The Princess's Substitute Prince Consort

[Upcoming Novels: "After Separating from My Husband," "Huai Tao," and more blurbs below. Please add them to your reading list!] Chen Yuezhi fell for someone she could never have, so she found herself a substitute. The substitute was Xu Zhao, the new top scholar. They said he was not only a gifted writer but also had a keen understanding of the court's political situation. At his first audience with the emperor, he even won the approval of Chen Yuezhi's notoriously exacting older brother. But Chen Yuezhi didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was how much Xu Zhao's face resembled his. At first, Chen Yuezhi would have rare treasures piled high in Xu Zhao's courtyard just so she could admire the moon with him that night. When he was injured, she searched everywhere for imperial physicians and nursed him with painstaking care. She could even put aside her pride and cook for him herself. Later, even when she heard he was going to marry someone else, Chen Yuezhi merely shrugged it off. He was only a substitute. If this one wouldn't behave, she could find another. The third young master of the Shen family seemed quite suitable... But the next day, Chen Yuezhi heard that the third young master of the Shen family, who was always skilled at riding and archery, had fallen from his horse and had his face slashed by a sharp stone. That night, Chen Yuezhi heard the black-clad man pressed against her murmur over and over, "Even if I'm just a substitute, I must be the only one." ***********Upcoming Novel One: "After Separating from My Husband"************* In the third year of Ji Luo and Zhao Chengjia's marriage, the cousin who had always been his cold-hearted first love suddenly changed her ways. Without hesitation, she divorced the husband she'd only just married and moved right into their home, devoting all her attention to Zhao Chengjia. She could stay up all night making him chicken soup, and go without sleep to embroider handkerchiefs and sell them for silver so she could buy the birthday present he wanted. She even took a fatal blow for him, nearly losing her life in the process. She laid her fervent love before him without holding anything back. At first, Zhao Chengjia dismissed her advances. Whenever he had to choose, he stood by Ji Luo without hesitation, and Ji Luo thought he truly no longer had feelings for his cousin. But when his cousin finally lost hope and agreed to marry someone else, he stopped her sedan chair in the street and pulled her into his arms, heedless of all propriety. Only then did Ji Luo realize his feelings for her had never changed. On the day of their divorce, Zhao Chengjia stared at the divorce agreement in his hands for a long time. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were supposed to grow old together. ****************Upcoming Novel Two: "Huai Tao"****************** Everyone in the capital knew that Xue Huaitao had begged on her knees for the chance to marry Zhao Chengan. Huaitao was from Qingzhou. Her family had been merchants for generations and was once quite wealthy. But five years ago, disaster struck. Her father and brothers were killed by bandits, and her mother died soon after, overcome with grief. Huaitao had hoped to take over the family business, but the uncle and aunt who had once treated her like their own daughter showed their true colors. They seized the family fortune and, to eliminate any future trouble, planned to sell her to a brothel. With nowhere else to turn for protection, she took the old marriage contract and went to the Zhao family. The years Xue Huaitao spent married into the Zhao family were miserable. Not only did Zhao's mother make things difficult for her at every turn, but her sister-in-law never showed her any respect, and even the servants looked down on her. Zhao Chengan disliked her even more. A merchant's daughter reeking of money, he thought. She was indeed calculating to the core, even using her marriage as a bargaining chip to call in a favor. But since she was his wife now, he ought to show her some basic respect, no matter how much he disliked her. For three years of marriage, they managed to get along without incident. Sometimes he saw her making clothes for him, stitch by stitch, or staying up all night to prepare ginger soup for him. When he was gravely ill from poison, she stayed by his side day after day. Zhao Chengan couldn't help thinking that, selfish and scheming as she might be, she was at least sincere in her feelings for him. Life like this wasn't so bad. But one day, beneath a cascading wisteria vine, he saw with his own eyes his wife, who had always seemed to have eyes for no one but him, press a handful of silver into the hands of a handsome, refined-looking man. She lowered her voice and said, "Hurry and go. Don't let him see you." ********************Upcoming Novel Three: "Lotus Hues"******************** When Zhao Yihuai was brought back from Qingzhou by the emperor, a timid young woman was with him. Her name was Xu Lingfu, and she was betrothed to Zhao Yihuai. During the seven years Zhao Yihuai had been away from home, the Xu family had looked after him. After something happened to them, he naturally agreed to marry Lingfu. When Lingfu first arrived in the capital, she could only follow Zhao Yihuai around in a daze. She didn't understand the etiquette of the palace, and could barely make sense of the officials' crisp, formal speech. Lingfu knew that everyone in the imperial city was highborn, and even an ordinary palace attendant looked down on her. Meanwhile, Zhao Yihuai grew busier and busier, and Lingfu saw him less and less. It seemed everyone but her had forgotten their engagement. Still, Lingfu waited faithfully, thinking that once he had finished doing what he wanted, she would be able to marry her beloved Brother Yihuai. That was until she saw Zhao Yihuai pull the emperor's much-favored Consort Min into his arms. Once something is discovered, it can become impossible to hide. Lingfu suddenly realized that Zhao Yihuai's feelings for Consort Min had been obvious all along: from the handkerchief embroidered with the character Min, to the sweet scent of a woman on his clothes, to the painting in his study that no one was allowed to open. Helpless, she watched Zhao Yihuai grow more and more deranged in his efforts to claim the woman who should have belonged to his father, until he raised an army and rebelled. On the day of the battle, someone, panicking, pressed a knife to Lingfu's neck and threatened Zhao Yihuai, demanding he surrender. In her terror, Lingfu looked up and met his icy gaze. She saw his lips move. "She's just a peasant girl. Kill her if you want." Theme: Everyone is unique.