Snow in the Evening Courtyard

Ning Muyun is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Ning's household. She keeps to herself and has a mild disposition, making her the least noticeable of the Ning family's seven young ladies. She was betrothed as a child, but just before the wedding, her fiancé ran off with someone else.

Xie Jiachi is the third son of the Duke of Xie's household. His mother is a princess of the current dynasty with influence over half the court, and his father is a distinguished scholar who came first in the palace examinations, renowned throughout the land. Xie Jiachi himself is as elegant as a pine in the wind and a moonlit snowscape, hailed as the most unattainable young nobleman in the capital. He, too, was betrothed at an early age, but on the eve of their wedding, his fiancée's entire family was killed in battle.

The Ning and Xie families had ties going back generations and had promised to unite their families through marriage. They had intended for the third young lady of the Ning family to marry the second son of the Xie family. But both had someone else in their hearts. To make their sister and elder brother happy, the two unlucky ones, Ning Muyun and Xie Jiachi, were paired off by their elders.

The emperor ordered the second and third sons to marry on the same day, so both couples could begin their happy lives together.

The next day, they went to pay their respects over tea.

The eldest son and his wife were devoted to each other.

The second son and his wife were deeply in love.

The third son and his wife stared awkwardly at each other.

(An arranged marriage that turns into love, family life, and a sweet-and-sour romance.)

(Main couple: The leads. Secondary couple: A career-minded princess × a reserved scholar who placed third in the palace examinations; the two are currently broken up.)

Theme: Hard work will be rewarded