The Story begins with our Ye Zhen unwillingly being made into an Empress. On the night of the wedding, she kicked the Emperor down from their bed which resulted in him looking for his concubine instead. Since then they both have a growing dislike for one another.
Decided to DNF during Chapter 1, because this sounds like a cheating book. Sorry, I know this is a historical romance set in ancient China, but my American brain can't deal with a ML/emperor who has 3 thousand beautiful concubines, even if he becomes faithful at the end.
This Chinese webnovel is a rom-com, an enemies to lovers story between an Emperor and his Empress. They're in an arranged marriage, and apparently on the wedding night, he ditches her and starts sleeping with a different concubine every night until he falls in love with the Empress/h.
What I didnt know was that the MCs had sex that first/wedding night! I thought h kicked him out of bed, so he went and slept with his concubine on his wedding night, and then ignored her, but actually, he left the h, on their wedding night, because his favorite concubine called for him. I also didnt appreciate the fact that all these women seem more beautiful and just better than the h. The only saving grace to this story (thus far) was the fact that the h/empress was completely indifferent, as in, she didnt find the ML attractive, she actively disliked him as a man and she was in a marriage she didnt want to be in, so she didnt care about these ow.
Read it for yourself, here is what it says in the book. It does sound like he had intercourse but she kicked him at that point.
" After drinking the wedding wine, the next thing to do was quite awkward. Ji Wujiu gritted his teeth and carried Ye Zhenzhen to the bed, undressing her. However, under the gaze of Ye Zhenzhen, who said "you shameless pervert", he really couldn't muster any interest.
"Close your eyes." Ji Wujiu ordered.
The expression of closing his eyes and expecting death still made him lose his appetite.
Fortunately, Ye Zhenzhen is pretty enough. After closing her eyes, her usual majestic demeanor is gone, and she actually looks a bit pitiful.
And... the figure is good, the feel is good...
So Ji Wujiu finally felt something.
So far, this lovemaking could barely be considered harmonious.
However, Ye Zhenzhen suddenly felt a tearing pain in her body. Before her brain could think, her body reacted first and kicked the person who was causing the pain.
Bang!
Ji Wujiu sat on the ground, the anger on his face had not yet subsided, and there was a rare hint of confusion in his eyes.
In fact, Ji Wujiu had been taught by a famous teacher since he was young, and he was proficient in both literature and martial arts. If he was attacked by someone with Ye Zhenzhen's skills under normal circumstances, he could easily dodge it. However, he was concentrating on doing that kind of thing just now..."
So this ML had sex with the h, then went over to one of his concubines to finish the night. Screw this book. Not for me.
https://www.52shuku.vip/jiakong/2939.... Used Chrome to auto translate. Thing about using this is that pronounces are a mess. She/he/it/I/etc gets jumbled and messed up, so some parts dont make sense.
Started reading this in 2017 and since there was no completed translation at that time so...I forgot about this.
So, I read it back again from the beginning.
As a person, one will meet many people in their life, but on this world, there would only be one person that will truly be the right one to be linked to you for the entire lives. There are so many people on earth, if you are able to meet that person, then it really was the benevolence granted by the heavens.
It all started with the marriage of the Empress (Ye Zhen Zhen) and the Emperor (Ji Wiu Ju). Their love and hate relationship brought some smiles in me. The story is pretty cute. The reason why I did not give this complete perfect stars because there were times that I felt that YZZ was too much. And I still have to read a cnovel which can surpass my love for To be a Virtuous Wife ehehe.
PS it has explicit scenes compared to other cnovels that I read. But not really smut.
Loved it. It's a classic enemies to lovers trope set in ancient china. It has its funny moments. Full of inner palace intrigue and plots. Heroine is a smart one. I liked how the translator summarized some of the boring parts.
udah lama banget ada di library banyak yang bilang nggak bagus soalnya ada unsur harem nya BUT aku gak menyesal for giving a try at this book. This book actually so fun to read, permasalahannya juga nggak berat dan chapternya nggak terlalu panjang wkwkw highly recommended!!!
It took me few seconds to feel it. And his love for the Empress is just. . .fierce.
After I finished the entire hundred of chapters, I am sad, very sad I want more (no I did not mean the ending chapter) but more of it. T_T My history of reading 102 chapters in less than 10 days, yes.
Not a bad read, I finished it within 2-3 days. The story follows Ye Zhen Zhen as she marries the emperor Ji Wu Jiu and enters his home as the Empress. He has a lot of concubines already, so she has to deal with all the subtle power struggles between the women, including his mom the Empress Dowager, and prove herself innocent each time she's framed or accused of doing something dirty. Both Zhen Zhen and the Emperor are pretty smart and are generally on the same wavelength, so I enjoyed watching them slowly become a team and work together to outwit their enemies.
I liked the story for the most part until the last two arcs. Didn't enjoy the reveal Ji Li You's true character as the son of the former emperor and how he kidnapped Zhen Zhen and used her as leverage against the emperor, and the last bit with the Bai Xiang Ru using the peach blossom gu seemed super random.
Also, I found it hilarious that the emperor secretly snuck down to a brothel just to consult with one of the woman there about his love life and not do actually do anything XP
2/19/24 ... so this story had a bit of a ~slow start ... I was so mad at her grandfather for pushing for this marriage she never goddamn wanted and then when he was like "oh man I regret it" - YEAH, ASSHOLE. YOU STUPID FUCK.
