Chapter 1

Introduction

Bui Chieu Dan was a tyrant, yet he died far too soon.

He left a wicked empress like me behind, at the mercy of his enemies.

For years, I had wielded power and thrown my weight around at court. In the end, I was shackled right there in the Golden Hall.

The person behind me chuckled softly.

“Your Majesty committed so many misdeeds. You can atone for them with your body.”

The victor writes history. There was nothing to complain about.

But I resented Bui Chieu Dan. He had been cruel and ruthless, yet he died young and left me behind.

When I opened my eyes again,

I was still the arrogant, headstrong daughter of a noble family.

I had sneaked into the imperial garden to meet Bui Chieu Dan.

He had his arms tight around my waist, pinning me against a decorative rock as he kissed me.

I abruptly shoved him away and said stiffly, “Your Highness, please show some restraint. I came here as promised today to make it clear that we should keep our distance.”

If Bui Chieu Dan was fated to die young, I absolutely could not repeat the mistakes of my past life.

But I had forgotten one thing.

At this point in time, in Bui Chieu Dan’s eyes, I was nothing more than a pretty trinket he found mildly interesting—

not the empress who would later take an arrow for him and share a deep, abiding bond with him.

When Bui Chieu Dan wanted something, he had only one way of dealing with it.

He gripped my chin and smiled with cold, merciless amusement.

“If you don’t want a proper title, then be my concubine.”

01

A trace of amusement flickered in the man’s beautiful eyes.

But he made no effort to conceal the aura of violence that clung to him.

Right. According to my memories, I had been secretly exchanging letters with him for nearly half a year.

Today, while a banquet was being held in the palace, I had slipped away to meet him.

Just moments ago, he had agreed.

Tomorrow, he would submit a memorial asking His Majesty to issue an edict and take me as his principal wife.

And then I had suddenly changed my mind.

Bui Chieu Dan didn’t ask why. He couldn’t be bothered to. In his eyes, anything he wanted was his for the taking.

Still, my abrupt change of heart had angered him.

“A concubine?” I bit my lower lip.

That was even worse!

In this life, I had to stay away from Bui Chieu Dan.

If I became his concubine, I would still end up a wicked consort. When he died, I would still be held to account for my crimes. Besides, why should I be demoted another rank?

I pouted. “My father is the Chancellor. What gives Your Highness the right to force me to be your concubine? Why don’t we part on good terms instead?”

Bui Chieu Dan’s fingertip brushed lightly over my cheek.

He smiled. “But you’re only a concubine-born daughter.”

I froze.

I had spent so long as empress, second only to the emperor and above everyone else, that I had nearly forgotten.

At this point, Bui Chieu Dan was out of favor.

If he wanted to marry the Chancellor’s concubine-born daughter as his principal wife, His Majesty would not object. That was exactly what had happened in my previous life.

But if he insisted on taking me as a concubine, His Majesty would not object to that either, no matter how much my father doted on me.

I began to panic, so I softened my tone.

“I know Your Highness is kindhearted. You would never force someone to do something against her will, would you?”

Bui Chieu Dan casually drew me into his arms and leaned close to my ear, pronouncing each word slowly.

“I would.”

My heart went cold.

02

Bui Chieu Dan and I had met in the simplest, most straightforward way.

At first,

we were just a reckless young man and woman, dazzled by each other’s looks and instantly drawn together.

I was spoiled, headstrong, beautiful, and wanton.

Bui Chieu Dan was carefree and unrestrained, with a face so striking it was almost breathtaking.

In truth, there had been signs from the beginning that we would one day become a tyrant and his wicked empress.

Even then, we dared to defy propriety, sneaking off to meet and be intimate.

From the time we met until after we married, desire had always outweighed affection between us.

Later, he staged a rebellion, seized the throne, became emperor, and made me his empress.

To Bui Chieu Dan,

I was beautiful and alluring, and we were especially compatible in bed.

So there had always been a place for me at his side.

But we had never truly opened our hearts to each other. It was hardly a love deeper than the sea.

In fact, in the second year after he ascended the throne, he held a selection of consorts at the ministers’ urging.

I didn’t dare make a scene with him. All I could do was turn cold and sulk in silence.

I didn’t want to share my husband with anyone, even if Bui Chieu Dan was the Son of Heaven.

After all, when I married him, who could have guessed that an unfavored prince like him would become emperor?

Sigh.

Being a virtuous empress was too much trouble. I might as well be a wicked one.

Bui Chieu Dan was no enlightened ruler, anyway.

Fortunately, even then, he favored me a little more than the others. He was busy with state affairs and had no intention of carrying on with women everywhere.

So he stayed only in my palace; the other consorts were wives in name only.

The turning point came later, during a royal hunt.

An assassin had infiltrated the guards.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I simply rushed forward on instinct and took an arrow for him.

Then I collapsed helplessly into Bui Chieu Dan’s arms.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I felt his hand tighten around mine.

I was unconscious for more than half a month.

When I woke, I saw Bui Chieu Dan’s dark eyes, their emotions impossible to read. There were faint shadows beneath them.

The imperial physicians came to treat me.

As it happened, Bui Chieu Dan’s wine had also been poisoned during the hunt.

But I loved my wine. It smelled delicious, so I drank his cup too.