The Scheming Concubine-born Younger Sister

Xu Yingyue was a concubine-born daughter. When her legitimate mother arranged for her to become the second wife of a brutal widower, news arrived that her elder sister's fiance had passed the metropolitan examination and come first in the palace examination. He was the celebrated heir to the Duke of Dingguo, handsome and refined, noble beyond compare. Xu Yingyue had seen him once. At the time, she had sprained her ankle and sat helplessly on the bluestone steps. The man respected the rules that kept men and women apart, but unlike everyone else, he did not stand by and do nothing. He had his page fetch an older woman to help her, and treated her with dignity and respect. The bright sunlight dazzled Xu Yingyue. For many days afterward, Xu Yingyue could not understand why, when no one was born base, she alone had to marry a brutal widower and throw away her life. And why should a refined, elegant, spirited young man like him be destined to become her elder sister's husband? [Content warning]: The female lead has flaws. She is competitive and will fight to get what she wants. Theme: Bloom into the most beautiful flower, even in adversity