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Chang'an's First Beauty
The Marquis Yunyang was deposed by the Emperor and his family ended up in dire straits overnight. As such, the Third Miss of the Shen Household, her family’s most precious jewel, found herself abandoned by all with a sick brother on her hands. Having no other choice, she set up a cosmetics shop in Chang’an.
But to the eyes of all, especially her relatives, she had become nothing but an alluring flower any man could pick at will.
Passing by her Baixiang Pavilion, the heir to the Grand Duchy of Zhen, Lu Yan, witnessed her being harassed by the idle sons of Chang’an’s leading class. Her appearance reminded him of dreams that had been plaguing him lately, revealing to him a past with her and the sultry love affair they had shared in a previous life.
With shaking fingers, he also remembered the bitter taste of heartbreak when she left him to marry another man.
Thus, in this life, he decided to save her once more, lure her into an affair, install her as his mistress and never let her escape his sphere of influence again.
However, to keep Shen Zhen by his side, finding her a place to stay and caring for her brother was not enough. Little did Lu Yan know he would be pulled into the darkest corners of Chang’an and take part in games of power that at times implicated the Main Gentleman of the Empire, the Emperor himself. Selling what he held dearest in the process: his integrity as an official.
All for the sake of Chang’an’s First Beauty.
But to the eyes of all, especially her relatives, she had become nothing but an alluring flower any man could pick at will.
Passing by her Baixiang Pavilion, the heir to the Grand Duchy of Zhen, Lu Yan, witnessed her being harassed by the idle sons of Chang’an’s leading class. Her appearance reminded him of dreams that had been plaguing him lately, revealing to him a past with her and the sultry love affair they had shared in a previous life.
With shaking fingers, he also remembered the bitter taste of heartbreak when she left him to marry another man.
Thus, in this life, he decided to save her once more, lure her into an affair, install her as his mistress and never let her escape his sphere of influence again.
However, to keep Shen Zhen by his side, finding her a place to stay and caring for her brother was not enough. Little did Lu Yan know he would be pulled into the darkest corners of Chang’an and take part in games of power that at times implicated the Main Gentleman of the Empire, the Emperor himself. Selling what he held dearest in the process: his integrity as an official.
All for the sake of Chang’an’s First Beauty.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2020
6 people want to read
About the author
Well-Developed Lachrymal Glands
4 books1 followerAssociated Names:
* Fa Da De Lei Xian
* Well-Developed Lachrymal Glands
* 發達的淚腺
* 发达的泪腺
* ฟาต๋าเตอะเล่ยเซี่ยน (Thai)
* Phát Đạt Đích Lệ Tuyến (Vietnamese)
* Fa Da De Lei Xian
* Well-Developed Lachrymal Glands
* 發達的淚腺
* 发达的泪腺
* ฟาต๋าเตอะเล่ยเซี่ยน (Thai)
* Phát Đạt Đích Lệ Tuyến (Vietnamese)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 20, 2025
A historical romance featuring a reborn ML for once, rather than the FL. It was interesting to see how he slowly regained his memories from his past life in the form of dreams, as events or names came up that triggered those memories, rather than remembering everything in one go.
But I will say the beginning of the story was a bit hard to read. You can't use modern values to judge the ML, otherwise you will hate him for his callous and unfeeling treatment of the FL. The FL is Shen Zhen, the daughter of the fallen Shen family. Her dad was accused of corruption as the Minister of Works when one of the canals his ministry was in charge of collapsed and killed countless lives, and he was found guilty and sentenced to two years in jail.
With nowhere to go, Shen Zhen attempts to flee the capital with her younger brother using forged household papers provided by her oldest sister, only to be caught by the ML, Lu Yan. At the time, Lu Yan doesn't understand why, but he has a condition where his heart will be in great pain every time Shen Zhen cries, and he associates this pain with her due to the dreams of his past life. To save himself some pain, he takes her in as his outside mistress, which is unthinkable treatment towards a woman of Shen Zhen's stature if her family hasn't fallen so low.
Originally, Lu Yan's plan was to keep her hidden as his mistress and make it easier for himself, but eventually as they spend time together, he starts developing feelings for her. Plus the feelings from his past memories of treasuring her influence him as well, and he begins to have thoughts of bringing her into his home as his official wife.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I mentioned this before, but Lu Yan really isn't a great person at the beginning. This is the description of him from the novel:
He has never been sympathetic.
Under this person's skin, there is always a layer of emotions that are difficult to distinguish between joy and anger, as if he is wearing a mask.
On top of the mask, he was handsome, solemn, dignified and self-possessed. Everyone in the capital thought that the heir apparent of Duke of Zhenguo was a handsome gentleman and all the ladies in the boudoir who were waiting to be married blushed when they heard his name. Only a few people know how unruly and irreverent he is beneath this mask.