Anyway FL does finally make the best of it but... ugh. [Heh to the emperor then ignoring his harem when he falls in love with FL ... 🙄 to the others deciding he's impotent]. There was ... a good amount of mess on all levels here - from the "baddies" and then the REAL baddie, but then also "Matthew" and the priest and O_o ugh the gun(s) and landmines... and yet the war stuff was kinda glossed over despite both ML and FL trying to run out to the frontlines. LOL to the [cousin?] general tying them up a bunch to prevent them from possibly accidentally killing themselves ...
I did actually feel bad for ML's cousin at the end but ... dude you cannot be emperor that would be terrible for the people. Not mad I read this, wouldn't say I wouldn't re-read it but there are many others I'd read before it.
...
LOL ok I'm glad I looked at NU again cuz I just read the bodyswap extra and laughed out loud https://daisyktranslations.blogspot.c... SO FUNNY <3 ~*~*~*~ 😐 c16 ok here I was (am) ready to be so impressed with FL shooting a fucking hornet (saved but scared consort Xian 🤷🏻♀️), but then author writes FL fighting with a tiger and look I’m not that familiar with them but I’m pretty sure being whipped by its tail would hurt but it wouldn’t fucking break your leg…
C18 previously he thought she was cute… this chapter he has Matthew (dude wtf that name, and also HOW was he allowed to meet the empress so much and in private?!) beaten cuz whether ML realizes it or not he’s jealous..
C19 I am still laughing at the toads thing 😹💯
😱😅 c27 I literally laughingly said “oh my god” … the first time they try to have sex she kicks him off the bed when it hurts 😱😅 this time 😖 she didn’t want to but then was like “whatever” but … That + her over eating *hurk emoji* - how are they ever going to come back from this 😖
C29 cracking up at ML going to a brothel to… try to see how to get FL to fall for him? And 😱 oh damn at how mad and upset he is that thinking maybe FL likes someone else.
C31 poor FL having to play detective. Also like this is the nth time HOW are the punishments so low for murder or attempted murder by these imperial concubines?! Like I am losing my mind here.
Oh damn c33 “Seeing that the person is in his arms already, it placated his feelings a little, but.. not enough.. way not enough. He felt that in his heart although not painful but seems to feel very empty, the closer he got to her, to more empty he felt. She was so near, yet so far from him.” With the end & their ambiguous ~ice skating & his thoughts… PLEASE tell me he’s finally smitten.
C37 I’m glad FL got her petty revenge against bitchy ML’scousunconsort but seriously her hair will grow back (😱😅 though eyebrows makes me nervous), while bitch tried to put FL in a death situation 😡. I get why Su whatever chick was lightly punished - her relative is an important necessary general. But this bitch - the empress dowager needs a gigantic setdown too 😡
🙁 c40 the misunderstandings make sense but make me sad, and yeah now I get why FL deeply regrets not getting rid of Su earlier.
C41 🙁 I’m really sad. That was rape. They finally consummate their marriage but she never wanted it & only lay there because he told her he wouldn’t implicate her entire family is they had sex. He wouldn’t have anyway but he should have told her. Ugh. Idiot. He even knew it was a terrible move.
C43 a nice first step reconciliation. And I guess I’m putting my modern day self on the book there was no marital rape then however the book was written in the modern day. But… I get why the author wrote everything this way. Also she def doesn’t think of it as rape… that whole “marital duty.” *sigh*
C49 *blush* both comedic and actually kinda hot. Impressive. And their relationship progresses! 💯❤️
C50 awwww fuuuuuccck. Hopefully his gaze turning “cold and [full of] hatred” is just a temper tantrum from her leaving the palace 😬😖
C53 even if it’s “just” for the country, FL being willing to die for ML to let him escape the Mongolians made me tear up.
C58 wheeze laughing at how FL has tricked the enemy & after being found out said she was the empress dowager 😹💯☠️ then the court - poor ML & him having a shit ass mom 😕. Heh yes to him knowing FL’s cousin liked her. And that he knows FL’s EQ is negative 🫠🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
*sigh* c59 author really did use an aphrodisiac to get them past that hurdle. And they’d been doing so well without. 😐
Hm I don’t remember what chapter I switched to basically the MTL but anyway Aw fuck c85 when the driftwood comes & she asks if it can hold both of them & he says yes I was like “dammit we won’t have a Titanic thing will we?” But then he ties her to the log & pushed her away. 😭
Sadly, I couldn't find good translation for it though. For the version I had, the translator did a rough translation but its still readable and understandable.
Also, while some people believe that FL somehow become reckless and dumb as the story progresses, imo it's the personality of FL? As its stated she's spoilt by her family. So she does what she wants and also because she has high self-confidence....
There are also misunderstandings and miscommunication between ML and FL but the angst don't last long. Maybe 1-2 chapters max.
Overall pretty good read, may read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
the emperor definitely didn’t deserve ye zhenzhen at the start. he was just a playboy without consequences cause he’s basically the main guy in the country. however, ye zhenzhen was a force to be reckon with and an absolute joy. some of the situations were a bit too outrageous so i just switched off my brain when that happens. i just wanted a quick read of a completed manga series and i got what i searched for.
enemies to lovers? historical setting? cunning fl? misunderstandings? SIGN ME UPPP although it felt kinda boring after ch 80-something , i really liked it! omw to read the manhua because i wanna see my empress yzz [swoons]