Claiming the Golden Bough

Coming soon: The Lovely Lady. Please add it to your collection!

1. Xiao Rong is the ninth princess of Great Liang, struggling to survive in the palace while walking on eggshells.

That is, until Chu Huai, a hostage prince from Chu, enters the palace. Both are in the same predicament, and they come to rely on each other.

Years later, when Chu sends people to bring Chu Huai home, she feels a pang of sadness but smiles and congratulates him.

But in the end, the Chu envoys take only Chu Huai's corpse with them.

From then on, Xiao Rong sets aside her makeup, dresses plainly, eats simple meals, and becomes Chu Huai's "widow."

Two years later, Xiao Rong's striking beauty makes her a target for everyone.

She is betrothed to the dissolute nephew of the empress and forced to marry him.

On her wedding night, Xiao Rong wears a phoenix crown and red bridal robes, a sharp hairpin clutched in her hand.

The door bursts open, and the groom's head rolls inside. Chu Huai steps into the bridal chamber in bloodstained armor, his eyes dark and cold. "Rong'er, congratulations on your wedding."

2. Chu Huai has been called a monster since childhood. He feels no fear of pain or death, and treats his life like a game.

That is, until he suffers endless abuse and teeters on the brink of death. Xiao Rong pulls him back from the gates of hell.

From that moment on, his life no longer belongs to him.

Later, though trapped in dire straits several times, he forces himself to crawl out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

All so he can achieve greatness and marry her with a procession of red bridal gifts stretching ten miles.

But just as he passes his father's test and becomes crown prince, he hears that she is getting married.

Brimming with murderous rage, Chu Huai sneaks into Liang's capital and personally shoots her new husband.

Even if her heart belongs to someone else, she can only be his crown princess.

He thinks up a hundred despicable ways to force her to give in, but never expects the petite figure to throw herself into his arms and cling to him. "What took you so long?!"

Chu Huai, who'd intended to take her by force: "...?"

* Little beauty X utter lunatic

* They save each other, both are virgins, happy ending

Warnings below. Hope you find a story you love.

1. The story is entirely fictional. Please don't nitpick historical details or judge the ancient setting by modern standards.

2. The male lead really is a lunatic and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

3. Both leads have a very hard time early on. Their lives are truly miserable, so please proceed with caution if that's not for you.

4. This isn't a power couple. The female lead is sweet, soft, and adorable.

5. The parents' generation has some melodrama, but nothing too tragic.

6. The cover characters are used with permission.

Coming soon: The Lovely Lady. Please add it to my collection!

The Marquis of Yongping is a notorious womanizer with four sons and seven daughters. Other than one legitimate son and one legitimate daughter, the rest are concubine-born or the children of his mistresses.

Wen Shu is the least remarkable of the daughters. Her father doesn't care for her, her mother died young, and she is often bullied.

When she was eight, her father brought home another child born to a mistress, and everyone started bullying him instead.

Wen Shu took pity on him and helped him a few times, so the two grew closer than either of them was to the others.

Ignored by the legal wife, Wen Shu wasn't matched with a husband until she was seventeen.

The families selected for her were dreadful. Wen Shu didn't want to marry any of them, but there was nothing she could do.

On the eve of her betrothal, a major event shook the capital: the child born to a mistress in the Marquis of Yongping's household was actually the emperor's eldest son, who had been lost outside the palace.

Once he was found, the emperor immediately announced that he would be made crown prince.

All at once, everyone in the marquis's household lived in fear, barely daring to breathe, terrified the crown prince would take revenge on them.

Wen Shu thought that since she and her fourth brother had always gotten along, now that he'd risen so high, perhaps she could ask him to find her a good husband. If she was shameless enough, maybe she could even secure a bright future for herself.

She specially made her fourth brother's favorite lotus pastries and went to see him, explaining what she wanted.

Xie Junyi glanced at the pastries on the table and asked very gently, "Fifth Sister, what sort of husband would you like?"

Wen Shu blushed and stammered, "I'll leave it to you, Fourth Brother."

Xie Junyi gave a low laugh, raised his brows, and casually played with his jade thumb ring. "What do you think of me, Fifth Sister?"

Wen Shu: ...?

Recommended completed sweet romances:

Modern: Sheng Sheng Yue Wo, Jiao Chan, Xiao Qing Xin

Ni Guai Ya, Si Yi Wen Rou, Chun Ri Yu Ni, Dou Hen Tian

Shen Xian Rou Qing, Xiao Jiao Zong, Xin Jian Guai Chong, Xiao Wen Nuan

Historical: Jiao Qing, Chun Guang Qian Quan, Bao Jun Shi Ge Xiao Ke Lian

There are plenty more completed stories on my profile. Come on in!

Posted on 2020-1-9. Screenshot saved. Please don't copy my premise.

Theme: No matter how many hardships you face, keep striving and stay strong!