[Short story] After marrying into Prince Jing's household for years, Wu Congxuan believes she has fulfilled her duties as Princess Consort Jing.
Even when Prince Jing and her younger sister begin an affair,
she swallows her tears and agrees to let her sister become his secondary consort.
Sadly, her repeated concessions earn her nothing but Prince Jing's neglect, her sister's mockery, and a household full of people looking on without lifting a finger.
Later, Prince Jing receives an imperial order to leave the capital on an inspection tour. He still takes his beloved secondary consort with him,
leaving Wu Congxuan behind in the capital to care for his family.
Who could have known that they would encounter bandits along the way and lose all contact for a time?
Wu Congxuan is beside herself with worry.
Whatever else, he is her husband, and she is her own sister.
She wishes she could grow wings and fly straight to them.
So she leaves the capital with only a small retinue and makes inquiries all along the way about Prince Jing's whereabouts.
Then she, too, encounters bandits.
Her younger sister, Wu Conghui, is captured along with her.
Their captors announce that they will hang both women from the city wall.
Only one of Wu Congxuan and Wu Conghui can live.
It all depends on whom Prince Jing chooses.
Wu Congxuan lowers her head and gives a bitter smile. She has never believed Prince Jing would choose her.
But she never imagined that the people tied to the city wall would be her sister and Prince Jing himself!
So he was captured too!
The bandit chief laughs wildly. "Princess Consort Jing, look carefully. Your husband, bound to you in marriage, or your own sister: which one do you want to live?"
Wu Congxuan, with her terminal indecision, says, "..."
Why are you forcing me to choose like this?!
* The female lead is somewhat of a saint.
Blurb first published on 2026.08.16
Theme: Protecting family.
