Forced into Marriage

Su Yuyao, the most beautiful woman in the capital, was a peerless beauty with an otherworldly grace, a radiant jewel who had emerged from the Grand Tutor's household.

What's more, she was gentle and gracious, of noble character, and betrothed to Qi Yuan, the son of the Minister of Personnel. Every young woman in the capital envied her.

Then everything changed. The Grand Tutor's true daughter returned, and everyone learned that Su Yuyao was merely a substitute they had taken in to ease their grief over their lost daughter.

Her betrothal was annulled, her name was struck from the family register, and she fell from the clouds into the mud, forgotten by all.

A month later, news arrived that Prince Yan had died. When the Empress Dowager sought a woman from a noble family to be married to her younger brother in death, everyone suddenly remembered Su Yuyao.

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Prince Yan, Qin Zhi, was decisive and ruthless, with a long record of military victories. He was also the current emperor's maternal uncle, a man of unmatched status.

The Qin army won the Battle of Zijing Pass, but all they brought back was his memorial tablet. Heartbroken, the Empress Dowager lamented that her younger brother had never married. She decided to choose a noblewoman for a ghost marriage, and Su Yuyao became her first choice.

Forced into marriage, Su Yuyao was utterly despairing. On the wedding night, she had just managed to close her eyes when the commotion all around Prince Yan's residence woke her again.

Half-asleep, she carried the memorial tablet to the door to find out what was going on, and unexpectedly caught sight of a man who looked as if he had descended from heaven.

She heard the guards kneel and call out, "Prince Yan."

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When Qin Zhi returned after faking his death, there was already a lovely wife waiting at home.

Since she was obedient and gentle, and had learned to manage a household, he kept her and left her in charge of the grand residence while he was away from the capital.

At first, when his hidden guards discovered that she had once been betrothed to a childhood sweetheart, he didn't care. "Who she loves has nothing to do with me."

Two months later, when he heard her expressing concern for the eldest son of the Qi family again, he suddenly felt irritated. With a cold laugh, he asked his attendant, "How do I compare to Qi Yuan?"

Later, he no longer wanted her to stay behind at the Prince Yan residence in the capital. He only wanted to take her back to his fief in Jizhou, where they could be together day and night, until he was the only one she could see.

All these years, Qin Zhi rode across battlefields and faced death time and again. Su Yuyao was always by his side.

She was his weakness, his armor, and the only belief he would ever hold dear.

Gentle, resilient noblewoman x ruthless prince

A slow-burn story of everyday life

Theme: Face hardship and keep living well; meet sincere love.