A Female General in the Eastern Palace

[My first book, a practice novel. Thank you for your patience.] -- Brilliant, beautiful, and tragic female general x gentle, sickly, scheming crown prince (Arranged marriage, then love) Yun Qiao was beautiful, and she was childhood friends with the crown prince. Everyone envied them. Unfortunately, when she was ten, disaster struck her family. Her father died, her brother left, and her childhood friend, the crown prince, disappeared without a word, leaving a vast family estate for a little girl to shoulder alone. As an adult, Yun Qiao became a victorious general of Great Jing, known to the barbarians as the "Female Yama" of the battlefield. Then the emperor issued an edict of marriage, making the battle-hardened general the crown prince's consort. She didn't want this marriage, and she knew the royal family was up to no good. She had planned to marry him if she had to, then live separate lives without interfering with each other. But before the wedding, she woke up one morning to find the crown prince sleeping in her room! Help, are crown princes this casual these days? She threw on her clothes and fled as fast as she could. Later, she discovered that the crown prince, who seemed noble, aloof, and indifferent, liked to climb over walls in private and was clingy as could be. Yun Qiao was even more exasperated. Every day, she thought about how to divorce him, while the crown prince thought about how to cling to her. After catching him sneaking over the wall to see her for who knew how many times, she finally couldn't take it anymore. "Xie Xun, I'm begging you. Use the front door from now on. I'll even open it for you, okay?" The usually stone-faced crown prince sounded a little aggrieved. "Well, all right." It wasn't until she finally gave in and moved into the Eastern Palace that she suddenly realized he'd been doing it on purpose all along! Only Yun Qiao knows that the cold, aloof, stone-faced crown prince is actually clingy in private... -- The heroine builds her career: When she was young, Yun Qiao was doted on by her entire family. A disaster of unknown origin forced her to cast aside her girlish clothes, take up a ruthless blade, and shoulder the burden of war. An imperial marriage decree then dragged her into even greater turmoil. When trouble is at hand, facing danger without flinching is the Yun family's motto. She keeps it close to heart. She returns to the military camp to defend Huaiyuan. She will become the backbone of all Huaiyuan, once again be the Female Yama who can take on a hundred foes, and uncover the truth behind the defeat that cost so many lives, clearing the names of Huaiyuan's loyal dead. In a court rotten to the core, she will cut away the corruption and let light into the darkness. Only this time, she won't be alone. -- Reader's guide: 1. Set in a fictional world. Please don't nitpick the history! 2. A reunion after a long separation; arranged marriage, then love. 3. The leads fall for each other. Happy ending. 4. The romance develops in the early chapters, while the career plot takes off later. 5. The romance follows the male lead's secret crush, while the career plot is mainly told from the heroine's perspective. [Advance title: The Female Official Is Hard to Woo] Clever, beautiful, sweet-on-the-outside-and-dark-on-the-inside female official x carefree, seemingly innocent, green-tea second prince At seventeen, Yuan Heng, granddaughter of the Marquis of Anyuan, arrived in Qidu. She devoted herself to studying and writing, eventually earning the favor of her teachers. Several of her policy essays were presented directly to the imperial court. The following year, she became the first female official to make a name for herself in the capital. The old ministers in court all said: This woman is bound to bring ruin to the country! Yet she rose smoothly through the ranks on the strength of her talent. She tackled entrenched problems, cleared away longstanding abuses, investigated old cases, and resolved crises. Rising through the ranks at astonishing speed, she entered the cabinet and became chancellor. At a banquet, Yuan Heng was so dazed that she mistook the second prince, Wen Che, for her former white moonlight. Carried away by her feelings, she spent a night with him. When she sobered up, she tried to slip away. "Your Highness, there's no need to take responsibility!" But Wen Che wouldn't let her go. He held her wrist. "Lord Yuan, why won't you take responsibility?" Yuan Heng: ... After that, the second prince became a different person. He made things difficult for her at every turn, casually fending off countless admirers, and said, "You said you're always been heartless, my lord, so you should treat everyone equally." The old ministers in court: Yuan Heng will bring ruin to the country! The second prince is harboring sinister intentions! Meanwhile, the second prince: Is she ignoring me again today? Is she annoyed with me? How can I get her to notice me? Much later, the second prince, who had practically thrown a tantrum to make Yuan Heng take responsibility, finally realized, in a sudden moment of clarity: Could I be the so-called white moonlight she was talking about? -- The heroine builds her career: Yuan Heng pays no attention to rumors, nor does she care about the accusations and insults. After entering officialdom, she turns her first blade against the powerful families who run rampant, making the world see whether it is female officials or the nobles behind their vermilion gates who devour people's flesh and drain their bones. "I was born into a great family, but I take no pride in that. It is virtuous officials who bring prosperity to the world, and criminals who destroy the people's livelihoods. I, Yuan Heng, will not be a criminal!" [Please bookmark the advance titles above! Thank you!] Theme: Don't listen to the sound of wind and rain beating through the forest. Face life's hardships with courage