New Buds Beneath the Northern Snow

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Story description

Marriage first, love later. A sweet slice-of-life story! One-on-one, happy ending.

[Marriage-phobic, poor young lady vs. iron-fisted, ruthless minister]

Xi Rui, daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, is the odd one out among the noble ladies of the capital. She's hopeless at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

But she's stunningly beautiful, and her family is powerful. Even if she's a bit useless, she'd still make a fine ornamental wife.

When she came of age, matchmakers nearly broke down the Xi family's door. After much deliberation, her father finally chose the legitimate son of the Minister of Personnel.

Xi, the marriage-phobic: All men are dogs. Isn't it better to be on my own?

So on the day the man's family came to propose, she wore a plain white dress, tears in her eyes, and dropped to her knees in the hall, clutching her skirt.

"Father, you don't know that your daughter has long been in love with General Qi. I will marry no one but him. I have just learned that he may have died fighting the Xiongnu, so I ask to remain chaste for three years."

Xi Rui's father was so furious his beard bristled. The engagement banquet descended into chaos.

After this, the Xi family became a laughingstock in the capital. Everyone mocked her for being presumptuous and delusional.

The Xi family's young lady was the first to eagerly volunteer to become a widow.

And really, if the powerful Duke Qi returned alive, why would he ever want a woman who had nothing but beauty?

*

Then one day, Qi Shuo faked his death and escaped. The Northern Frontier Army returned in triumph, and the whole country celebrated.

Hidden among the crowd, Xi Rui gazed at the tall, imposing man in heavy armor and felt her legs go weak.

"...Father, I've missed my maternal grandmother terribly after all these years. Could you let me stay in Danyang County for a while?"

*

Later, on their wedding night, the red candles flickered.

The man's towering figure completely enveloped her. His teasing, low chuckle sounded by her ear.

"I hear my wife is deeply devoted to me?"

Xi Rui was utterly exhausted. She realized that the trembling she'd imagined that day had not been a hallucination after all.

#I served my country in the first half of my life, and you in the second.#

Theme: Where there's a will, there's a way.