Virtue Hidden Within

The person Cui Hanzhang least wanted to marry was Crown Prince Li Chengyan. It was not because she disliked him. Quite the opposite: she liked him too much, and that was exactly why she could not agree to his proposal. Cui Hanzhang was born into a powerful family in Chang'an. Her father was the influential chancellor of the court, and her legitimate mother was the empress dowager's adopted daughter. Since childhood, she had been used to seeing marriages arranged between powerful families, with wives, concubines, and distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children. She had never thought a man taking three wives and four concubines was outrageous. The crown prince would have favored consorts and secondary consorts in the future, and after ascending the throne, he would have his three palaces and six courtyards. To her, none of that was objectionable. She truly did like Li Chengyan, but she was unwilling to endure sharing her husband with others for his sake. When Li Chengyan learned the truth, he asked her just one question: "What if I want no one but you?" Cui Hanzhang naturally did not believe him, but in the end, she could not resist Li Chengyan's painstaking sincerity. With joy and apprehension, she married into the Eastern Palace. After their marriage, Cui Hanzhang was slow to conceive, but Li Chengyan took no one else. When Cui Hanzhang was pregnant and unable to attend to him in bed, Li Chengyan took no one else. When Cui Hanzhang gave birth to their eldest daughter, Li Chengyan personally asked the emperor to grant her a title, doting on her so openly that everyone in Chang'an knew. When Cui Hanzhang finally gave birth to their legitimate son, she nearly lost her life. After that, she could no longer risk another pregnancy, but Li Chengyan still took no one else. Later, the former crown prince ascended the throne. The court was full of ministers, and the old customs of the imperial clan left no doubt: an emperor was not supposed to have only one woman. Yet despite all the debate among the court officials, the imperial harem remained empty, with just one empress. Li Chengyan spent his whole life proving to Cui Hanzhang the one thing she had never dared believe. [Reading Guide] 1. One-on-one romance, both leads are each other's only partners, happy ending, and devoted love. 2. The leads have a steady relationship, with no change of heart, no third-party interference, and no groveling pursuit after a breakup. 3. The story follows the crown prince's proposal in their youth through their lives as emperor and empress. A large part of the novel focuses on their married life. 4. Includes newlywed daily life, raising children, the pressures of childbirth and producing an heir, family relationships, and court politics. Theme: One partner for a lifetime