The Wealthy Lady

When Xu Wenzhen was chosen as the Crown Princess in her youth, some people sneered. "With that haughty disposition of hers, will she have any kind of happy life as a wife in the imperial family?" Years later... The good news: The Crown Prince is dead. The bad news: Xu Wenzhen wasn't sent to the imperial family to live out her days as a widow. She was left at home. What does the Xu family have? A princess grandmother who cherishes her like her own life; a grand general grandfather who puts his wife first and does whatever she says; a father, the Chief Secretary, who trusts her most; and a mother, the Lady of the State, who would spoil her rotten. And a whole troop of younger siblings who do whatever she tells them. Some people were stunned. "What happened to marrying into a higher family, swallowing needles, and wishing you were dead?" Tea among spring blossoms, songs by the snow in winter, loving parents and elders, and obedient younger siblings and juniors. The life of the eldest daughter is just too wonderful. Anyone who wants the hardships of marriage can have them. Young Master Ji, who had been her lover for ages and was now dying of jealousy over her "ex-husband," had one thing on his mind: becoming a devoted husband. "Me! I'll marry you! I'll become part of the Xu family. Ah Zhen, you can't go back on your word!" - Xu Wenzhen was born into a distinguished ducal family and raised from childhood at her princess grandmother's side. She was dignified and elegant, with the grace of a woman of refined character. At sixteen, she had a powerful family, a devoted fiance, and the honored position of Crown Princess within her grasp. Everyone envied her good fortune. Then her fiance, the Crown Prince, suddenly died. Everyone thought the Xu family's splendid peony was about to fall from the heavens to the dust. At thirty-six, everyone still agreed she was blessed with good fortune. The lavish Duke of Liuguo's mansion, the Xu clan, filled with high-ranking officials: everyone knew that the decisive head of the household was the eldest daughter, Xu Wenzhen. Her elders trusted her, her younger siblings respected her, and the younger generation looked up to her. She was the helmswoman of this great ship. She broke the old tradition of passing the family on to the legitimate son and took her place at the highest tables of power in Great Yong. She was a woman, and the head of one of Yongjing's most prestigious families. Read before starting: This is mostly a slice-of-life story. There won't be much political scheming, partly because the author's intelligence is limited, so please don't let your own intelligence hold Wenzhen's back. The setting is a fictional mishmash, mostly inspired by the Tang and Song dynasties, but with plenty of mixing and creative liberties. Please don't map it onto real history. The logic improves as the story goes. It's a slice-of-life story about a great family, told from the female lead's perspective. She is absolutely the main character. The male lead appears a little later and has few scenes early on. A male supporting character also has unrequited feelings for the female lead, so please be aware. A slight ensemble cast. One younger sister and the male lead have transmigrated; Wenzhen is a native of the ancient world. The male lead is younger than Wenzhen. Outsiders believe Wenzhen is deeply in love with her former fiance, but she isn't. She only pretends to have feelings for him, though for a while the male lead believes it's real and is consumed by jealousy. Both leads are each other's first and only partners. I'm sorry for changing the premise. It's been too long since I came up with the original idea about a princess sent to marry into another realm, and my perspective has changed. I can't write it the way I wanted. I've revised it many times this year, but it still doesn't feel right, so I've decided to change the premise. I'm truly sorry to everyone who was looking forward to the original idea. Theme: Don't grow arrogant in good times or lose heart in adversity. Draw your blade and fight to carve out a place for yourself. As long as you set your sights high, the world beyond is vast and full of possibility.