The Kunchi Calamity

When the Imperial Guards surrounded the mountain temple, Wen Chan looked back on the first half of her life. For thirty years, she had fought powerful ministers and executed treacherous officials. The whole court bowed before her, and she held sway over the government. It was a life worthy of legend. Although she lost the final battle, everything had been under her control, so she met death with calm resolve, leaving not a single word behind.

Yet there is often a vast gulf between one's own assessment and the world's. Most people believed that Princess Chiming was iron-fisted and domineering, that she monopolized the court, courted officials, suppressed the other princes, seized her marriage by force, and failed in her ambitions. Her short life had flashed by like fireworks, leaving people to lament her fate.

Reborn, Wen Chan looked at the chief victim of her past life's forced marriage. "I think that assessment might be colored by a little personal resentment... Maybe I'll let you off this time."

Her former husband, also reborn, was like a delicate flower battered by frost, aggrieved yet undeniably beautiful. His bright eyes glistened with tears as he asked pitifully, "You weren't planning to let me off? Then why didn't I receive an imperial marriage decree yesterday?"

A princess with her rebirth trial activated x a consort whose "forced marriage" service has been renewed

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[Please Note]

Older woman, HE. The plot and romance each get equal focus. The political intrigue accounts for less than 1%. This is not a strong-female-lead, sugary wish-fulfillment story. The characters are shaped by the limitations of their era.

The author doesn't provide content warnings. Readers who need them can help one another in the comments. Please don't demand spoilers from the author. Except in very special circumstances, the author won't delete comments, so please make good use of the comments section and keep it civil. No fighting.

An entirely fictional ancient setting, very loosely based on history. No need to fact-check, it's all wrong. Corrections of factual errors are welcome.

Theme: History favors those who stand firm, strive forward, and dare to fight