A Guide to Conquering the Darkened Grand Secretary

My neighboring novel, the sweet post-marriage romance "The Princess Consort's Spoiled Days", is now available. Roll around and beg for your favorites!

Sweet, playful little princess X seemingly aloof but secretly scheming chief minister

[Childhood Friends + The Husband's Long Road to Winning Her Back]

Jiang He, the only legitimate princess in the court, fell for Pei Yuan, the new instructor at the Imperial Academy, when she was young.

The entire court watched with interest, saying he was a rare talent destined for great things.

-

Sure enough, in just two short years, Instructor Pei rose swiftly through the ranks and became Chief Minister Pei.

Everyone guessed that before the year was out, Pei Yuan would marry the princess.

But after donning his purple robes, the first memorial Pei Yuan submitted was to report that Jinling was invading from the south, laying waste to the borderlands...

He requested that the legitimate princess, Jiang He, be sent at once to fulfill an old marriage agreement.

-

The day she heard the news, Jiang He left the palace to find Pei Yuan.

The innocent, naive little princess was so anxious that the tip of her nose turned red. She stammered, "It was those censorial officials... They forced you into this, didn't they?"

Pei Yuan lowered his starry eyes and said in a calm voice, "No one forced me."

Jiang He froze, then shook the old bell on her wrist. "But we made a promise. Once I came of age, we would..."

Before she could finish, Pei Yuan cut her off, his face expressionless.

The handsome man's features remained utterly calm. "For the country and its people, I have no regrets."

-

Yet as soon as the marriage delegation left the capital, Pei Yuan led his troops north and launched a surprise attack on Jinling.

For days on end, he went without sleep or rest, fighting on the front lines and giving it everything he had.

He drove Jinling back so thoroughly that they never dared mention the marriage agreement again.

After he returned, he fell ill for a whole month.

His shadow guard was angry that he had neglected his health and complained sarcastically, "Didn't you say you had no regrets? Why push yourself so hard?"

Pei Yuan gave a bitter laugh.

How could he have no regrets?

The moment he said those words, they had already become a regret.

-

Years later, Jiang He became the first Grand Princess Regent in the nation's history.

At the ceremony, her elder brother, the emperor, asked with concern whether she intended to marry.

Jiang He answered plainly that she would devote her life to the country and had no wish to marry.

The court erupted in an uproar.

She merely glanced at Pei Yuan, standing at the head of the officials, and spoke with casual indifference.

"For the country and its people, I have no regrets."

[Bonus Scene]

He trapped her in a corner, his expression dark. "We made a promise to marry once you came of age. Now that you've reached the right age, you should marry me."

But she replied, "Let's just call it a childish promise."

Unable to have her, he was driven mad with anger. Yet he could not bring himself to hurt her, so he vented all his fury on her elder brother, the emperor.

"Many years ago, my father grew so powerful that he threatened the throne, and the late emperor killed him."

He laughed like a demon from hell, closing in step by step.

"Now I've followed in his footsteps. Your Majesty, do you dare kill me?"

Unlucky Emperor: ?

[Reader's Guide]

1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship, happy ending, with a strong mutual attraction.

2. The leads have an age gap of seven years and a noticeable difference in build.

3. The male lead is a childhood friend who appears later. He's rational and restrained early on, then turns dark in the middle and begins trying desperately to win her back.

[Synopsis for the upcoming novel "Marrying the Imperial Tutor". Favorites welcome!]

Fu You lives up to her name: blessed with good fortune from birth, she is not only the most doted-on daughter of the current chancellor, but was also betrothed as a child to her cousin, the crown prince. Naturally, everyone envies her luck.

Spoiled by her parents, she grew up with skin as smooth as jade and eyes bright as stars. But she also became rather willful and domineering, and her studies were a complete mess.

-

At first, the chancellor wasn't too concerned. But when she came of age, her cousin the crown prince tactfully told her that, despite their engagement, she simply wasn't suited to be the crown princess or the future mother of the nation.

Furious, the chancellor summoned the palace's finest governess to teach her etiquette. He also swallowed his pride and invited a famously aloof young gentleman from the imperial tutor's family, renowned throughout the capital, to teach her literature. He vowed that within a year, she would be raised to meet the royal family's standards.

Later, she learned to sit and stand with proper decorum, became gentle and well-mannered, and could even write with ease on topics that had once given her the biggest headache.

Overjoyed, the chancellor was about to set the crown prince's wedding plans in motion,

when she clung to the imperial tutor's son and said sweetly, "Father, I want to marry my teacher."

-

Jiang Huaizhi was born into a family of imperial tutors. He had been immersed in books and strict rules from childhood, entered official life at a young age, and succeeded his father as tutor to the crown prince. He was the gentleman admired by every noblewoman in the imperial capital.

Once, someone asked him what the boldest, most improper thing he'd ever done was.

He thought quietly for a moment, then replied in an even voice:

"I stole the crown prince's girl."

Theme: Breaking free from a predetermined fate