A Happy Match Made in Love

Shen Yueling is the only daughter of Quzhou's richest man, owner of half the city's wealth, and has been doted on by the people of the city since childhood. While others struggle to survive in chaotic times, she throws money around amid the smoke of war, living like a generous living bodhisattva. Her father originally planned to bring a son-in-law into the family to protect their wealth and keep her safe and worry-free for life. But the dynasty fell, and their fortune became a death sentence. With no other choice, her father spent a fortune promoting her everywhere, forcing the empty title of "Quzhou's Number One Beauty and Talent" upon her. He hoped her fine reputation would help her secure a powerful marriage and find a formidable husband to protect her. Who could have guessed that her fame would grow so great it attracted Xu Dongsheng, lord of Lucheng, a strategic military stronghold, who came to ask for her hand? Rumor had it that this lord came from humble beginnings, was a crafty and deceitful villain in scholarly clothes, commanded a mighty army, and killed without blinking. Terrified, Shen Yueling went out of her way to cause trouble on the way to her wedding, hoping he would call off the marriage himself. She spent money like water, and Xu Dongsheng responded by handing her a thick stack of banknotes. "Spend! If you can't spend it all, you don't get to eat." Shen Yueling:! She deliberately let her true nature show, making it clear that "Quzhou's Number One Beauty and Talent" was uneducated, nothing but an ignorant fool. Unexpectedly, Xu Dongsheng laughed instead of getting angry, praising her in front of everyone: "Ling'er is genuine. She's a hundred times more interesting than those fake, affected noble ladies who pretend to be above it all." Shen Yueling:? On the wedding journey, they sparred with wits and courage. She suspected him, tested him, and avoided him. It was only when a blade pressed against her throat and death hung in the balance that the man she'd tried so hard to avoid resolutely shielded her with his own body. Only then did she finally understand: what her father had secured for her was more than a marriage to protect her from disaster. It was the strongest support she could have in these chaotic times. * Xu Dongsheng came from humble beginnings, and all three armies in Lucheng called him "King of Hell." Nine out of ten people who had seen him draw his blade on the battlefield were already in their graves. Others relied on the protection of powerful families; he relied on the knife in his hand. People said he was bloodthirsty, brutal, sinister, and treacherous, a scourge everyone avoided in these chaotic times. His reputation was rotten through and through. So what if his reputation was bad? His fearsome name was precisely what made every faction tremble and retreat without a fight. Xu Dongsheng had survived in a turbulent and perilous age by relying on a ruthlessness that chilled people to the bone. Until the fearsome reputation that cowed the mighty also frightened the little miser who had once given him a meal. The whole world speculated that he was marrying Shen Yueling solely to get his hands on the Shen family's fortune. Even Shen Yueling believed it, and was so terrified that she caused trouble all along the way to the wedding, doing everything she could to force him to call it off. Xu Dongsheng offered no explanation. He was certain that, given time, she would eventually see his true feelings. He never expected that the "gentleman" with a face as handsome as jade and a fine reputation spanning several provinces would also seek Shen Yueling's hand, gently promising, "If Miss Shen marries me, I will protect the entire Shen family." To Shen Yueling, those words were honey that bewitched the heart. To Xu Dongsheng, they were a blade stabbing straight through him. Xu Dongsheng immediately went to confront the man with his knife, exposing his hypocritical facade and cutting down every scheme and plot aimed at her. Afterward, the hypocrite demanded indignantly, "How are you and I any different? When you married her, weren't you after something too?" Xu Dongsheng replied with lazy arrogance: "That's right! I've wanted her for a long time. I want her to spend my money, and if she can't spend it all, she doesn't get to eat!" One-sentence summary: A fake beauty and talent, a real rogue. They spar through a marriage in chaotic times, only to unexpectedly stumble into a fated match. Theme: Marriage is about more than appearances. Only when faced with great difficulties can you see who takes responsibility.