Exiled to Shengjing

The Eagle Lord, the underground emperor of Shengjing, the Qing Dynasty's secondary capital, picked up a filthy little girl covered in scars and raised her by his side.

The elders all thought he wanted to be a father and excitedly prepared countless beauties for him to choose from.

Hearing the little girl call him "godfather" at every turn, the Eagle Lord remained expressionless. "No rush."

Seven years passed with no rush at all. The anxious elders had no choice but to persuade the girl he'd picked up to talk to him.

Shulan, who thought she was emotionally intelligent and knew how to repay kindness, took on the task. She sidled up to the Eagle Lord with a sweet smile. "It's time for you to get married. Look, I've already come of age. If you don't have a wedding, how am I supposed to get married?"

The Eagle Lord replied impassively, "All right."

Shulan happily went to report back to the elders, only to be sent straight to the Eagle Lord's bridal chamber in a phoenix crown and red wedding robes.

Shulan: ???

The Eagle Lord: If I have to get married before you can, doesn't that mean you want to marry me?

Shulan: !!!

They thought they were master and servant, each using the other. Instead, they became a legendary couple who walked through life hand in hand.

Content notes:

1. The blurb is genuinely terrible. One-on-one romance. A female agent transmigrates into the body of a criminal in Ningguta and meets a native underground aristocrat of Shengjing, Qing Dynasty.

2. "Godfather" is just an excuse; there's no actual relationship. A slow-burn story. Her life is hard before she's taken in, then gradually sweet afterward.

3. The story takes place in the final years of the Nine Princes' succession struggle. This is an alternate-history Qing Dynasty transmigration story, so don't expect historical accuracy.

Theme: Strive to survive.