The Lonely Island

[Main couple: A workaholic prince with life by the scruff of his neck x A general's orphan who throws wild punches at the world] [Ensemble cast, ensemble cast, ensemble cast. Every male character is human garbage.] [Each volume's title is a playlist of background music recommended by the author for that volume (maybe).] The Ministry of Works in the Great Ning Dynasty is a den of vipers, with every single person being human garbage. Xu Yuhao, suspected of using his looks to seduce a male colleague and start an office romance, garbage; Cheng Changhao, seduced the prime minister's only legitimate son into a same-sex affair, then announced halfway through that he was straight, garbage; Jin Yingjie, a spoiled mama's boy who lives off his parents, garbage; Chen Zheng, so garbage his wife ran off with another man; Liang Pan and Zhou Jiyuan, stirring up trouble wherever they go, garbage together; Liu Xingkui, has left his stunning fiancee waiting three years without marrying her, often stays out in the pleasure quarters, and secretly has a crush on a certain male colleague surnamed Xu, truly the worst of the worst. The worst of them all is their boss, Ning Xun, the reigning Prince Huai. Twenty-six, a wage slave, and a handsome man full of regret. If he doesn't work hard, he's impeached; if he does work hard, people trip him up. He'll never get ahead. To improve his life, he put out a recruitment notice for a female (free) master (cook) of the Prince Huai residence, with the following requirements: Pretty, from a family of equal standing, gracious in public, skilled in the kitchen, refined and courteous, gentle on the outside but strong within. A little indifferent to that sort of thing, and absolutely forbidden to cheat even if she's left waiting! No cheating! Absolutely no cheating! This prince is not a cuckold fetishist! The wish was a beautiful one, but reality was: A useless man with no power, no prospects, and his head on the line, yet he still has that many demands. Stay single! Luckily, when one door closes, another opens. The cousin of a colleague from the Ministry of Works' fiancee set fire to the former residence of Old General Huai. A young woman who claimed to be the general's orphan rushed out and fought him for her life. Although she was seriously underdeveloped, she was more than good enough to marry (bring) home (as a cook). Huai Xiu insisted, "I'm eighteen this year." Ning Xun, not believing her but having no choice: "You really... Forget it, you'll do." Who knew the emperor, his younger brother who couldn't stand seeing him happy, would come along and cause trouble? "I like Huai Xiu too. Imperial Brother, just give her to me." Polite Ning Xun: You, seriously? In this world, everyone has their own hell. They each struggle and fight back, living as the very people they hate most. Thankfully, no one is an island. This is a realist (fantastical) ensemble historical urban tale centered on a workaholic prince and an antisocial young woman. Theme: Amid the mud, gaze up at the stars