[The second male lead takes the spotlight + pure historical romance + revenge + a battle among suitors + a groveling ex + play the pig to eat the tiger]
(Reading guide: A slow-burn story, not a wish-fulfillment romp. The heroine is a hardworking, growing character with no rebirth, transmigration, or golden finger. The male lead is scheming and sharp-tongued at first, but later gets his comeuppance. He loves her but cannot have her. The heroine has a hard time early on, so please skip this if that bothers you.)
To save her beloved family member, Shen Yunling sought help at the gates of the Pei family, the richest household in Bingzhou.
The Pei family matriarch promised to help as long as Shen married into the family.
As a mute girl from a humble family, she was looked down on by her mother-in-law, who made things difficult for her at every turn.
Her husband was convinced she was scheming to climb the social ladder. He despised her and treated her with indifference.
It didn’t matter. She had never planned to cling to the Pei household, much less expected to live in harmony with her husband. Her heart was not in the family home, but in a wider world.
Using a great fire as cover, she faked her death and escaped, only to unexpectedly become the emperor’s beloved Pearl Princess. Behind the mystery of her birth lay a blood feud.
She leapt from a family home into the imperial palace, seeking only to avenge her birth mother.
She had no interest in love, yet somehow caught the eye of Bo Xihan, the prince of Loulan. He cornered her against a wall. “Woman, become my princess consort!”
Even the heir to the Marquis of Yongan, who had once helped her, entered the palace for her sake. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time. Could you give me a chance?”
As she fretted over how to get rid of the two of them, her cold-hearted former husband slipped into her bedchamber at night and pinned her beneath the hibiscus curtains, his eyes red as he asked, “You can only ever be my wife. Who else do you think you can marry?”
Shen Yunling curled her red lips into a mocking smile. “What a joke. You were the one who gave me the divorce papers. What does it matter to you if I marry again?”
Pei Zheng's death still leaves me a little sad. Although her initial hostility towards Manman stemmed from a misunderstanding, the damage was undeniable. However, I also sensed her remorse as portrayed by the author. If it had followed the usual tropes, she could have had a happy ending, haha. The author did a great job portraying Manman—clear-headed, discerning, and passionate.
It's well-written; the female lead should hurry up and make a comeback!
It's great! I rarely write reviews, but I'll write one to support the author. Keep it up!
I really like the female lead; she's independent, genuine, and unpretentious. I also really like Xiao Lu; he's principled, well-mannered, and polite. I hope the female lead and Xiao Lu end up together. It's a pretty good book. Both Xiao Shen and Xiao Lu are strong, peaceful, and don't hold grudges.
Why are there so many unfinished books? Read half and leave the other half unfinished!
It's really good! Keep it up, author!
It's very well written, with a smooth writing style and a tight plot.
It's beautiful! Good people get good rewards!
It's pretty good! I can understand the male lead's prejudice against the female lead, but I don't understand the character's supposed chastity despite frequenting brothels 😄
Beautiful! Keep it up, author!