Forced into a Marriage After Disguising Herself as a Man

Xie Shubai was raised as a boy from childhood. At first, it was to keep her father from favoring his concubine and neglecting his wife. Later, her father died and she inherited his title. Her mother realized how nice it was to be head of the household, so she truly began treating Xie Shubai as a man, even wanting to find her a wife and take concubines for her.

Fortunately, life in the capital was too expensive, and the income from her downgraded hereditary title wasn't enough to support the whole family. Her mother stopped keeping an eye on her and focused on the family fortune instead.

But her carefree days hadn't lasted long before her mother packed her off to the Imperial College without giving her time to react, hoping she could earn a salary from the emperor to help with household expenses.

"I don't expect you to pass the jinshi exam. Just graduate in good standing and use your family connections to get some easy government post. Better yet, get assigned outside the capital as a county magistrate. Then the two of us will finally be free."

Xie Shubai was born with a handsome face, and she wasn't the sort to stir up trouble. She could live in peace anywhere.

If only the emperor hadn't caught sight of her.

The emperor had three palaces and six courtyards full of consorts, but that still wasn't enough to satisfy him. Now he wanted to share a bed with a future minister.

Luckily, the upright and righteous Crown Prince, who hated evil, chased her away.

Though the Crown Prince was later banished to the frontier to eat sand for behaving improperly before the emperor, Xie Shubai was safe.

She was grateful to the Crown Prince and thankful to the friends who helped cover for her. She'd be even more grateful if, after learning she was a woman, they didn't sniff around her like dogs.

It looked like she could no longer be a parasite living off the emperor's salary without serving him. Xie Shubai went home to ask her mother if she had any other ideas.

"Then all that's left is to live off the family estate." Her mother was worried too. She glanced at the concubine she'd called over to lay down some rules.

"Mother, what family estate?" Xie Shubai was baffled. Her family had no estate to speak of. They couldn't even trace their ancestors. Her father had earned his title through military service, and even the concubine's family had a more illustrious lineage.

"Do you remember your younger brother?"

The half-brother her mother had sent back to the concubine's hometown, where he had changed his name and lived with his maternal grandfather.

"Your brother's made his fortune. He's become the richest man in Jiangnan."

Xie Shubai knew her mother would find a way to turn things around.

Unfortunately, before they could pack up and get out of the capital, its gates were breached.

The Crown Prince had returned to the capital to defend the emperor.

Huh?

Something wasn't right.

A lie-flat heroine who takes life as it comes × a principled hero whose steadfast convictions are shattered

Theme: If you can't live a quiet life, then hold on to your true self amid the turmoil