So while he's a popular bachelor in the capital, few people actually know how indifferent he is. For example, even after he takes in the FL as an outside mistress, when his family pressures him into getting married, he goes along with their wishes and makes an effort to get to know the woman they want him to marry. It's when the girl oversteps and tries to hire someone to follow him that her actions cross his bottom line and he nips the potential engagement in the bud, but he certainly didn't do so because he felt bad about keeping the FL as an outside mistress while entertaining the idea of engagement/marriage.
As Lu Yan regains his memories, it was super frustrating to see how everyone had been manipulated by the Empress and her family in the previous life, until the Empress's son sat on the throne. All of the ML and FL's troubles in the previous life stemmed from her meticulous planning, down to the troubles that befell the FL's dad and the undesirable marriages that her two elder sisters were forced into. If it weren't for her, perhaps the FL and ML could've had a happy life together, but at least this time the ML is pre-armed with knowledge of what the Empress is up to and can stop her small tricks.
The romance was done really well. After they both develop feelings for the other, the author did a good job at realistically portraying their situation. Despite their mutual feelings, her family is still in dire straits with her dad in jail, and his family won't accept her as his wife with her family's current social standing.
A lot of the story is focused on political schemes as well. There are two main contenders for the throne: the crown prince and the 6th prince. In the past life, the crown prince dies from being subtly poisoned and the 6th prince smoothly inherits the throne with his mother, the Empress's, help. However, this time around, the ML is there to make a difference. He secretly helps the crown prince, since by helping him, he helps the Shen family who is strongly associated with the crown prince. Eventually the crown prince recovers and is able to get the FL's father out of jail, and her father's actions in flood control speak to his competency. Soon the Shen family is able to stand on their own again, and the ML is able to marry the FL and bring her openly into his family as his wife. I enjoyed how the author mixed in all the politics with the romance and balance them both smoothly.
I felt really bad for the FL's older sister Shen Shu. She really got screwed over in her previous life, when she didn't realize that her husband was actually on the 6th prince's side and took actions against her father. I'm happy that she had help this time around and found love again. The only thing that was unclear to me was whether Zhou Shu'an was also reborn. He was in the extra chapters, but it's not made clear for the actual story. That's the only reason I can think of for why he was so intent on helping Shen Shu though.
But I will say the beginning of the story was a bit hard to read. You can't use modern values to judge the ML, otherwise you will hate him for his callous and unfeeling treatment of the FL. The FL is Shen Zhen, the daughter of the fallen Shen family. Her dad was accused of corruption as the Minister of Works when one of the canals his ministry was in charge of collapsed and killed countless lives, and he was found guilty and sentenced to two years in jail.
With nowhere to go, Shen Zhen attempts to flee the capital with her younger brother using forged household papers provided by her oldest sister, only to be caught by the ML, Lu Yan. At the time, Lu Yan doesn't understand why, but he has a condition where his heart will be in great pain every time Shen Zhen cries, and he associates this pain with her due to the dreams of his past life. To save himself some pain, he takes her in as his outside mistress, which is unthinkable treatment towards a woman of Shen Zhen's stature if her family hasn't fallen so low.
Originally, Lu Yan's plan was to keep her hidden as his mistress and make it easier for himself, but eventually as they spend time together, he starts developing feelings for her. Plus the feelings from his past memories of treasuring her influence him as well, and he begins to have thoughts of bringing her into his home as his official wife.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I mentioned this before, but Lu Yan really isn't a great person at the beginning. This is the description of him from the novel:
He has never been sympathetic.
Under this person's skin, there is always a layer of emotions that are difficult to distinguish between joy and anger, as if he is wearing a mask.
On top of the mask, he was handsome, solemn, dignified and self-possessed. Everyone in the capital thought that the heir apparent of Duke of Zhenguo was a handsome gentleman and all the ladies in the boudoir who were waiting to be married blushed when they heard his name. Only a few people know how unruly and irreverent he is beneath this mask.
So while he's a popular bachelor in the capital, few people actually know how indifferent he is. For example, even after he takes in the FL as an outside mistress, when his family pressures him into getting married, he goes along with their wishes and makes an effort to get to know the woman they want him to marry. It's when the girl oversteps and tries to hire someone to follow him that her actions cross his bottom line and he nips the potential engagement in the bud, but he certainly didn't do so because he felt bad about keeping the FL as an outside mistress while entertaining the idea of engagement/marriage.
As Lu Yan regains his memories, it was super frustrating to see how everyone had been manipulated by the Empress and her family in the previous life, until the Empress's son sat on the throne. All of the ML and FL's troubles in the previous life stemmed from her meticulous planning, down to the troubles that befell the FL's dad and the undesirable marriages that her two elder sisters were forced into. If it weren't for her, perhaps the FL and ML could've had a happy life together, but at least this time the ML is pre-armed with knowledge of what the Empress is up to and can stop her small tricks.
The romance was done really well. After they both develop feelings for the other, the author did a good job at realistically portraying their situation. Despite their mutual feelings, her family is still in dire straits with her dad in jail, and his family won't accept her as his wife with her family's current social standing.
