Carving Jade from Rough Stone

[Please add this ongoing story to your collection: The Play Within the Book] Su Lingyue was a writer who, one late night while staying up to meet a deadline, transmigrated into a book. She became the heroine of the novel she'd written under her own name, My Wife Is Terrifying. According to the plot, she was supposed to go through a wife-chasing ordeal with the male lead, the great general Ning Hengzhao, before they got their happy ending! But after she transmigrated into the book, the story stopped following its script. To repay a debt of gratitude, Su Lingyue took another woman's place as the bride of the aged Duke Xiang. On their wedding night, the duke's life came to an end. Su Lingyue became a wealthy, carefree widow. Life couldn't be better. According to her outline, all she had to do was wait for the great general to keep his promise and rekindle their romance. Who could have known that the paper-character duke's grandson, Xiang Liu'an, would completely ignore her outline? Through his own efforts, he rose to become a powerful court official and forcibly claimed the heroine, Su Lingyue. In the middle of the night, he climbed over the wall and into her courtyard. Xiang Liu'an pinned Su Lingyue against the door. "Should I call you Grandmother, Your Highness, or my darling?" Su Lingyue: Xiang Liu'an, you shameless rogue! No, you can't... Reading guide: 1. The heroine is four years older than the hero. 2. The heroine has had other partners; the hero has not. [Story Blurb] How could the princess let the man she raised herself get away? An alternate history. The princess will become the future empress! The eldest son of the Duke of Guo's residence, Yu Yantian, lost his mother when he was young. At eleven, he was sent to the palace to be selected as a male consort. He entered the palace as a marquis and became a study companion to the princess alongside the sons of three other officials. The princess first met Yu Yantian at a theater as a child, and fell in love at first sight. The frank, lively princess had raised this jade-faced young man herself. How could she let him get away? Yu Yantian endured humiliation and bided his time in the palace for years, seeking revenge for his dead mother. He acted cool and indifferent toward the princess, but in truth he was competing with the young men of the capital for the position of her consort all by himself. Yu Yantian confessed his feelings. Together, he and the princess outwitted and outmaneuvered those vying to become her consort, and finally married as they had wished. Old affairs at court implicated the Duke of Yu's residence, and the emperor decided to kill this consort. Across mountains and rivers, through a path of thorns, all for the chance to stand beside you and stay together until our hair turns white. Bonus scene: Empress: Did those people teach you how to serve me in bed? Noble Consort: Of course they did. The night is long, so why don't we try everything one by one? Empress: I cannot earn the reputation of a ruler who never attends court again. Noble Consort: I shall, of course, behave with propriety. [Reading Guide] 1. This is an entirely fictional setting, so please don't overanalyze it. The tone is mostly serious, with a plot-driven story and some political intrigue. 2. One man and one woman. The heroine has always held a position of power, and she is the hero's beloved. The hero is focused on his career, all so he can become the heroine's man. The leads are devoted to each other! The story is a slow burn. The early chapters focus mainly on court conflicts, with the leads working side by side. 3. If it's not for you, please don't leave abusive comments. Wishing all readers a happy life. Theme: Walk together, and fearlessly press forward.