The Crown Princess by Fate

[A ninth prince who hides his feelings, says one thing and does another × a bold and winsome fated Crown Princess]

[Her side] The Crown Prince has yet to be chosen, but his consort has already been decided.

On the day Yao Zhenzhen was born, a divine phoenix descended from the sky and sang from the ridge of the Yao family roof.

That same year, the drought-stricken west was blessed with rain, the flood-prone south basked in sunshine, and the Northern Region won battle after battle.

The people called Yao Zhenzhen a goddess sent from heaven and the lucky star of Great Yu. The Astronomical Observatory declared that she had the bearing of a future empress, destined to help a wise ruler protect Great Yu and ensure lasting peace and stability.

So, not long after Yao Zhenzhen was born, she was appointed the future Crown Princess.

But the Crown Prince was a man in his thirties, old enough to have sons nearly her age. This marriage was hardly to her liking.

[His side] Though Xiao Yan was the legitimate son of the emperor and empress, he was practically invisible among the princes.

Xiao Yan tried every way he could to get close to his mother, hoping for even the smallest bit of affection, but all he got was a scolding. His mother, the Empress of Great Yu, could be warm and kind to the illegitimate son adopted into her care, yet she was too stingy to spare Xiao Yan even a little pity.

[Little Scene]

Yao Zhenzhen and Xiao Yan got to know each other after three "battles."

They first met during the Shangsi Festival. A big yellow dog ran straight at Yao Zhenzhen, and in her panic she grabbed the man beside her. She hadn't expected him to let go, leaving her to fall into the water.

The second time they met, Xiao Yan had cornered the courtesan from Wanhua Tower in an alley. Just as the two were exchanging sweet nothings, someone hit Xiao Yan over the head, knocking him out.

The third time, Yao Zhenzhen was invited to the palace to admire the cherry blossoms. She got the urge to use a slingshot to knock a bird off the wall's eaves, but accidentally hit Xiao Yan, who was crouched on the wall.

Only then did Yao Zhenzhen learn that Xiao Yan was the emperor and empress's unloved younger son. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, realized that Yao Zhenzhen might one day become the wife of any one of his older brothers.

[2022.3.10]

Theme: Man can overcome fate.