A Daughter of a Humble Household

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The Jiang family was once a poor, humble household, but unexpectedly became related to the wealthy Wei family in the capital. Jiang's father shamelessly asked Master Wei to find him a job in the capital, so Jiang Yuan followed her father there when he went to take up his new position.

Wei Xuan, the Wei family's legitimate son, is handsome, skilled at riding and archery, and well versed in poetry and books. He's the dream man of countless young women, yet also an aloof beauty on a high peak whom no one can approach. He looks down especially on poor relatives like the Jiang family, who come to curry favor.

Jiang Yuan, from a humble household, can't find a suitable match. Her marriage prospects slowly dwindle until she's in her twenties and considered an "old maid."

Then she looks around and realizes that Wei Xuan, the aloof beauty two years older than her, is still unmarried too.

Wei Xuan: "Why don't we just settle for each other?"

Jiang Yuan: "Third Young Master, do you know why I haven't married?"

Wei Xuan: "Why?"

Jiang Yuan: "I don't want to settle!"

Coming next: "Seventh Young Master, Shall We Break Off the Engagement?"

Don't be misled by the blurb. It's one-on-one, and both leads are faithful to each other.

Blurb:

Wang Qi, the seventh young master of the Langya Wang clan, is handsome, refined, elegant, and widely read. Every unmarried young woman in the capital is smitten with him.

But this "heartthrob" was engaged at a young age to He Yun, the third daughter of the He family, whose scholarship was mediocre and whose looks were only passable.

From then on, He Yun became the bane of every young woman's existence in the capital.

When the He family loses its influence, He Yun becomes a "toad lusting after a swan" in everyone's eyes.

He Yun knows she isn't worthy of Wang Qilang, and that he won't care for her after they marry. So she plans to break off the engagement and let him find the capital's most talented woman, the capital's most beautiful woman, or his childhood friend, his little cousin.

When Wang Qi hears that He Yun wants to break off their engagement, his handsome face darkens. "If anyone's going to break off the engagement, it should be me. How can you be the one to do it?"

He Yun thinks about it and realizes he's right. Wang Qilang is so proud that he could never accept being jilted.

"Then... why don't you break off the engagement?" she suggests.

"Just wait at home." With that, he turns and strides away.

He Yun waits and waits at home, but what finally arrives is a bridal sedan from the Wang family.

And Wang Qi's beloved little cousin marries into the family on the same day as her, as a concubine.

So He Yun finds herself a new goal in life.

He Yun: "Qilang, shall we get a divorce?"

Wang Qi: "..."

Coming after that: "Beauty Serves Her Lord": A fallen noblewoman versus a cold prince.

Blurb: Zhu Huiyue, the only daughter of General Zhu Zhan, the General Who Pacifies the Far West, is the Empress Dowager's great-niece. She was promised to the Crown Prince as a child and is destined to become his Crown Princess.

After the Empress Dowager dies, General Zhu is implicated in Prince Wu's rebellion. His whole household is convicted. The men and their families are exiled three thousand li, while unmarried women are condemned to serve as palace slaves.

On the day the general's residence is confiscated, the Empress summons Zhu Huiyue.

Calling her by her childhood nickname, the Empress says, "A Ying, the Crown Prince is kindhearted. Since the two of you were betrothed as children, he is willing to take you into his household as a junior consort, sparing you the hardship of being a slave. Are you willing?"

Zhu Huiyue thinks of how cold the Crown Prince has always been toward her, then asks the Empress, "If I enter the palace as a slave, will I be allowed to leave as a free woman at twenty-five?"

The Empress nods. "That is the palace rule."

Zhu Huiyue bows her head. "In reply to Your Majesty, this convicted woman is willing to serve as a palace slave."

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches sight of a pair of blue dragon-embroidered boots behind the screen.

The next day, Zhu Huiyue enters the palace and becomes a maid in the Laundry Bureau named Zi Ying, assigned to wash the Crown Prince's clothes.

Zhu Huiyue is close to tears. Why can't she escape having to serve the Crown Prince, that bastard?

Li Ling was betrothed to Zhu Weiyue when they were young. Knowing she couldn't get away, he never took her seriously.

After something happened to the Zhu family, Zhu Weiyue could no longer become Crown Princess. Thinking of their many years of betrothal, he decides to let her enter his household as a concubine.

He never expected her to choose palace service over entering his Eastern Palace.

At first, he doesn't think much of it, figuring she can't escape him even in the palace.

That is, until he discovers that a maid named Zi Ying seems to be flirting with a young guard. Only then does he panic.

Coming after that: "The Shen Sisters"

Blurb:

Ever since Shen Qingyan was old enough to remember, she has loved Lu Ke, heir to the Marquis of Pingyang. Lu Ke is charming and gracious, gentle and warm toward her. She thinks he loves her too.

She works hard to learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, becoming known as the capital's most talented young woman, all so she can stand by his side as his equal.

But she forgets that she's not the only woman who grew up with Lu Ke.

He seems just as gentle and warm toward other women.

Then he gets engaged to Princess Dongyang.

Only then does Shen Qingyan realize that all this time, she was the only one in love.

Yet when she hears someone has plotted to harm him, she still rushes to his side without hesitation. But she ends up disgraced, and he doesn't say a word in her defense.

She falls ill, then loses her mind, withering away like a flower past its season.

That peerlessly elegant Second Miss Shen finally dies on a bright, sunny day in the third month.

Note: The "Shen Sisters" are the twin legitimate daughters of the Duke of Dingguo, Shen Qingheng and Shen Qingyan. The main story begins three years after younger sister Shen Qingyan's death, when older sister Shen Qingheng returns to the capital after fifteen years away. The blurb is the backstory, and it has a major impact on what follows. By the time the main story begins, the events in the blurb have already happened.

Theme: Respect yourself, be strong, and find happiness through your own efforts