Bedchamber Attendant

Both sexually inexperienced + three-year age gap + older-woman/younger-man romance + male secret admirer + mild coercive pursuit




The new emperor ascends the throne, adopts the reign title Zhengshi, and the entire realm celebrates.

The palace, from top to bottom, takes on an entirely new look.

At twenty, Lu Yinzhu suddenly becomes the youngest Chief Female Attendant in the palace, serving as the Bedchamber Attendant at Taiji Hall.

Though Lu Yinzhu is young, she enjoys His Majesty's deep trust.

This is because she and His Majesty once depended on each other for survival in the Cold Palace for several years. During the perilous struggle for the throne, she donned armor, took up weapons, and shielded His Majesty with her own body. The bond forged between them through shared hardship was something ordinary people could never compare with.

Whenever the young emperor was consumed by fury, no one dared approach him lightly. Only by asking Auntie Yinzhu to intervene could they calm His Majesty and restore him to his usual self.

As time passed, everyone in the court and palace came to know that one could offend anyone in the palace—but never Auntie Yinzhu. That was because she bore the surname Lu, bestowed upon her by His Majesty as the imperial surname. Throughout the entire palace, she alone had His Majesty's permission to meet officials and consorts without performing the customary palace salute.

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Everyone believed that Auntie Yinzhu would rely on His Majesty's affection for her to live out the rest of her life in the palace in comfort.

But only Lu Yinzhu knew how unpredictable the young emperor's moods were and how ruthless his methods could be. Too many cautionary examples had taught her to remain constantly careful and humble; she never dared abuse his favor or grow arrogant.

All Lu Yinzhu wanted was to save enough money, hoping that when she turned twenty-five, she would be released from the palace. Then she could buy a house and some land, run a small business to make a living, and, if she got the chance, find someone who understood her, have two or three plump children, and build a warm little home where she could spend the rest of her life. With that, she would have no regrets.

As she watched her little nest egg grow larger and the day of her release from the palace draw nearer, Lu Yinzhu's spirits improved more and more.

Lu Yinzhu had always been beautiful, and she gradually attracted the attention of many guards. They began taking the initiative to send her gifts, hoping to win her attention. Several officials who were acquainted with her even vied with one another to declare that they wanted their sons to marry her and become a well-matched couple.

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All of Lu Yinzhu's beautiful hopes and expectations for the future came to an abrupt end inside Taiji Hall after the palace banquet that day. As she was making the bed as usual, Lu Yicheng, drunk out of his mind, suddenly forced her down onto the imperial bed.

The searing scent of alcohol struck her face. The young emperor gripped Lu Yinzhu's slender wrist tightly, his hoarse voice close enough to brush her ear as he questioned her bitterly, word by word: “Are you truly so unwilling to stay by My side?”

“Lu Yinzhu, you promised that you would stay with me for the rest of your life!”

Note:
1. Both are sexually inexperienced; this is a fictional setting.
2. The male lead is moody and unpredictable, secretly in love with the female lead, and keeps himself chaste.
3. Mild coercive pursuit; the heroine is weaker and the hero stronger; neither character is perfect.