
Why Is the Princess’s Consort Acting Like This?
驸马为何要这样
by Clear-Sky Cedar Moon (霁杉月)
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Synopsis
Completed novel: “Beware the Powerful” (female lead disguises herself as a man). Coming soon: “After Our Auspicious Wedding, My Dark and Twisted Younger Uncle Set His Sights on Me” Also known as “Stealing the Princess's Sweetheart” Screenshot archived on 2026.2.26 Su Mingke's life had once seemed like a straight road to the very top. The eldest legitimate daughter of the Qinghe Su clan, she was raised as a boy from childhood. Her father was a powerful, corrupt official who could control the court with one hand. He helped her conceal her identity and sit the imperial examinations, paving the way for her rise to power. There was only one thing she needed to do: place first in the exams, enter the Hanlin Academy, rise to the position of chancellor, and bring glory to her family. She followed that path steadily, becoming the youngest chancellor in history. Then, without warning, an imperial edict landed in her lap. The new chancellor was to marry a princess. Su Mingke: ...? Fine. If she had to marry a princess, she could simply change tracks and become a powerful official all the same. But she never imagined that the princess had a beloved from years ago: Xie Chen, a young general who had just returned victorious from battle. Even more surprising, this beloved was an old acquaintance of hers. The sickly boy she'd beaten until he bawled, who could never climb trees as well as she could and always lost to her at cockfighting and bird-walking. He'd certainly made something of himself over the years. Dressed in armor and riding into the capital, he had captured the hearts of countless young women. It was a shame that the moment he opened his mouth, he was still the same foolish boy with no sense. The person Xie Chen hated most in this life was named Su Mingke. As a child, he'd been sent to study with the Su clan. He thought he'd finally have some peace and quiet, but then he met her. He couldn't outsmart her or beat her in a fight, and even when he cried, she laughed at him. Furious, he went home and demanded to learn martial arts, vowing that one day he would get the better of her. Years later, he returned victorious, brimming with confidence and sure that at last he could hold his head high. Instead, as soon as he entered the capital, he heard that Su Mingke had married a princess. Xie Chen: ??? He hadn't even married yet, so how had she gone and married first?! No, he couldn't swallow this. If he couldn't beat her, then he'd ruin her marriage. He'd see who came out on top this time. Watching Xie Chen show up at the princess's residence every few days, Su Mingke fell into deep thought. Every time he came, he wore a stern expression, as if to say, “I'm here to cause trouble,” but his gaze kept drifting toward her. He sent wagonloads of gifts for the princess, yet whenever he saw Su Mingke, he was sarcastic, fierce, and somehow aggrieved. She couldn't help asking, “General Xie, are you trying to ruin my marriage, or are you hoping to offer yourself to me instead?” Xie Chen's face turned bright red. [Reader's guide] 1. A two-faced, corrupt female chancellor disguised as a man x a spirited, clever young general with a huge contrast between appearances and personality. A bickering couple who are evenly matched and can't help falling for each other. 2. The princess knows the heroine's true gender and has her own destined partner. She has no connection to the male lead; the idea that she has a beloved is a misunderstanding. 3. One-on-one romance, HE. The setting is an alternate history, so don't scrutinize the details. 4. Plot and romance go hand in hand, and the heroine is devoted to her career. She isn't a good person in the conventional sense, and the characters' values don't represent the author's. 5. Includes pregnancy and childbirth. Coming Soon “After Our Auspicious Wedding, My Dark and Twisted Younger Uncle Set His Sights on Me” Before Yan Ning could starve to death, she was taken in by Madam Xia, the richest woman in Lin'an. There were three masters in the household. Besides Madam Xia, there were two young masters. The elder was refined and gentle, while the younger was sickly and gloomy. Everyone was afraid of the younger master. Yan Ning prayed to herself that she could be sent anywhere, as long as she didn't have to serve in the younger master's courtyard. Only later did she learn that she'd been taken in to bring good fortune to the elder young master. The elder young master was kind and mild-mannered. He not only looked after her, but also taught her to read and write. At the age when love first blossoms, she hoped he would get better soon. But in the end, this good man didn't survive that winter, and never lived to see the day she was meant to bring him good fortune. Even so, she became the Xia family's nominal eldest daughter-in-law. To repay the family's kindness, she learned to do business and keep accounts, and took care of her sickly younger brother-in-law. He never acknowledged her status, and treated her even worse than he treated everyone else. Then came an unexpected kidnapping. Yan Ning saved him, and everything seemed to change. Her brother-in-law began treating her better and often showed concern for her. Even the things she said in passing were taken as gospel. But she couldn't shake the chill creeping up her back, as if a sinister gaze were clinging to her... On the bed, at her desk, anywhere at all. Whenever she fell asleep from exhaustion, she would vaguely feel something gently touching her face and neck, moving lower... The touch was damp, like a snake's tongue, filled with a yearning so restrained it trembled. But whenever she woke, there was no one there. The sensations seemed like an illusion. One night, another icy touch crept up from her ankle. She unconsciously drew in her legs, then suddenly jolted awake. The moment she opened her eyes, a warm hand gently covered them. A scorching breath brushed her ear. A husky voice, tinged with laughter, slowly sounded in the darkness. “Big sister, why didn't you come see me today?” At last, she recognized who it was. “You're insane. I'm your sister-in-law.” As Yan Ning panicked, the voice by her ear grew even hoarser. “Sister-in-law? Do you truly love my brother so deeply? Will you stay a widow for the rest of your life for him? Or... will I always be inferior to my brother?” Reader's guide 1. A clever but softhearted heroine and a sickly, unhinged hero. 2. The heroine can handle anything outside the home, but is endlessly indulgent toward the hero. 3. Contains coercive scenes. Please don't read if that's not for you. 4. Older woman-younger man romance; she is three years older. One-on-one, both virgins. Theme: Most people's happiness depends on a few people making sacrifices.

