The Blessed Concubine's Daughter

(@Jinjiang Zhuang Xiaojiu has fan perks) On the fifteenth night of the seventh lunar month, people set river lanterns afloat. But Jin Yu, the fifth daughter of the Jingyang Marquis's concubine-born branch, fished two young men out of the water. Three days later, both men came to her home at the same time, asking to repay her by marrying her. Jin Yu peeked at them from behind a screen. One wore a bright red, gold-patterned brocade hunting jacket with close-fitting sleeves, and looked spirited and dashing. He said he was the young lord of the Duke of Jingguo's family. The other wore a plain sapphire-blue silk robe without a single flower embroidered on it. Shy and taciturn, he said he was an unloved son of the Marquis of Yongming. Her stepmother beamed and sent her legitimate elder sister out to receive them. The marquis's son, Jiang Ling, had striking, graceful features. He glanced at the elder sister, then lowered his head in silence. The young lord, however, exchanged flirtatious glances with her sister nonstop. Jin Yu thought it over, then let her elder sister snatch the young lord for herself, while she settled for marrying Jiang Ling. But the unlucky wear themselves out worrying, while the lucky needn't lift a finger. Years later, her elder sister returned to her family after her marriage fell apart, and lived a lonely life. Meanwhile, Jiang Ling, the once-unloved son of a marquis, became a powerful minister whose every move could shake the realm. He devoted his whole life to Jin Yu and treated her as well as anyone could. Who wouldn't envy Jin Yu? She was truly blessed. Only Jiang Ling knew the truth. Late at night, he held a memorial in one hand and gently tucked the blanket over the person beside him with the other. His eyes were full of tenderness as he thought: I have worked so hard all my life only because I was afraid my wife might regret the choice she made back then. Coming soon: I'll Give You Your Title Back (Reborn) Jing Hui lost her parents as a child and grew up in her aunt's home. Frail and sickly, with a cool disposition, she was hardly a promising bride. Yet, for some unknown reason, she received a splendid marriage proposal and became the legal wife of Yang Qian, a newly appointed jinshi. The matchmaker was someone she didn't know: Yang Qian's cousin, the newly named top scholar Xie Xi, the sixth-generation head of the Xie clan of Dongjun. Xie Xi enjoyed a smooth official career, eventually rising to Left Chancellor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Academician of the Longtu Pavilion. He also supported her family every step of the way. She lived a life of refinement and honor, and even received the title of a fourth-rank noblewoman. If there was anything to regret, it was that Xie Xi's wife, Meng Yiru, always suspected that she was having an affair with Xie Xi. Meng not only ruined her reputation in the capital, but repeatedly tried to have her killed. Grateful for Xie Xi's kindness to her, Jing Hui had refrained from reporting Meng to the authorities, despite having irrefutable evidence. Xie Xi sent Meng Yiru away to be confined at an estate. But he never expected her to fake her death and return to strike again. In the end, Jing Hui died at Meng Yiru's hands. Xie Xi killed Meng Yiru on the spot as well. She had lived a smooth life, but as she lay dying, she was filled with questions: Xie Xi clearly had no romantic feelings for her, so why had he killed his wife for her? When she opened her eyes, she had been reborn before her marriage, in Meng Yiru's home, drugged with an aphrodisiac and on the verge of utter disgrace. This time, she was determined to fight Meng Yiru to the death, marry Xie Xi, and uncover the truth of her past life. She lured Xie Xi over, then deliberately let Meng Yiru catch them in bed together, forcing Xie Xi to give her the title of his wife. On their wedding night, unlike the way he had always treated her kindly in her previous life, Xie Xi's eyes were dark red. He roughly tore off her bridal veil and tossed it to the ground, his voice cold and sharp: "You have your title. Make good use of it." Jing Hui was not angry. Instead, she let out a long sigh of relief. Within three years, she would surely uncover the truth and give Xie Xi his title back. Coming soon: The Emperor's Decree Made Me a Concubine The little palace maid Jiang Yan had the misfortune of becoming another man's concubine. She wasn't a concubine her husband had chosen to marry. The emperor, worried that his own brother-in-law had grown too powerful and that the imperial relatives were abusing their influence, had forced her on him as a spy. The man was deeply in love with the eldest princess. His family was harmonious, and his children were filial. If even a princess couldn't get the job done, what could a foodie like her accomplish? She busied herself with food, drink, and wellness, played dumb, and passed along a few fake reports. Keeping three zhang away from her husband, she enjoyed a wonderfully comfortable life. Then one day, the man actually rebelled, and succeeded. Jiang Yan: ...I'm probably going to lose my head. The day before she was to enter the palace, the whole residence was brightly decorated and filled with celebration. She quietly changed into a servant boy's clothes and had just slipped out of the courtyard when someone grabbed her by the back of the neck. She turned around and saw the man's handsome face drawn tight, his expression dark as water. "Where does the Noble Consort think she's going?" Jiang Yan: ... Coming soon: A Talented Young Lady's Joy Qin Youxi's father was a sixth-rank Left Deputy Director of the Bureau of Imperial Banquets in the Ministry of Rites. In a capital filled with first- and second-rank officials, he was such a minor official he wasn't even qualified to attend court. That didn't stop him from taking concubines and having children. Her mother had been her father's personal maid. She died of illness not long after giving birth to her. Qin Youxi was a concubine-born daughter, the fourth child, and one of seven siblings. She was the most unsupported and least valued of them all. But Youxi wasn't afraid. No one cared about her, and there was no chance she'd get a good marriage in the future, so she simply did as she pleased. If she loved reading, she read as much as she wanted. Who could have imagined that after her coming-of-age ceremony, her extraordinary talent would let her fight her way onto a bright, happy road, marrying into the prestigious Duke of Weiguo's household and becoming the honored wife of its heir? #MarriedFirst, InLoveLater Theme: Live your life well, and put your brain to good use