Beauty in Bones

Complete. The main story is finished; bonus chapters to come. Core tropes: Marriage Before Love, a husband groveling to win back his wife Her mother was a Grand Princess, and her father the military governor of Jiangzhou. Cui Shiyiniang was born into one of the Five Great Clans. Graceful and slender, she was famed throughout the capital for her radiant beauty. At a spring farewell banquet at Jingming Pond, Cui Shiyiniang ducked into a pavilion for a nap, hidden among cascades of wisteria. She heard someone inside demand, “The Cui clan of Jiangzhou is one of the Five Great Clans, with rich lands and ample resources. With their support, we could march south and seize both capitals and all fourteen provinces. And Cui Shiyiniang is a peerless beauty. Why did our lord turn down Lord Cui’s offer just now?” Lu Shen idly ran his thumb over the jade ring on his hand. “A man should marry a virtuous woman. Cui Shiyiniang is spoiled and shallow. She might do as a concubine, but she’s unfit to be a wife.” Cui Shiyiniang sat bolt upright in shock, exchanging looks with her cousin. What kind of bastard had the nerve to look down on her? In the first year of Jingping, Lu Shen led four hundred thousand troops, crushed the other warlords, and established his capital at Luoyang. He drove his first wife, Lady Cui, back to her ancestral home in Jiangdong. A torrential storm swept through. The boat carrying her home capsized in midriver, and the whole realm mourned. Content warnings: 1. This is not a sweet romance. It features old-school tropes and characters; the author loves melodrama. The heroine transmigrates, and the hero is a real bastard. Emphasis on bastard, not merely a man who takes concubines or keeps bedchamber maids. 2. This is a fictional setting, a historical mishmash of warlord rule and rival princes. The language and objects are based on the Ming and Qing dynasties, so read at your own discretion. 3. Happy ending. Up next: The Cousin Miss. Please add it to your reading list. Everyone at the marquis's manor knew that the heir, Lu Pang, was devoted to his cousin, Pei Shiqiniang. He didn't care that her family was poor, and insisted on marrying her as his principal wife. Then the Dingyuan Marquis's family was implicated in the deposed crown prince's downfall. Their estate was confiscated and their title stripped, and they were ordered back to their ancestral home. Pei Shiqiniang immediately moved out of the manor and sent Lu Pang a letter ending their engagement. Less than half a month later, she was already considering marrying someone else. In the forty-seventh year of Jianshou, the Prince of Yan raised an army to purge the court. For his role in supporting the new emperor, Lu Pang was made Duke of Dingguo. His power was suddenly so immense that everyone feared him. At a banquet, a sycophant presented the woman to him, hoping to curry favor. “I’ve heard she was once promised to Your Excellency. How hateful that she was so shallow and vain, and abandoned you when you fell on hard times.” Lu Pang set down his wine cup. His eyes reddened slightly as he lifted the woman's chin with a cool smile. “Pei Shiqi?” In the candlelight, the woman had delicate brows and graceful features. She bowed before him. “I’m willing to be your servant and attend to you, my lord.” Lu Pang looked at her with utter disgust. “You could have been my proper wife, but you chose to become a concubine!” Though you were shallow, vain, heartless, and cruel, and left me behind, I still love you. Theme: Be kind to yourself and cherish life, whatever the age.