Back to the Treacherous Minister's Youth

The notorious treacherous minister Xie Qingchen, feared throughout the capital, was dead.

People all over the city cheered at the news. The only one thinking about the gold, silver, and jewels in his tomb was Su Tan, whose pockets were always clinking empty.

On a moonless, windy night, she slipped alone into the Xie family tomb. After filling a sack with gold, silver, and other valuables, she spotted two booklets on the ground.

One detailed how Xie Qingchen had spent the years taking lives without a care, deceiving the emperor, raising taxes, and treating the people harshly. The other told of how he had cared for his little sister and spoiled her every way he could.

Su Tan sighed. He might have been a treacherous minister, but it sure must have been nice to be his sister.

She hoisted the sack and turned to leave, but stumbled and hit her head on the minister's coffin.

When she woke up, Su Tan found herself back in her youth. The boy in front of her wore a cold expression as he held out his hand and said indifferently, "I did the work for you. Now give me back my jade pendant."

Su Tan: "...?"

Just then, her mother called to them while herding the chickens and ducks: "A-Tan, Zi Heng, time to go home!"

Su Tan stared at the handsome boy, a head taller than her, and froze. She remembered the booklet said Xie Qingchen's courtesy name was Zi Heng.

Su Tan: "...!?"

The future power behind the throne was now part of her family?

Then she had to latch onto his coattails right away and become a little salted fish who could lie flat and rise to greatness!

*

Xie Qingchen couldn't understand why the girl who had always disliked him had suddenly started treating him well.

She was always telling him, "Brother, when you make it big someday, don't forget about me." When he nodded, she would chatter on and on: "I never want to do chores again. I want delicious food and the trendiest clothes. Oh, and I want to find myself a promising husband who'll be just right for me..."

Later, Xie Qingchen became an upright and loyal statesman, wielding power over the whole court and earning everyone's respect. Su Tan naturally became a noble young lady envied and courted by everyone in the capital, eating abalone, wearing Su brocade, and receiving countless marriage proposals.

She happily set about choosing a husband, but whenever she took a fancy to someone, some "accident" always kept things from working out. Then, one snowy day, as she lamented her ill fortune in love, the elegant man before her lifted a hand to wipe the moisture from the corner of her lips and said in a low, husky voice, "A-Tan, will you marry your brother?"

Only then did Su Tan remember that of all the things she'd asked him for, he had never agreed to find her a suitable husband.

Everyone in the capital wondered whom Chancellor Xie would marry his little sister off to. No one expected him to marry her himself. Every young man who had once gone to the Xie residence to ask for her hand later found himself tripped up by him at court.

Su Tan sighed. The treacherous minister really hadn't changed.

Theme: Love is written in the stars.