Spring in the Evening Courtyard

(Complete) When Ming Zheng was sixteen, she followed her family's arrangements and married the Earl Chengning's heir, a man outstanding in every way. From then on, she devoted herself to supporting her husband and raising their children, hoping only for a life of honor and comfort. Eight years passed in the blink of an eye. Ming Zheng fulfilled her duties as the mistress of the household, diligently managing its affairs. Then, on the day her husband Liang Xiao returned victorious from war, Ming Zheng received two pieces of news. First, Liang Xiao had brought back a woman. Second, that woman was pregnant. That evening, the beautiful newcomer, heavily pregnant, trembled as she stepped forward to pay her respects. Somehow, she tripped at Ming Zheng's feet and nearly fell. Ming Zheng looked over. Liang Xiao's face was livid, the newcomer had tears in her eyes, and everyone wore a disapproving expression. The smile faded from Ming Zheng's lips. No one knew that when Marquis Jiayuan Lu Jun was young, he had been deeply in love with a girl. Before he could ask for her hand, he was ordered to rush off to battle. After three years of fighting on the front lines, he returned to find that the girl had become another man's wife. Lu Jun grew ever more taciturn and cold, throwing himself into the army and fighting desperately beyond the frontier. Then news came that his maternal grandmother was gravely ill. Lu Jun returned to the capital and met his old flame again in her grandmother's courtyard. He had never known that simply getting a little closer to her could make him so wildly happy. Scene One: Seeing Lu Jun spend every day in the army, surrounded by rough, unkempt soldiers, his highly esteemed maternal grandmother in the palace could no longer sit by. She decided to choose a young lady from a noble family and arrange a marriage for him. Lu Jun had no choice but to reveal his feelings: "I already have someone in my heart, but sadly, she has a husband." His grandmother narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Is that all? We'll have her take vows and become a nun. Once the fuss dies down, you can marry her." Scene Two: One day after their wedding, Ming Zheng nestled against Lu Jun and asked, "Back then, I was already married. Why did you wait for me for ten years? If I had never divorced, would you have stayed unmarried for your whole life?" Lu Jun ran his fingers through her soft, abundant hair and said quietly, "In this life and the next, it can only be you. With you in my heart, how could I waste someone else's time?" Content warnings: 1. Lu Jun is the male lead. 2. The heroine is not a virgin; the hero is. 3. This is a historical setting, and the heroine does not hold modern ideas that go beyond her era. 4. The novel has anti-piracy protection. If your subscription rate is below 80%, you can purchase chapters 48 hours after they are released. 5. After the 30 free sample chapters, you should have a basic sense of the characters, style, and writing. If you don't like the style, please don't force yourself to subscribe, so neither of us ends up unhappy. I hope everyone can be happy. My next novel will be Gold and Silk. You can find it in my author profile. If you like it, please add it to your collection. Gu Qing was a dowry maid who accompanied Third Miss Lin Jiao into the Marquis Chengrui's household. Second Master Lu Min was restrained, taciturn, and aloof. After the wedding, he was immediately sent away to serve in another post, leaving him and Lin Jiao living apart. They were hardly a devoted couple, but they treated each other with respect. Five years later, Lin Jiao still had no children. Though the elders of the Lu family hadn't spoken harshly to her, Lin Jiao couldn't help worrying. She prayed to Buddha, turned to Taoism, sought out immortals, and tried every remedy. Madam Lin advised her: "Rather than wait for the Lu family matriarch to assign someone to him, why not take the initiative? Choose a few obedient, easy-to-manage maids and bring them into his bed to keep him devoted to you." Gu Qing was strikingly beautiful, and Lin Jiao had always kept a close watch on her. With no other choice, and hoping to secure her future, Lin Jiao had to send her to Lu Min. Lin Jiao kept reassuring herself that, given Lu Min's temperament, Gu Qing would probably be just as neglected as she was. That night, Lu Min removed the pearls and ornaments from Gu Qing's hair and gently drew her into his arms. He teased her, "Is this what you wanted?" Gu Qing shook her head. The status of a concubine was not what she wanted. She wanted Lin Jiao to suffer until she wished she were dead, with no way back. She wanted the Lin family to pay for their blood debts. Theme: Virtue is the foundation of one's place in the world