The Princess's Consort Has It Tough (GB)

Being a prince consort is hard.

Being a prince consort who disguises herself as a man is even harder.

Being a prince consort who disguises herself as a man and must marry a princess who disguises himself as a woman is harder still.

Liu Wenxiu has the toughest job in the world. Above her is a foolish emperor, whose moods and temper are impossible to predict. Below her are cruel officials who embezzle, take bribes, and treat human lives as worthless. In the palace, a concubine uses pillow talk to manipulate power. Beyond its walls, the feudal lords watch hungrily, each harboring treasonous ambitions.

Liu Wenxiu: I can't keep being this bargain-basement prince consort and impoverished top scholar another day.

That is, until the princess, trapped in the depths of the palace for over a decade, who has suffered endless indignities and tasted every bitterness, grabs her sleeve.

Her eyes are red at the corners, her slender waist so delicate it could be encircled in one hand. Though she is of imperial blood, she kneels before Liu Wenxiu and refuses to rise.

In a trembling voice, she begs, "Please, Prince Consort, save me."

Liu Wenxiu admits that she loses her resolve before the princess's gorgeous, exquisite face.

Watch her punish corrupt officials, reform the court, pacify the four corners of the realm, secure the southern commanderies, and usher in an era of peace.

And, as a little extra, thoroughly ravish that beautiful princess who is disguised as a man.

Just a little extra. It's not because she covets his beauty, and it definitely isn't because she likes his gentle, considerate ways. As for love at first sight, that never happened!

Shen Juan is an imperial prince, yet for over a decade he has been trapped in the inner palace and at the mercy of its women. Forced to change his gender presentation, he disguises himself as a woman and scrapes by under the powerful concubine's thumb.

He once thought he would spend his entire life wasting away behind the palace walls, in a place without light.

Until one day, he drank the concubine's offered love potion, became dazed and confused, and stumbled into the chambers where the newly appointed top scholar had gone to rest.

His father scolded him for being frivolous, the empress scolded him for being foolish, and the concubine gave a cold laugh before sending him to the top scholar's residence.

A disgraced, unwanted princess, notorious for being promiscuous, was an ill-timed burden to a rising star like the new top scholar. Even if he died unjustly at their wedding banquet, he wouldn't blame the scholar.

Until the scholar lifted his red bridal veil, smiled at him, and softly apologized.

"Your servant was too forward. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Only then did he learn that he, too, could find someone who would give him their whole heart.

Three years into their marriage, the prince consort and princess have no children. The maids in the princess's household say the couple are only pretending to get along, and even sleep in separate rooms.

Only Shen Juan knows how much he longs, on those restless nights, for that person to draw close, hold him, and keep him warm.

Later, that person stands before him in a long skirt and golden hairpin. Shen Juan thinks, This time, I'll hold you and keep you warm.

Liu Wenxiu: Hah.

--You want to hold me? You've got some nerve.

Shen Juan: TvT

#She's so fierce, I love her#

A woman who can do it all as the prince consort x a pitiful, delicate male princess

Reading guide:

1. Gender-bender romance in a historical setting with a patriarchal society. Strong woman, weak man: she is very strong, and he is very weak.

2. It's categorized as transmigration into the past because the heroine's mother transmigrated. The heroine has half a golden finger: her mother. The mother's storyline is a little tragic.

3. The leads won't learn each other's true genders until the middle or later part of the story.

4. 1v1, both leads are virgins, happy ending.

Blurb written on 2023.02.11

Theme: Keep hope alive even in adversity