Breaking the Golden Bough

★★ For another completed novel of the same type, Reborn: Gathering Jade, visit my author page. For my upcoming novels, Beyond Escape and My War-Deceased Husband Returned After I Inherited His Estate, see the blurbs below~

★★ Blurb for this novel:

A beauty is being held in the Northern Palace of Wei. Once a princess of Yan, she now wears coarse clothes, eats meager meals, and washes laundry.

Deep in the night, the mighty general who holds sway over the court often comes here alone, treading across the moonlight scattered over the quiet courtyard.

Beneath the blue gauze curtains, the beauty, with skin as smooth as jade, sets aside her pride and bows her head to him for the sake of her people.

Xiao Qizong grips her slender, pale neck. "Does it hurt? You owe me all of this."

Yongjia cannot understand what she owes him. She can only silently endure it in exchange for the safety of the people left from Yan.

Later, Yan is restored, and Yongjia is brought back by her younger brother. She thinks she can finally forget everything. But on her wedding day, she sees that nightmare of a man again.

Xiao Qizong stands in a princess's manor draped with red silk, his eyes bloodshot as he demands, "Who are you going to marry?"

·

When they first met as children, Xiao Qizong took one look at the exquisitely lovely little princess and fell for her. Little did he know that this princess, born to privilege, would be the reason he lost both his parents and fell into an abyss.

Later, he schemed and maneuvered until at last he led an army against Yan. He personally drove the emperor and empress of Yan to their deaths, forcing the pampered little princess to suffer the same fate as him.

He hated the princess who had always stood above him, so he dragged her into the mire and tormented her again and again.

But, without his noticing, that torment began to change into something else.

PS:

1. Neither lead has been with anyone else.

2. He takes her by force in the early chapters; in the later chapters, he has to win her back.

★★ Blurb for Beyond Escape:

Sheng Shu has always thought she's lived a good life.

She lives in a refined courtyard, with servants attending to her every day and no need to worry about food or clothing.

Her parents are alive and dote on her, visiting from time to time.

She also has a husband who, while rarely home, loves her dearly and has never taken a concubine.

Though her husband is a little overbearing and rough in bed, she thinks it's fine. He's good to her, and she doesn't expect him to be perfect.

Until one day, she discovers that everything is wrong...

Her parents are actually her aunt and uncle.

Her husband is a powerful minister. He has long been married to the daughter of the chancellor, and they have a son and two daughters and a loving marriage.

Her betrothed was exiled long ago.

Her Sheng family was destroyed long ago...

After ten long years, Sheng Shu opens that door again, only to find she no longer has the courage to cross its threshold.

Many years later, Sheng Shu rules over a vast realm with absolute power, but year after year, all she can do is watch the flowers bloom and wither alone.

"Xiao Jijin, when we met briefly that year, I actually liked you."

PS:

1. He takes her by force; old-school melodrama.

2. The male lead is not a virgin. He's deeply flawed, extremely possessive and controlling, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

3. He has to win her back, but she really is dead to him. This novel is unwaveringly headed for a bad ending.

★★ Blurb for My War-Deceased Husband Returned After I Inherited His Estate:

After transmigrating to ancient times, Ye Chichi becomes the least-favored illegitimate daughter in a wealthy household. Her family has also arranged a marriage for her to Baili Guantang, the famous "God of Slaughter" and "Lone Star of Misfortune" of the Great Jing.

They say he's so cruel that he's brought about the deaths of his entire family. He's the only one left, away at war, and his mansion in the capital is always empty and eerily quiet.

Just as their wedding is approaching, Baili Guantang finally gets himself killed too!

The young ladies and concubines of the Ye family are full of regret and can't wait to get Ye Chichi out of the house. The old steward of the Baili estate comes to break off the engagement, saying they can't ruin a good girl's life.

Ye Chichi doesn't see it that way. Wouldn't it be great to marry into his family, eat and drink well, have no mother-in-law to torment her, and not have to wait on her husband, all while lying around counting money?

So when Ye Chichi is asked, she dabs at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and chokes out, "I'm already carrying the general's child. In life, I'll be his widow; in death, I'll be his ghost."

Everyone: "Say that again? The God of Slaughter hasn't been home in three years. Where did you get a child? Are you carrying Nezha or something???"

The old steward: "I never knew there was a woman so devoted and true-hearted in this world." He immediately decides on the marquis's behalf to marry Ye Chichi into the family and have her treated to the best food and drink.

As Baili Guantang's only relative, Ye Chichi inherits his mansion and entire estate. The old steward takes care of everything in and out of the household, leaving her to eat, drink, and have fun every day. It's practically paradise.

However, just as Ye Chichi is trying to figure out how to "accidentally" fall and miscarry, her husband, who was supposed to have died in battle, returns.

Ye Chichi clutches a priceless vase and looks up at Baili Guantang, who's a head taller than her and radiating murderous intent. She stammers, "We're, we're husband and wife. This all counts as marital property. We can get divorced, but the estate has to be split, split in half!"

Baili Guantang takes the vase from her and sets it aside. To his wife, who has appeared out of nowhere, he says, "I heard you're carrying my child. How did you get pregnant? Let me see."

Ye Chichi: Damn, I took this too far.

Later, everyone says General Baili is incredible. It took him only a few months after returning to get Ye Chichi pregnant...

PS: The leads are ten years apart in age, and they only get together after the heroine is an adult~

Theme: How can a love like this be nothing but a memory? Yet all I felt then was lost.