Marrying Up

(Marriage first, love later) Years ago, the Ning family and the Duke of Yan's household agreed to marry their children. The elders planned for the match to be with the eldest daughter, but after she came of age, the current emperor's third prince took a fancy to her, and the emperor decreed that she become the prince's consort. The marriage to the Duke of Yan's household eventually fell to Ning Yan. Ning Yan has lived in her elder sister's shadow since childhood. Everyone in the capital knows that the Ning family's third young lady is a tight-lipped dullard. Aside from her exceptional looks, there's nothing remarkable about her. After the wedding, Ning Yan and Yan Ling are a couple in name only. She knows he still has feelings for her elder sister. It doesn't matter; she doesn't like Yan Ling either. But with the Duke of Yan's household so powerful, Ning Yan dutifully attends to her husband, manages the household, and looks after his elders, all while hunting down the best cooks from far and wide. * In Yan Ling's eyes, the little wife he married against his will is gentle and beautiful, tending to his every need and never daring to defy him. Surely she must have feelings for him. That is, until the suburban banquet at the imperial retreat, where he hears her laughing and drinking merrily with someone else: “Don't be ridiculous. Why would I like that block of ice? The one I like is... a jade-like young gentleman from the streets of Wuling...” Yan Ling's face turns livid. From then on, he secretly keeps an eye on his little wife. So she loves good food. She's a little foodie... So she's not tight-lipped at all. When she meets someone she likes, she talks up a storm... So she's not gentle in the least. If she can settle things with her fists, she won't waste words... So she never liked him at all... Note: 1. A post-marriage romance: marriage first, love later, a husband chasing his wife, family life, and the leisurely, everyday details of domestic life. 2. One-on-one romance, both leads devoted to one another, a pair who are stubborn in speech but sincere at heart, and who choose each other wholeheartedly. Next up: Phoenix Regalia (a high-stakes push and pull between a female official and the emperor, as a refined, depraved emperor is brought down from his throne) Synopsis: Li Sheng'er is the least remarkable in status among the female officials selected to enter the palace, yet she is the most beautiful. The other young women are constantly on guard against her, making sure she never appears before the emperor. But Li Sheng'er accidentally gets into trouble with the emperor, who saves her. At first, the emperor seeks her out for amusement, thinking the young official is innocent, gentle, and easy to bully. Later, captivated by her soft, delicate beauty, he takes her to his bed. Sheng'er asks timidly, “Your Majesty, could you make me a Noble Lady?” Only a Noble Lady can preside over a palace. Sheng'er doesn't want to be pushed around by others. She is his first woman, and she thinks that makes her special to him. The emperor thinks of her father's low rank and casually smooths a stray lock of hair at her temple, his expression unmoved. “There are rules governing the rank of consorts. With your background, you don't qualify to be a Noble Lady.” “And I will not break the rules for anyone.” His words pierce Sheng'er's heart. Clutching her thin dress, she silently swallows her tears on that rainy night. At last, she understands: he will always be the lofty emperor, and she is no more than a fleeting comfort after his meals. She returns to her quarters, heartbroken, and secretly searches for an abortion potion. The emperor hopes Sheng'er will conceive his child. A month passes, then two, but no happy news comes. Instead, he hears that she has taken an abortion potion. That day, snow falls thickly, and the cups and bowls in the Hall of Mental Cultivation lie shattered across the floor. At first, he thinks that once she is pregnant, he might consider making her a Noble Lady. Later, he wracks his brains trying to find a way to place the Empress's seal in her hands. (A husband chasing his wife, a high-stakes push and pull between a female official and the emperor) (A refined, depraved emperor brought down from his throne) Note: No palace intrigue. One-on-one romance. Theme: Perseverance brings victory