To Become a Phoenix

After spending three years fighting in the south, Liu Yan returned victorious. All across the country, people were discussing how the current emperor had begun to consider following the founding Emperor Shenwu's example and passing the throne to his eldest daughter.

Just then, news came from the palace that Princess Xu was to marry the Duke of Ying's legitimate son.

The Duke of Ying was famed as "the greatest warrior of all time." Unfortunately, even a tiger father can have a dog for a son. His only legitimate son was known throughout the capital as a pretty face with nothing behind it, and in the eyes of outsiders he was even less impressive than his younger half-brother, born to a concubine.

People with nothing better to do speculated wildly, but Liu Yan herself had no objection to her useless, good-for-nothing husband. To her, it didn't matter who the man was.

PS: The female lead's love interest is not her fiance, but his younger half-brother. There is no post-marital affair.

A bold, beautiful queenly woman x a spirited young general

This is not a matriarchal setting. The dynasty is fictional, and the second ruler after its founding was an empress. So although the society resembles an ancient patriarchal one, women's status is not especially low. Since there has been an empress before, a capable princess can also be considered a candidate for the throne. Princesses can either marry out or take a husband into their household. A princess who marries out has a consort, while a princess who takes a husband has a prince consort, who joins her household.

Theme: With great ambition, one can conquer the world