A Wife Is No Match for a Concubine

[Old-School Over-the-Top Angst] [The Husband's Redemption] 1. Feng Xuanying, daughter of the late prime minister, had been in love with Jun Zijing, the Great Zhou Kingdom's God of War and Prince of Dingbei, for many years. Jun Zijing was handsome and brooding, wielded great power, and was a born womanizer. His palace was full of concubines, and he was a frequent visitor to the pleasure quarters. Everyone knew of the Great Zhou Kingdom's God of War and his invincible victories, as well as his dashing, flirtatious nature. Few, however, knew that Jun Zijing suffered from a blood-demon affliction. When it flared up, he needed medicine mixed with the blood of someone of pure yin nature to suppress it. Feng Xuanying was just such a person. And so, when she was seventeen, the emperor issued an edict betrothing them. Feng Xuanying married the man she had loved for years, believing that one day they would share a life of marital bliss. On their wedding night, he was tipsy. With a mocking smile, he sized her up, lifted her chin with his long fingers, and coldly told her, "Just be a good little ingredient for my medicine. Don't delude yourself." He didn't love her, and after their wedding night, he never came back. Yet after that one night, she became pregnant with his child. She lived quietly and hid her pregnancy, hoping only to safely bear the first child of the Prince of Dingbei's household and earn a second glance from the man she loved. Four months later, in the middle of the night, Jun Zijing, who had never once come to see her, unexpectedly walked into her courtyard. Overjoyed, she was unprepared when he brought her a bowl of abortion medicine, coldly seized her, and ignored all her desperate, humble pleas. He only glanced at her coldly and said: "Drink it yourself, or this prince will... make you drink it." Tears streaming down her face, she told him that her body was of pure yin and cold nature and had always been frail. If she miscarried, there was a good chance it would cost her her life. He was unmoved. Feng Xuanying stared blankly ahead, thinking that all she had ever wanted was for him to live well. But he... had never cared for her, never treated her as his wife. The child was gone. After that night, the princess consort was sent to the South Mountain villa to live in seclusion and recuperate. 2. The Prince of Dingbei's household had lost a princess consort, but gained a beautiful concubine. The woman was stunningly lovely, fond of wearing red, and walked with graceful, lotus-like steps. She went to great lengths to become the Prince of Dingbei's confidante, then his concubine, and finally the apple of his eye. At last, one night, as he held her while they slept and the crescent moon shone through the window, she studied the young man's beautiful, peaceful features in the wake of his drunken stupor. After a long silence, she drew a sharp dagger and plunged it into his heart. The young man opened his beautiful, sharp eyes, filled with disbelief and profound pain. 3. Now the female chancellor of the court, Feng Xuanying had taken over her father's work and devoted herself wholeheartedly to serving her country and its people. She was soon to be married, or so the rumors went. The emperor sighed over how badly he had matched the couple back then. He had already annulled her marriage to the Prince of Dingbei. As she made preparations for her wedding, she had an "unexpected" reunion with an old acquaintance on a bridge lined with willows and painted buildings. Feng Xuanying kept her eyes straight ahead and walked past him, but the man in black robes seized her wrist. She stopped and pulled her hand free. "Your Highness, please behave with decorum." "...A Ying, who are you marrying?" Reader's guide: 1. This is not about a strong female lead. It's a melodramatic tale of bitter-sweet love and consuming hatred, with an old-school, outlandish premise and a very unusual flavor. If it doesn't suit you, stop reading. Please note, this story is not for readers who need content warnings. 2. The male lead is a virgin. 3. The main story has a bad ending; the bonus chapters have a tragic ending. (Synopsis screenshotted and archived on May 30, 2022.) Theme: Let go of your biases and see yourself clearly.