An uplifting, sweet little romance | The genius bows his head | The wife-chasing crematorium
[Shengjing's number-one silly beauty x purehearted, brilliant top scorer]
As Emperor Jinwen's most beloved daughter, Jiahe had been spoiled and willful since childhood. She hated studying and was mockingly called the "useless princess" by the common people.
Jiahe never cared about the nickname. She had been born into beauty and wealth, so why should she care about empty praise?
Then one day, she met a man on the street.
His eyes shone like stars, and he had an otherworldly air. He stood out brilliantly in the crowd, more dazzling than the rare treasures in her vault.
Jiahe followed him into a secluded, quiet academy and arrogantly offered him the honored position of her prince consort.
But his gaze was cold, and his tone indifferent.
"If I, Xie, take a wife, she must be a talented woman who has mastered the Four Books and understands the Five Rhythms. Otherwise, even if His Majesty decrees the marriage, the princess's residence will merely gain another human-shaped ornament, and Your Highness will never have my heart."
It was the first time anyone had defied Jiahe. Her face darkened with anger, and she went straight to the palace to ask her father to take her side. But when the words reached her lips, she changed them: she wanted to leave the palace and study.
Emperor Jinwen seized the opportunity to lay down three rules. She could leave the palace, but she had to return in three months and marry the prince consort he had chosen for her.
From then on, Jiahe moved out of the palace and into the shabby little academy. She used her private fortune to expand it, renovate classrooms, buy new books, replace the furniture, and recruit talented teachers...
She turned all her resentment into motivation and furiously studied an entire volume of books.
"Huh, this isn't as hard as I thought!"
Three months later, just as the court officials were waiting to see the princess make a fool of herself, news came from the academy that the results were out. Princess Jiahe had topped the list, instantly proving everyone wrong.
Later, the useless princess seemed to have suddenly become clever. She studied poetry, literature, arithmetic, the calendar, astronomy, and the Five Phases. All the noblewomen who had once looked down on her and whispered that she was stupid admitted defeat.
Jiahe only got more enthusiastic. She even wanted her father to invite famous teachers to instruct her in parallel prose, policy essays, military affairs, and governance...
Emperor Jinwen wiped away a nervous sweat. "Are you trying to become the crown prince? Your three-month deadline is up. You should get married."
Jiahe looked over the list of prince consorts her father had carefully selected and crossed out the man's name.
A few days later, Xie Qingyan stood outside the princess's residence and called out, "I, Xie, have admired the princess for a long time. I've come to offer myself to you. Please take pity on me."
The gates of the princess's residence flew open, and the Four Books and Five Rhythms were thrown out.
A few more days later, Xie Qingyan cornered Jiahe beneath a covered walkway in the imperial garden. His usually cool expression crumpled completely.
"I, Xie, was blind! Please put my name back on the list!"
-
Xie Qingyan had been a child prodigy. He began his education at three, was reciting classics by five, and passed the provincial examination at sixteen.
Everyone said he was both talented and handsome, and that after the palace examination he would become the youngest top scorer in the dynasty.
Some people also said that he had won the princess's favor through nothing but his handsome face.
Xie Qingyan found the person who said it. His expression was calm as he answered, word by word:
"You're right. I'm relying on the princess, and I like relying on her very much."
-
Bonus scene
On their wedding night, Xie Qingyan gasped, his eyes dark. "How does the princess know so many positions?"
Jiahe's eyes glistened with tears, her lashes damp. "Didn't you tell me to read more?"
1. A warm and sweet romance. She is spoiled but respectful; he is aloof but purehearted. You can't force what you want, you can only win it with cleverness.
2. The male lead falls in love first. As the female lead pursues her desires, she gradually finds herself. They go from being worlds apart to understanding and cherishing each other.
3. A lighthearted, sweet wish-fulfillment story with no angst. Work hard, and you can get what you want!
Theme: Study hard and make progress every day.
