Plain Brocade Letter

Su Man's husband, Lin Jingyun, a talented scholar from Yuanzhou, had gone to the capital to sit for the imperial examinations two years ago.

Every day, she went up the mountain to gather firewood, cook, and heat water in their humble home. One day, she found an injured man and carried him back, tending to him day and night.

The man was handsome, a member of the imperial family and a prince. He said he would take her back to the capital.

Su Man raised an eyebrow and calmly replied, "Thank you, my lord, but A Man is already married..."

Just then, her neighbor Gou'er, who had gone to the capital with her husband to do business, returned home specifically to tell her news about her husband, one piece good and one piece bad.

The good news: her husband had passed the imperial examinations at the top of the list.

The bad news: the emperor had arranged for her husband to marry the eldest princess.

Su Man simply replied that she understood. Gou'er was completely baffled, but had no choice but to leave.

She put on a show of quietly shedding a tear, naturally drawing the man's sympathy. Just as expected, he treated her with utmost tenderness, finally working up the courage to take her fully into his arms and solemnly promise, "Manman, I'll take you to the capital. You're freeborn, and I'll have Minister Su acknowledge you as his daughter. Then I'll marry you as my secondary consort."

---Wait, you think this is the male lead?

No, no, no. He's still only a supporting male character.

Su Man had always known the truth. She was originally the daughter of a family of officials, Su Yishu, the daughter of Su Shen, a Vice Director in the Ministry of Revenue. Her father was framed for accepting bribes because he refused to compromise his integrity, and was executed. All adult men in the household were punished alongside him, the women were condemned to serve as official courtesans, and boys under ten were exiled.

At seventeen, she was granted freedom from her status by the provincial governor. She left the entertainment quarters and, carrying her treasure chest, married Lin Jingyun, the talented scholar from Yuanzhou. She had chosen him because his literary talent could help her return to the capital with her dignity intact and clear her father's name.

Now he was no longer useful, so she would find someone else.

Virtue and propriety are utterly useless to someone bent on revenge!

A captivating beauty with a calculating mind and a villainess's facade, seeking revenge, vs. the men and women who love and hate her

Serious version:

Years later, she would never have imagined that she would stand before Funing Hall, hear the emperor's attendants announce that he was gravely ill, and accept the memorials to be presented from behind the curtain from a subordinate, all with a slight nod.

Reading Guide:

1. Neither the male nor female lead is sexually inexperienced. The story has one heroine and three male leads. Three men in succession have feelings for the heroine, though they are initially the only ones in love. Only the first two are guaranteed to be sexually inexperienced. The heroine is unlikely to take back any of her former lovers. So there is only one endgame male lead. The main romantic entanglements are between the heroine, the male lead, and Prince Ding. The story follows the life of the heroine, a daughter of a convicted official, through its end. She will become empress, rule from behind the curtain, and eventually become Empress Dowager.

2. The heroine starts from a position below zero and has an extremely difficult journey. She is flawed and imperfect.

3. If you ask who the heroine loves, her goal is to clear her father's name and take revenge, so she will always prioritize reason. She is never in a subordinate position in a relationship. She is the main protagonist, so don't fixate on a male character leaving her life.

4. If you question whether a woman who has been married can become empress, consider historical figures such as Empress Liu of Emperor Zhenzong and Empress Cao of Emperor Renzong.

5. The story is modeled on the Song dynasty. The entertainment quarters were an official music institution, responsible for performances at banquets and welcoming guests, and also provided singing, dancing, and companionship.

6. The "buyout" mentioned in the blurb means removing someone from the registry. It is central to the plot and involves a hidden character, which will be revealed later.

7. The plot-to-romance ratio is 7:3. Seventy percent follows the heroine's journey toward revenge, clearing her father's name, and becoming empress. The other thirty percent follows her emotional entanglements with Lin Jingyun, Prince Ding, and the emperor. The story features a broad cast, with many important characters.

◎This is not a story where readers choose among male leads. The official pairing is already established, and the ending will not pair the heroine with everyone.

Theme: Even a fragile willow can change the world