The Princess Refuses to Be a Pawn

[Lighthearted political intrigue × bickering enemies × married first, love later × heroine's growth × ensemble family drama] Xiao Lingyuan was born in Prince Jing's household. Her father doted on her and always took her side, her mother was a whiz with the accounts, and each of her three older brothers was harder to manage than the last. She thought her greatest worry in life would be deciding what to wear to palace banquets. Then, on the day she returned to the capital, a woman stopped the prince's carriage and claimed that her husband, who had been dead for six months, was still transporting grain for the household. To protect her family, Xiao Lingyuan clashed with Gu Yanchen, the Imperial Censor she disliked most. But as she investigated, she discovered that her eldest brother really was at fault, and that her imperial grandfather's favor came at a price. Gu Yanchen was stubborn and hard to appease, yet somehow always saw through the embarrassment she tried to hide. She might seem spoiled, but time and again she spoke up for those who didn't dare. From the cherished jewel of the prince's household to a player of the game, the circle of those she needed to protect gradually grew beyond one family and one clan. Some wanted to use her as a chess piece. She would make her own moves instead.