Can Cormorants Be Raised in Taiye Lake?

A heroine's growth + multiple male leads competing for her in a battle royale

Lu Enci had just finished burning paper offerings for her father when she was told that he, long thought missing, was alive. His rebellion had succeeded, and he had become emperor!

The daughter of a fishing family who raised cormorants was transformed into the empire's eldest princess.

She thought she would live a life of luxury, but the warmth of her reunion with her father proved to be nothing more than a dream. At home, he relied on powerful clans; abroad, he was weak and ineffectual. So, in the bitter cold as snow filled the skies, the Northern Rong army advanced to the capital gates.

Rather than stay in the palace, alone and at the mercy of others, why not seize the chance to escape her shackles? She publicly volunteered for a political marriage, but planned to lure the enemy into a trap once the wedding party reached the border.

Her father and brothers were not up to the task, so she resolved to establish herself on the frontier, build her own power, and seize the throne!

The general stationed at the frontier was valiant and formidable, commanding tens of thousands of troops to defend the region. If she could bring him into her service, she would have the sharpest blade at her side on her path to the throne.

"That concludes my report on the military situation. I won't impose on you any longer." Recalling how the princess had been chatting and laughing with her tutor in the study when he entered, the general turned away with a pang of jealousy. Of all people, he was the one who contributed most to her cause. He ought to be the one at her side!

"What are you thinking about?" Her tutor, usually as serene as moonlight, noticed her mind had wandered and furrowed his brow.

"The military situation General Qin reported." She drew her thoughts back without a hint of what was on her mind. "Which poem did you just ask me to recite from memory?"

Her tutor stepped behind her and took her hand. "I'll go over it with you again. You mustn't think about anyone or anything else."

The tutor who taught her poetry and the classics came from a distinguished, noble family. Feeling the warmth of his hand clasping hers, she thought: He is so refined and proper. Wouldn't it be even better if he deigned to devote himself to my cause?

As affairs on the frontier settled into a steady rhythm, she would sometimes cross the border in her spare time and gallop across the grasslands.

A young Northern Rong nobleman followed close behind, blushing as he asked if she wanted him.

She wanted not only him, but everything he had behind him. After all, the best way to keep the frontier safe from Northern Rong incursions was to bring Northern Rong within her sphere of influence.

"If you want me, will the people around you accept me?" he asked anxiously.

Before she could reply, two hostile gazes from nearby seemed ready to drive him away from her.

Days passed in orderly fashion. Just as everything was unfolding according to her plans, a man who looked like a wandering swordsman threw her plans into disarray.

"We just met, and your idea of hospitality is to imprison me in a secluded courtyard?" Lu Enci reined in her panic and forced herself to stay calm.

"I had no choice if I wanted to fulfill my long-cherished wish," the young man said quietly. "Besides, this isn't our first meeting."

...So be it. For her, he could abandon his lifelong wish and let all his efforts go to waste.

Another winter came, and the capital was once again surrounded by a massive army. The woman leading it was the eldest princess who had once been sent away for a political marriage.

Note: One heroine, four male leads. All are devoted to her, and she accepts them all.

You're also welcome to check out my next upcoming novel, The Meaning of Her Existence to the Empire. It's a Western fantasy romance with a happy ending, packed with a battle royale and male leads competing for the heroine. If you're interested, please add it to your favorites! ૮₍♡♡₎ა

Theme: A good husband helps me reach for the clouds, and I'll repay him with ten thousand taels of gold.