The Powerful Minister's Soon-to-Die Mute Wife

Xin Wei is the daughter of the Minister of Rites. She is learned, sensible, and exceptionally beautiful. Unfortunately, a childhood trauma left her unable to speak, making it difficult for her to find a match.

When Xin Wei was eighteen, her father betrothed her to one of his former students.

Her friend lamented that, with Xin Wei's beauty and talent, she could have become an empress if only she could speak. Why should she have to marry some poor scholar?

Xin Wei thought the match was acceptable enough.

Her husband's family might be less well-off, but he was skilled in both letters and arms. It was only a matter of time before he rose to high office and brought honor to his family.

So she devoted herself to managing his household, bearing and raising children, serving her mother-in-law, and looking after her sister-in-law.

Then one day, she dreamed she was a minor character in a romance story.

In that story, her husband did indeed rise to the highest ranks, but neither she nor the children she bore him ever shared in his good fortune.

Not only was he the female lead's beloved first love, he also had a kindred female confidante. In the story, Xin Wei received only a few scant lines: the mute wife who died young, remembered only when he looked at their hopeless son.

Xin Wei jolted awake and pushed away the man trying to fulfill his marital duties with her.

*

At first, Cui Ling was not happy with the marriage. But he could not refuse his teacher's kindness, and as a newcomer to the capital, he needed support.

As they spent time together, Cui Ling realized that though his wife could not speak, she was gentle and virtuous, and took meticulous care of him and his family.

Lately, he had noticed that his wife seemed to have changed.

She no longer personally saw to his every need, and she was no longer so attentive to the household. Whenever he showed even the slightest confusion or dissatisfaction, his wife would ask him with those expressive eyes: Why not divorce?

*

A little bonus scene:

After a late night at work, Cui Ling returned home to find that his wife had already gone to bed with the children.

He carried the children out and handed them over to the wet nurse, then returned to bed and gathered his wife in his arms.

Half-asleep, Xin Wei raised her eyes to look at him, found a comfortable position, and drifted off again.

By lamplight, Cui Ling gazed at the wife he was growing ever more infatuated with. Unable to resist, he kissed her lips, until tuneless cries of "My lord, my lord..." came from within the bed curtains.

Reader's guide: The female lead is unable to speak but will recover. They marry first and fall in love later. Includes a groveling arc.

Theme: The simple, ordinary things are what matter most.