My Dandy Ex-Husband Became the Most Powerful Man in the Court

Mei Lingxiang is gentle, dignified, and well-read. To save her gravely ill father, she marries Zhang Mingke, the city’s most notorious playboy.

During their first year of marriage, Lingxiang is treated kindly by Madam Zhang, but she and Zhang Mingke, who is rarely home, share a bed yet are strangers at heart.

Then one day, Zhang Mingke angrily grabs his sword and goes out to fight someone. He ends up breaking his own leg, losing all semblance of himself, and shattering their peaceful life.

The court is corrupt, and rebel forces are rising. Mei Lingxiang dies while fleeing.

As if waking from a long dream, she opens her eyes and finds herself back on the morning after her wedding.

Before going to serve tea, she remembers the kindness Madam Zhang showed her in her previous life. Mei Lingxiang decides to reach out and help Zhang Mingke, at least making sure he doesn’t break his leg again so he can protect his family during the coming chaos.

Fortunately, in this life he gradually starts to mend his ways. Though he still does things that often infuriate her in private, he no longer spends time with his disreputable friends.

Lingxiang thinks he can finally get his act together. But when she sends him out to deliver a shipment, despite her repeated warnings, he loses the goods and fails to collect a single coin.

The loss isn’t huge for the Zhang family, but it hits Lingxiang hard.

Then word arrives that her father is gravely ill and won’t live much longer. Lingxiang loses hope and stops expecting to change Zhang Mingke’s fate. She writes him a divorce agreement and hands it to him. “My husband, I won’t try to control you anymore.”

Zhang Mingke is about to go out and settle a score when the long sword in his hand clangs to the ground. “You want a divorce? I won’t divorce you! Last night, when you were in my arms...”

Hearing him about to say something indecent, Mei Lingxiang is so embarrassed and angry that she slaps him. “Enough! That slap was on Mother’s behalf. She’s in poor health. It’s time you grew up and took responsibility for the family.”

The world is thrown into chaos. Rebels invade Wen County, and Lingxiang takes her father’s memorial tablet and her mother to seek refuge elsewhere. She worries about Madam Zhang’s safety but can never find out what happened to her.

Three years later, a new emperor takes the throne and the country is finally at peace.

In Yunzhou, which has never seen the ravages of war, Lingxiang packs up her cosmetics stall and gets ready to go home to cook something delicious for her daughter. She looks up, and the chest holding her cosmetics hits the ground with a thud.

“Madam Mei, this little girl calls me Father. Should I answer?” Zhang Mingke holds the hand of the little girl riding on his neck as he gazes at the beautifully made-up Mei Lingxiang.

The man is poised and spirited, his eyes sharp. Apart from his face, he is entirely different from the way he used to be.

Mei Lingxiang steadies herself, gathers the little girl into her arms, and gently tells her, “Yu'er, call him Uncle.”

Entirely fictional setting, one-on-one romance, both leads sexually inexperienced.

My author page has several completed historical romances. Come take a look!

Here’s a preorder, The Beauty Chooses a Branch. Synopsis:

When the princes of Great Jin select their principal consorts, they traditionally choose from families of officials below the sixth rank. Xu Lingyu is the daughter of a minor official. She has no grand ambitions and only wants a simple, peaceful life. To avoid being selected, she wants to quickly find a man she likes and marry him.

By chance, a scholar moves into a house at the end of her alley. He has no parents or family and is entirely alone, but his background is respectable, he looks refined in his plain clothes, and he has a good temper.

Xu Lingyu decides he’s the one!

A matchmaker comes to call. He doesn’t even have to marry into her family, so Xu Lingyu thinks the matter is settled. But to her surprise, he turns her down!

Clever Xu Lingyu produces “proof” that their families arranged their marriage when they were still in the womb, and the local authorities draw up their marriage contract on the spot.

After a year of marriage, her husband, Jia Qinggu, goes to the capital to take the imperial exams. Xu Lingyu waits for him to return after failing, ready to make him a teacher so they can raise their children together.

But her husband passes the exams and doesn’t return, while her “dead” parents-in-law arrive in disguise.

The empress says, “I heard your mother and I were old friends, and that she even arranged for you and Qingjia to be betrothed before you were born?”

Jia Qinggu, Gu Qingjia?

Xu Lingyu understands, panics, and loses her nerve. She sucks in her stomach. “How could that be? Someone must be abusing their authority and making things up!”

Her mind races. She needs to find a live-in husband to hide her belly.

Theme: Learn to express love.