I Would Rather Embrace a Fragrant Branch

[The original title is “Don’t Become the Concubine of Your Late Husband’s Older Brother.” Bonus chapters update at midnight according to the ranking schedule.] A clever, calculating transmigrator vs. a more cunning, ruthless high-ranking official Yun Qi was a medical student. One day, she transmigrated and became the widow of the second son of the Duke of Sui’s household. Her mother-in-law looked down on her rustic background and bullied her at every turn. On the surface, Yun Qi swallowed her anger, acted obedient, and smiled sweetly. In reality, she was constantly plotting her escape. At last, her chance came. She fled the household under cover of night. A boat leaving the capital happened to be searching for a wanted criminal. She accidentally boarded the wrong vessel and was mistaken for an accomplice, then thrown in jail. The man assigned to investigate the case turned out to be her late husband’s older brother, whom she had never met: Xie Xia, heir to the Duke of Sui’s title and governor of Zhejiang, a second-rank official before he had even turned thirty. To save her life, Yun Qi had no choice but to reveal who she was and plead desperately, “I’ve been wronged! Please save me, sir.” * After her identity was verified, Yun Qi somehow ended up back at the estate. Her escape had been exposed, and from then on she had to tread even more carefully. When she happened to discover that Xie Xia was suffering from a stubborn case of poisoning, she came up with a plan and struck a bargain with him: she would cure him, and in return, he would let her leave the estate and give her her freedom. Xie Xia paid no attention to a lowly country girl. But he was troubled by his illness and wanted to see what she could do, so he agreed with a faint, unreadable smile. “I’ll consider it.” For the sake of his promise, Yun Qi prepared medicine and treated him, waited on him attentively, and put up with every challenge he threw at her. At last, on the day Xie Xia recovered, she eagerly asked him to let her leave. Xie Xia smiled warmly. “I owe it all to you. I must thank you properly.” Yun Qi was overjoyed. He might be temperamental and a womanizer, but at least he seemed like a man who kept his word. Who could have guessed that Xie Xia would reach out and lightly tap her cheek? “From now on, you’ll be my concubine.” Yun Qi was struck as if by a bolt of lightning. * Xie Xia was as graceful as a jade tree and, in the eyes of the world, the perfect powerful official. At first, he gave Yun Qi little thought. She was bold and meticulous, and he saw her only as a pawn to do his bidding. But, gradually, he found himself unable to keep his eyes off her. Her image came knocking on his mind night after night. He thought that although she was unconventional, a little discipline and guidance might yet turn her into a docile, virtuous woman of the inner household. He asked her to become his concubine. Even though she refused, eyes red and her resolve firm, she declared, “I’d rather die than be your concubine.” Later, he resorted to underhanded methods, and in the end, she agreed. But he never imagined that she had never truly given in, not for a single moment. One moment, she would leave a lingering kiss on his face; the next, she would slyly deceive him and make her escape. In this life, he had risen to the highest ranks, enjoying boundless glory. Whatever he wanted, countless people rushed to place before him. Only this one little woman dared defy him time and again. He would lay a net across the heavens and earth if that was what it took to catch her and bring her back. Reader’s guide and warnings: 1. One-on-one romance, happy ending, male lead has no sexual history. The female lead’s modern body and soul are inexperienced, but the body she transmigrated into was married in ancient times and is not a virgin. Her former husband is truly dead and will not return. 2. The dynasty and place names are fictional; do not associate them with real ones. This is an old-school, melodramatic, coercive romance, focused on the relationship. The political intrigue is not meant to be taken seriously. 3. Contains abuse of the female lead, both physical and emotional. Readers who cannot handle this should avoid it. The female lead suffers first, then the male lead. The male lead is an awful, domineering patriarchal figure. There is no second male lead who takes his place. 4. You don’t need to tell me if you drop the story. Please don’t give writing advice. I generally don’t delete comments unless they maliciously attack the female lead or the author, or repeatedly bring up other novels inappropriately. If other comments have been deleted, it was because they triggered prohibited-word filters and were removed by the moderator or system, not by the author. [The premise, inspiration, and blurb have been archived. The first draft was written on November 30, 2025, and the final version revised on May 29, 2026.] A recommendation for my friend’s coercive historical romance, “Stealing Beauty,” by Shui Chu Ying [Starting next week. Blurb below:] Shang Qiong married into the Eastern Palace, only to be cast aside not long afterward. The Crown Prince hated her for driving the woman he loved to her death, yet refused to let her go, keeping her trapped in the Eastern Palace to repay her debt. She endured endless torment, but couldn’t escape. Then, one day, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a man seated in a place of honor at a teahouse. He looked at her through a beaded curtain, his gaze cool, yet concealing a burning fire. That very day, she knocked on the vermilion gate of the Grand Tutor’s residence. Snowmelt dampened her wrists, and her lashes trembled as she asked, “The Crown Prince doesn’t want me, but would Grand Tutor Xie?” Xie Jiulan gazed at her for a long time, a ripple stirring in his eyes. “Your Highness wants to borrow my influence. You’ll have to give me something sweet in return.” * At twenty-seven, Xie Jiulan was appointed Grand Tutor, becoming the most powerful man in court. He had never failed to obtain anything he wanted, except for one person, whom he longed to clutch in his palm and press into his very bones. Yet she had come knocking of her own accord, offering her pliant body to bargain with him. He accepted. At the time, he thought that if he kept this little bird in his palm and doted on her every day, he could eventually warm her heart. Until one day, she leaned against a carved teahouse window, gazing absentmindedly at the young shopkeeper as he worked an abacus at the counter. Her eyes held a tenderness and longing he had never seen before. Only then did he realize that all the deep affection she had professed… was a lie. Liar!!! Xie Jiulan stood in the shadows, looking down at the teacup crushed in his hand. * Her revenge had been served, her debts and grudges settled, and everything was over. Shang Qiong wanted nothing more than to part ways with Lord Xie for good. She never expected to be pushed deep into the bed, her wrists bound in soft silk that tightened the more she struggled. The red candlelight flickered. Someone held her by the waist from behind, long fingers leisurely brushing the corners of her reddened eyes. “When you needed me, you deceived me with every sort of sweet talk. Now that you don’t, you toss me aside?” His thin lips grazed the back of her neck. His breath was scorching, sending a shiver through her. “Qiong’er, that’s not how things work in this world…” Reader’s notes: 1. The female lead is nineteen, and there is an eight-year age gap. At the start, she has already been removed from the family register and is in the state of having been divorced. 2. Happy ending, both leads sexually inexperienced. The female lead has little sense of morality and is very good at playing the victim. She is a scheming songbird kept hidden in the male lead’s chambers, and has no feelings for her scumbag ex-husband. (P.S. The scumbag ex is a joke.) 3. The male lead is moody and doesn’t know how to love at first, but his secret love for the female lead is real. In the end, he humbles himself and fiercely pursues his wife. She points, and he strikes. Theme: A steadfast heart never wavers