"We're all people fighting for our share of the world's wealth and food. Who's any cleaner than anyone else? There's no such thing as a perfect person. Su Huairou intends to be the woman who gets a seat at the table. She'll live by these eight words for the rest of her life: 'Self-interest above all, endless wealth and power.' Everyone and everything else can go to hell."
Su Huairou was born into wealth, but unfortunately, she was born a girl, an unofficial member of the family. With no parents to protect her, she is surrounded by wolves on every side. She wonders if she forgot to check the options when she chose her life at birth. Oh well. Her start is a little troublesome, but she'll try a bit of everything, whether it's alliances, political marriages, making enemies, or laying plans. Her ultimate goal is to get a seat at the table. She doesn't care if her reputation is terrible or her methods are ruthless. All she wants is the power and money to call the shots, and she'll have it all.
Reader advisory: This is not a conventional feel-good power fantasy (the heroine is not all-powerful), nor is it a conventional romance (the heroine is busy managing all kinds of people early on, while the hero is neglected), nor is it a conventional happy ending (the heroine is no saint, and the hero is not perfect). If any of that bothers you, feel free to move on. If you're patient, come on in.
The idea is very good, but the bad review for the male protagonist is already a novel. How about arranging an old man who is married and a widower with children to be the male protagonist for the female protagonist?? I really don't understand. Can you avoid the thunder in advance next time?