A lot of the story is focused on political schemes as well. There are two main contenders for the throne: the crown prince and the 6th prince. In the past life, the crown prince dies from being subtly poisoned and the 6th prince smoothly inherits the throne with his mother, the Empress's, help. However, this time around, the ML is there to make a difference. He secretly helps the crown prince, since by helping him, he helps the Shen family who is strongly associated with the crown prince. Eventually the crown prince recovers and is able to get the FL's father out of jail, and her father's actions in flood control speak to his competency. Soon the Shen family is able to stand on their own again, and the ML is able to marry the FL and bring her openly into his family as his wife. I enjoyed how the author mixed in all the politics with the romance and balance them both smoothly.
I felt really bad for the FL's older sister Shen Shu. She really got screwed over in her previous life, when she didn't realize that her husband was actually on the 6th prince's side and took actions against her father. I'm happy that she had help this time around and found love again. The only thing that was unclear to me was whether Zhou Shu'an was also reborn. He was in the extra chapters, but it's not made clear for the actual story. That's the only reason I can think of for why he was so intent on helping Shen Shu though.
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December 19, 2025Title: Chang’an’s First Beauty
When I first read the synopsis, my mind immediately went to The Beloved Imperial Consort, which wasn’t a favorite of mine. I had a feeling I wouldn’t particularly enjoy this one either. So why did I still give it a try? I honestly don’t know. The reviews were mixed—some praised it to the skies, while others were outright disgusted by both the book and its characters. Maybe curiosity got the better of me. Even knowing I might not like it, a small part of me still hoped it wouldn’t be that bad.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for those doubts to be confirmed.
Lu Yan, the ML, is cold, insensible, and uncaring—completely the opposite of the kind of character I’d find remotely appealing. Reading about him left a bad taste in my mouth, and it was hard to stay invested in a story centered around such an unlikable ML.
Shen Zhen, the MC, isn’t any better. She has an extremely weak personality and makes little effort to change her circumstances or fight back. Once her family falls, she becomes helpless and stays that way, never thinking outside the box or trying to resist—even when she’s reduced to being treated as an object.
The overall tone of the book is heavy and joyless, with little to no humor to balance it out. The world-building is especially harsh toward women, portraying them as little more than cattle expected to obey—step out of line, and you die. This bleak mentality permeates the entire story.
The characters feel flat, and the plot is painfully boring—like eating food with no salt.
By chapter 20, I was already tempted to drop the book and stop torturing myself.
Will it get better? I honestly don’t know—and, to be frank, I don’t really care.
Dropped chapter 22
May 24, 2024
4.5
This is a fan translated, Chinese romance book, so expect errors, but overall it was an engaging read. I'm just grateful that there are people who are willing to spend their free time to do this for us.
- No cheating
- Not politically correct, since the period is in the ancient China.
- There was a review complaining about the FL being only 14 yrs old. That's not true, she's 16 and the ML is 23. This is a period when girls were married off as soon as they started their menstrual cycle, and when women were treated worse than cattle, so if you cant handle angsty, heartbreaking reads, skip this.
It can be read for free here, but you must sign up to be able to click on the links to the chapters.
(this was confusing to me at first ) -> Once you sign up, scroll down - click on "C1", which means Chapter 1.
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/c...
There seem to be 2 translators - "Creative Novels" and "Knox".
I read the Creative Novels version of the book.
This is a fan translated, Chinese romance book, so expect errors, but overall it was an engaging read. I'm just grateful that there are people who are willing to spend their free time to do this for us.
- No cheating
- Not politically correct, since the period is in the ancient China.
- There was a review complaining about the FL being only 14 yrs old. That's not true, she's 16 and the ML is 23. This is a period when girls were married off as soon as they started their menstrual cycle, and when women were treated worse than cattle, so if you cant handle angsty, heartbreaking reads, skip this.
It can be read for free here, but you must sign up to be able to click on the links to the chapters.
(this was confusing to me at first ) -> Once you sign up, scroll down - click on "C1", which means Chapter 1.
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/c...
There seem to be 2 translators - "Creative Novels" and "Knox".
I read the Creative Novels version of the book.
September 5, 2025
Warning for my fellow readers:
It's not a bad read, but it did make me sad at times. The character arcs are complicated, and they evolve, and ML finds redemption. I had to drop this story in the past, but I was able to finish it recently. At one point, I did feel emotionally drained because it can get pretty intense. I'm kinda glad I picked it up again because I saw how the FL was able to heal and become assertive and resilient throughout the story.
It's not a bad read, but it did make me sad at times. The character arcs are complicated, and they evolve, and ML finds redemption. I had to drop this story in the past, but I was able to finish it recently. At one point, I did feel emotionally drained because it can get pretty intense. I'm kinda glad I picked it up again because I saw how the FL was able to heal and become assertive and resilient throughout the story.
October 7, 2025
my poor girl damn
August 9, 2023
4.5⭐️
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews