A cool-headed noblewoman who never lets a grudge go unanswered × a sincere, natural childhood friend and prince
What's it like to be at the very top of the noblewomen's social pyramid?
Yang Qiu: I can speak to that. My cousin is the emperor, my aunt is the empress, my grandfather helped the emperor seize the throne, and my maternal grandfather is the chief minister, head of all the officials. I have loving sisters and a childhood friend who adores me.
So there must be no downsides, right?
Yang Qiu: Not exactly. I did have to endure just a tiny bit of hardship from my family.
The Third Miss of the Dingling Marquis Household, Yang Qiu, was born into a noble family with close ties to the imperial house. But Heaven loves to play tricks on people. It gave Yang Qiu a dazzling pedigree and loving sisters, so naturally it had to give her a little hardship too.
Unfortunately, the greatest hardship of the first sixteen years of her life all came from her father.
Even in middle age, the Marquis of Dingling remained the capital's gold standard for playboys, so singularly unmatched that no one could rival him.
Yang Qiu kept reassuring herself: Just endure it. He's your father. If he goes down, the entire marquis household goes down with him.
With no other choice, she entered the fray, tracking down missing tribute goods, controlling the Yellow River floods, suppressing the remnants of Prince Yue's faction, and investigating where her mother's dowry had gone.
Every single matter was tied to the marquis. Yang Qiu kept silent, until at last she resolved to send him to meet the ancestors of the Yang family.
As Yang Qiu's childhood friend, Zhao Jin had complicated feelings about the marquis household.
He was the legitimate son of the emperor and empress, born into privilege. He had never seen a family like theirs.
The emperor did not exactly favor him, but he never treated him poorly. The empress, meanwhile, devoted all her energy to him.
He should have been content to live a life of ease and luxury, then, when the time came, have the emperor and empress choose a well-matched princess consort for him, so they could enjoy a harmonious and peaceful life together.
But fate loved to play tricks on people.
The emperor had executed the empress's first child out of suspicion. Then, when Zhao Jin was drawn into a plot by people with ulterior motives, he uncovered the true thoughts his parents had each kept hidden.
Caught between them, Zhao Jin was forced to help the emperor and empress conceal the truth, and could only tread carefully as if walking on thin ice.
Then the Crown Prince died suddenly, the empress passed away, and Zhao Jin was framed for murder. Under the emperor's suspicious gaze, he lost everything.
Yang Qiu reached out and pulled him out of the mire.
The emperor died suddenly, leaving the throne vacant. Prince Qi, who had been lying in wait in the shadows, seized power in one swift move and locked Zhao Jin in a dark, lightless prison.
Once again, Yang Qiu reached out her hand and helped him carve out a way to survive.
They carried the tiger tally toward the border, ready to face Prince Qi in battle once more.
Beacon fires blazed across the land, all the way to the capital. They burned away Prince Qi's schemes and swept the dark clouds from over the city.
Yang Qiu climbed the steps of the Imperial Ancestral Temple with him and bowed before Heaven, Earth, and their ancestors.
A new emperor ascended the throne.
A few words from the author:
1. One-on-one romance, both leads are virgins, happy ending.
2. Daily updates during serialization. I basically never take a break.
Theme: True glory is earned through your own efforts.
