The Hairpin's Mistake: The Top Scholar's Beloved

The Shen family of Jiangnan is richer than the state, yet their merchant status is considered lowly, and the whole family is looked down on by the court and the public. To shed their reputation for being “tainted by money,” the Shens lavishly outfit their legitimate daughter, Shen Wan, with a ten-mile bridal procession and marry her to Gu Qingzhou, the newly appointed top candidate in the palace examination.

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Everyone laughs: a merchant’s daughter is trying to climb into high society, while the impoverished top candidate has sold his principles for money. A mismatched pair, each getting what they want.

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He marries her as part of a calculated plan, step by step. On their wedding night, with the red candles burning bright, he speaks bluntly: “I married you for the Shen family’s wealth. We’ll act like a loving couple in public, and keep our distance in private.”

She calmly agrees, adding just one condition: “When you’ve made your way to the top, please let me return to my hometown.”

It should have been a business arrangement, with clear boundaries between them. But amid the upheavals, they fall for each other one step at a time.