tender girl blossomed into a graceful young woman. At the end of that spring, she passed under a vast canopy of pear blossoms, smiling and chatting. Just one glance. The young Emperor was struck by her celestial beauty, and from then on, his gaze never left her. Black hair, snow-white skin. A jade-like nose, sandalwood lips, and eyes like autumn water. Her figure was as graceful as a willow, with a waist so slender it seemed it could be encircled by a single hand. Su Jiaojiao, having lain low for three years, climbed from an obscure selected maiden to the Emperor’s most favored concubine, fully aware of what she desired. On the day the Empress faced a difficult childbirth, amidst thunder and lightning. Shen Huai initially rose to leave, but she lifted her autumn-water-like eyes, gently tugged at his lapel, and whispered softly like a kitten, “Your Majesty, I’m scared.” He didn’t see the ruthlessness hidden beneath her lowered gaze, and in an instant, he was disarmed and utterly defeated. “Alright, I won’t leave.” In his twenty years, Shen Huai had seen many beauties of various kinds, always free and easy in matters of the heart, never bowing to anyone. But he had never met a woman like her— Pure yet seductive, ruthless yet fragile, delicate yet resilient. Uniquely beautiful, breathtakingly so. At first, he only thought her beautiful, but later he willingly bowed to her. Related Stories: A Letter from Keanu Reeves The Great Witch Doctor Livestreams His Consultations! My Boyfriend Is the Heartthrob, and I’m Just a Passerby The Extra Who Leaked His Inner Thoughts and Became the Savior