My Gentle Husband Turned Dark

[Male Lead's Perspective]

Chen Jianning is the youngest son of a farming family, and a prodigy renowned across the surrounding villages since childhood.

He's also exceptionally gentle and kind. He grew up with the daughter of the town's tofu shop, and married his childhood sweetheart young.

At eighteen, he traveled to the capital to sit the imperial exams and came first. He was then ambushed by a family seeking a son-in-law, and caught the chancellor's daughter's eye, but he rejected her outright, saying that he already had a poor wife back home and could not betray her.

Three years later, Chen Jianning was assigned to a post outside the capital. His wife was ill, so he had to leave for his post alone.

Unexpectedly, he soon received the terrible news: his wife had died of illness.

Overcome with grief, he returned to the capital and submitted a petition to resign, then personally escorted his late wife's coffin home.

Moved by the depth of his feelings, the emperor granted him leave to mourn his wife.

When the mourning period ended, he returned to court, refused all matchmaking, and devoted himself entirely to government affairs.

Until one day at a palace banquet, he happened to catch sight of the favored imperial consort.

The young top scholar was so startled that he dropped his wine cup, spilling wine over his official robes as he stood frozen in place.

From then on, Chen Jianning seemed like a different person.

He moved carefully through court, maneuvering at every turn. Before he had even turned thirty, he had risen to the inner cabinet and become powerful enough to dominate the court.

The day of the palace coup, the imperial city descended into chaos.

Step by step, he entered the golden house the emperor had built for her.

He looked at his wife's still-beautiful face, now tinged with fear, and was about to speak when a small head peeked out from behind her. The child was trembling with fear, but still bravely spread their arms to shield her and shouted at him, "Don't hurt my mother!"

Chen Jianning didn't spare the child a glance. He only curved his lips into a smile, softening his voice, though his eyes remained dark and unreadable.

He reached out to her.

"My lady."

"I'll take you home."

[Female Lead's Perspective]

One day, Jiang Ru suddenly awakened memories of her past life. It turned out she'd transmigrated into a power-struggle novel about a male lead who sacrifices his wife. She had become the beautiful original wife who was forcibly claimed by the emperor, then died by smashing her head against a pillar to preserve her chastity for her husband!

The male lead consequently turned dark and embarked on a path of rebellion. He endured humiliation, then joined forces with vassal lords to launch a coup and force his way into the palace, rising to the highest ranks of government.

Jiang Ru looked at the handsome, sinister young emperor before her. Preserve her chastity? What mattered more, her chastity or her life?

Besides, he wasn't even much worse-looking than her former husband...

[Male Lead C]

Note: The romance or intimate interactions only begin after the characters turn fifteen.

-Written on 2025.12.20

Theme: Cherish life