im gonna be honest this was nothing special. The main characters weren't likable in the slightest so you couldn’t really feel sorry for them when bad things happened.

Spoiler

why did the MC start acting like she loved the emperor? Why didn’t she think of ending her life before? Why is she such a f*cking idiot that does the dumbest shit?

how did the ml, the man obsessed with the MC, have children with other women when it’s shown that he’s obsessed with only the mc? How did the ML think anything he did was smart?

see, causing readers to feel sadness and heartache only works when you feel sorry for the characters, and these characters just don’t deserve anything. He’s sooooo unapologetic for all the sh*t he’s done it’s CRAZY. At least the mf villain of “beauty to ashes” felt bad and had a reason for his actions.

what even was the point of “extra 1”? To make the readers feel bad for the ml? Newsflash, any sane person would hate that f*ckhead 😐 he literally had the mc’s sister r-worded, I don’t wanna hear it. The first extra was so confusing too PLEASE I thought it was about the mc’s dad but when I was nearly done reading it it turned out to be about the piece of shit, ratass ML 😮💨 3000 girls in his harem and he claimed to love the mc? Ok pal. Talk to the wall.

i guess you could feel bad the for mc? But she had so many chances to get out of her situation and oddly enough wanted to live until she was old (????) just doesn’t add up. The only person I felt bad for was the mc’s dead husband 🙁 poor guy had to marry a brainless b*tch

do I recommend this? Hell no. If you want good angst go read beauty to ashes

If you love to hurt yourself with pain of tragedy, this is the best novel for you.

Spoiler

She dies

Btw I didn't read after the 5th chapter. I read the last last three chapters to know what happened. My poor heart can't handle details.

I mean what should I say? It's exactly the type of story I expected!

Honestly, I didn't wanna read this because I didnt wanna feel feelz, but there were no spoilers so my curiousity drove me to read it. To save future viewers, I will have the spoilers.

Spoiler

And fine, I kinda get ML; it seems like MC's father was a bad emperor, so maybe civil unrest led to coup. However, he was neighbouring country's prince, so idk. Honestly, I would've been down for an extra from his perspective so I can sympathize, and that's only because he killed that General Sun. But it also shows ML knew what that Sun scum did and only later punished him, so clearly he puts himself first anyway.

I genuinely wonder whether or not he loved her, or it was more obsession mixed with guilt. It's definitely a bit of both, but I wonder which was most? I would've been inclined to think it was really only obsession, except that he was happiest seeing the child on the horse as she was.

I just wished she committed su*cide herself, instead of what ended up happening. Like maybe another night after they were all gone, he was drunk and she had the silver hairpin, she thought about killing him since she had no more ties but then thinks of the country and kills herself instead. I bet that next morning would be a day to remember for him. Also, I wish she requested him to kill that Sun scum smh.

Here's the full story, but honestly I think you should just read it. It's pretty short and it's not quite as cutting as other ones (like The Blind Concubine), probably because the pace moves fast enough that it wasn't so slow burn. Warning, after reading spoiler you probably won't read story, but it's not actually that bad.

Spoiler

MC, daughter of the Emperor (who wasn't a great ruler), once helped the prince of the neighboring country when he was running for his life, saving him (against the urges of her family). Years later he returned leading an army and taking over her country. Although he didn't directly kill the family, he basically takes them hostage to get her to behave. He also sends her scholarly (ex-) husband, who gave up his status to marry her, to the battlefield as general (where he dies). In the process of the conquest, her model older sister was r*ped by ML's general Sun scum in front of her husband, and she shares this news right before killing herself in front of MC.

Throughout the story, it's hard to tell if ML actually loved her or was just obsessed. The "I could seek his power and status, but I could not seek his love" is a bit misleading since he always appears to her like he loves her. However, I'm pretty sure it's because she knows that in fact after this period passes she'd be nothing to him, thus his love is really quite worthless.

By the way, everyone says she should just kill herself, but her family was held hostage so she really can't???

The ending has her killed through poison wine, fed by her father & mother as a triple su*cide (although she didn't actually know before drinking).

it’s sad but it’s not going to make you cry — you just feel sort of empty inside.

Spoiler

she dies but lowkey I feel like that’s what she would have wanted — she was only I've told repent for her sin; and she died to pay for her sins too

This is the first book that angered me enough to reviewing.

I f your searching for a ML to absolutely hate then this is the book for you. He’s the scum of the scum the...... I don’t want to curse but he deserved worse. Aaaaaah if I can see him I would smack him upside down. Surnamed Xu, I wish you the worst. Tuff, may you drown in others spits. Uff, may you despise yourself and don’t you dare let me find you. Okayyyyyy

It's sad, Spoiler

so she kills herself. She blames everything on herself and it's sad because in a way it is her fault. From her perspective her mother and father hate her, and maybe they do. In my opinion, I don't believe they did, maybe at the beginning but not at the end. From what I understood, they were all a loving and harmonious family, I think they noticed that their daughter wasn't happy with the situation as well.

The Emperor was an ass, only until his death did he do the only selfless thing, not to be buried next to her so she can rest in peace. But I guess you can say letting her keep the unborn baby from her husband was also selfless, but not really cause she never wanted to be with him from the beginning.

The husband really cared for her, brought some tears when you read his perspective. It's so unfair how they weren't happy together. Honestly, I don't blame her, she was too kind hearted for her own good.

It was a fast read. I'm a sensitive soul so this made me cry. I was ok at first but when I read the 2nd extra chapter the tears came down. It was a good read though.

really sad story, I don't have much to say but I'm writing because I just don't get the other reviews hating on the MC, I mean she was a concubine in historical china like, , , they don't have much power??

Spoiler

i just feel like they fail to take into account the trauma she goes through. The only "dumb" thing she did was save that scumbag. The rest of the story details her feelings of helplessness. The scumbag on the other hand deserves all the hate he gets.

This is another short tragedy story. It shows that historical events were not merely a fairytale.

Our FL, gee, I feel sympathy towards her. For a momentary decision she had to suffer until her death. More than any physical pain, the mental pressure she had, the guilt, remorse, love and hatred might've eaten her from inside. What she did (supposedly her fault) I can't criticize her for that either. She was just raised that way, without knowing the dangers of the world.

Well, Xu Tangan (I still can't decide if he's the ML or not) is selfish. He always thinks and considers himself first. Just for his so called love or obsession, he tormented FL to death. His character is just written like that, like an overbearing emperor. At least, in his death he knew his place! I am also satisfied that he never got to enjoy true happiness either.

If I was FL, I'll also choose someone like Xu Zunyu over ML anytime. I truly felt sad about his and FL's ending. I hope in parallel universe, these two can meet and have their own happy ending like they deserved.

But I was the most shaken when I read what happened with FL's sister, like I can't even imagine something like that.

Despite being a short story, all the side characters got their own depth and attention. The storyline was really really good.

If you can, you should try it out once! ≫_<

To be honest FL is an idiot. And ML is even more.

I'm a lover of angst obviously, but this one was not IT for me. I don't know how people are even rating this 5 stars. Bored me to hell tbh.

Spoiler

The entire time the female lead acts like she knows it all and she is doing the right thing? Like WTF girl... and the ML is even worst, he's an obsessed F*cker who's decitions are so unreal and infuriating. I was dying the entire time reading this.

This novel is beautifully narrated and translated.

All the characters are just so pitiful.

A sad ending but this is how it should be.. there couldn't have been a happy ending to any of them...