Note: Clear-eyed, radiant young lady × older minister who has everything under control
The romance only begins after she turns fifteen.
At thirty, Grand Secretary Zhuo Dongyang married a young woman in the prime of her youth. He adored her so much that he even brought her to his students' banquet. Then one day, on his way home from court, he saw his young wife stop a carriage belonging to the Maritime Trade Office in Hangzhou, her hometown.
A large hand with distinct knuckles reached out from the carriage and pulled her slender wrist inside. The carriage rocked.
He forced himself to keep his temper in check and pretended not to see. There had long been signs that his wife had someone else in her heart. But so what?
As long as he didn't abandon her, that person would never be able to step into the light. Though he used this thought to comfort himself, he still couldn't stop his face from darkening as he imagined tearing the person inside the carriage limb from limb.
After nightfall, his wife's clothes were disheveled. Zhuo Dongyang's breathing grew heavy. "You're so sensitive. Has he been here with you?"
Wei Yuan was born prematurely and abandoned by her father to be raised by her wealthy maternal grandfather's family in Hangzhou.
Though she had every luxury, her life lacked a little excitement. So she fell for the eldest son of the Lu family, who ran the Maritime Trade Office. Unfortunately, he already loved someone else. She insisted on breaking up the couple, only to get poisoned and robbed of her fortune.
When she opened her eyes again, she was fourteen.
Wei Yuan kept a straight face. This time, she wouldn't break up the couple. But they still wanted to take her fortune?!
An uncle might put up with it, but an aunt wouldn't!
She heard that Grand Secretary Zhuo Dongyang was looking for a new wife. Why not apply, get herself a powerful protector, and then take revenge?
Her family tried to stop her, but she cried and insisted on going.
Little scene:
Zhuo Dongyang remembered the first time he met the young girl. She was only ten.
At the time, Lord Tiangong had rebelled. Zhuo Dongyang held evidence of the rebels' crimes and entered the palace to meet the emperor under the pretext of taking the palace examination. A wealthy merchant, the Bai family, arranged for people to escort him. But just as he reached the capital, he was ambushed. A little girl climbed out from under the carriage's mudguard, braved the storm raging through the city, evaded his pursuers, and ran all the way to the Grand Secretary's residence to find someone who could save him.
She was little, but brave and fearless.
The next time he saw her, the young crown prince had just gone missing. The little girl had grown into a young woman on the verge of adulthood. He dealt with the bandits, but she seemed not to recognize him. In fact, she seemed afraid of him.
Theme: Growing together and redeeming each other
