Hiding My Spring Oriole

Before the Marquis of Chengping's estate was raided, Jiang Fuyu's cousin was a young prodigy famed throughout the capital, and her maternal grandfather, the Marquis of Chengping, was a distinguished founding general. She had been betrothed to her cousin since childhood, and everyone in the capital envied her match. Then came a sudden case of treason and collusion with the enemy. The emperor was furious, her grandfather was convicted, and her fiance was thrown into prison. As Jiang Fuyu knelt in the palace, begging His Majesty to show mercy and thoroughly investigate the marquis's alleged treason, the capital was shrouded in storm clouds. Someone walked slowly toward her through the gloom. It was Wei Zhen, the regent who now held the reins of government. He held a bamboo-ribbed umbrella and paused beside Jiang Fuyu. Then he bent over, tilted the umbrella toward her, and let out a leisurely, mocking chuckle. "Miss Jiang, are you trying to save your sweetheart?" His expression was languid. "Rather than beg His Majesty... why not beg me?" * Wei Zhen had always been deep in his schemes and unpredictable in temperament. Dealing with him was no different from bargaining with a tiger. Jiang Fuyu sought his help because she had no other choice, but she had never imagined becoming entangled with him any further. When her grandfather's family was finally cleared of the false charges, Wei Zhen was away on campaign. To avoid complications, her grandfather set an early wedding date for her and her cousin. They were married just before the end of the year. That evening, heavy snow fell. The drums and gongs sounded in the distance, but she sat alone in her room for a long time, waiting for the groom who never came. Half the wedding candles had burned down when she finally heard footsteps approaching from afar. The newcomer used the cold edge of a sword to lift her bridal veil. The silk split apart, thread by thread, beneath the blade's fierce force. She looked up in a daze and met a pair of pitch-black eyes. The man who should have been away on campaign stood before her, sword in hand, snow dusting his hair as he looked down at her. "You dared to provoke me, and you still think you can marry someone else?" "You thought you could escape me like this?" Wei Zhen chuckled. "Xiaoman, you're always so naive." Clear-headed, steadfast noblewoman x sinister, unhinged traitor Blurb written on April 3, 2022, revised on March 10, 2023. Theme: Stay true to your convictions.