The Eldest Daughter

The main text of my new novel, Daily Life in the Ming Dynasty, is complete. Preorders: Marrying a Junior Banner Officer (Qing Dynasty), Farming in the Wasteland, and more. Please add them to your collections! [Blurb] Capable, sharp-witted only daughter who holds up the family vs. delicate official's son, a sickly young man raised as a proper lady. One-on-one romance. Before the age of twelve, Meng Banyan had a loving family and a happy life. Her family wasn't rich, but she had never gone hungry or lacked the things she needed. She had no particular ambitions. She spent her days happily eating and sleeping, and no one had it better than her. Then, when she turned twelve, her world fell apart. Her father died far from home, and his body was never found. As the only daughter in the family, Meng Banyan had no choice but to grit her teeth and shoulder the burden of upholding the Meng family's dignity. From then on, she made herself a list of wishes: First: Once her mother finished mourning, find her a good husband. She absolutely mustn't spend her whole life as a widow. Second: Make sure her grandparents are cared for and see them off with dignity. She can't let outsiders laugh at the Meng family. Third: Register as a female head of household at the magistrate's office, put her hair up, and support herself. But just as she was checking off every item on the list, her father returned after being dead for eight years. He had become a famous live-in son-in-law in the capital, married into a marquis's family, had children, and even arranged a marriage for her without asking. Her list was now nothing but wastepaper. [Hero's Blurb] As the sole legitimate son of the Vice Minister of Revenue, Wu Cheng'an was born frail. He also had a whole crowd of half-brothers and half-sisters eyeing the family fortune held by his father, nicknamed the "Golden Key of the Revenue Ministry." His mother had already worn herself out raising him safely. There was no way a sickly boy like him could be both a scholar and a warrior and protect the family estate. So he had no choice but to marry a wife who was said to be exceptionally capable and powerful, and able to take on ten men at once. [Important] The heroine is nineteen when she appears. The hero is twenty-four. One-on-one romance. [Preorder Blurb] The Tenth Prince's Consort (Qing Dynasty) The first thing Hejia did after transmigrating to the grasslands of the Qing Dynasty was eat a bowl of mutton that was supposedly not gamey at all, but instead tasted of milk. From that day on, the daughter of Prince Commandery Uljin Galapu, always said to be too spoiled to survive, became the grasslands' most extraordinary sight. Her catchphrases: "What is this? Can you eat it? Would it taste good cooked this way?" She had died of illness in her previous life. In this one, Hejia had gotten a second life for free, and swore she would never shortchange herself again. Even on the grasslands hundreds of years ago, she could be her own boss. But when an imperial edict arrived on the grasslands, Hejia of the Borjigit clan went from being a prince's daughter to the consort of the Tenth Prince. The struggle among the Nine Princes for the throne, which she had thought a hundred thousand miles away, suddenly became an unavoidable pitfall in her life. Her only consolation was that her future husband's high birth and powerful connections meant that even the Fourth Master would spare his life. With the principle that a bad life is better than no life at all, Hejia figured marrying the famously dim-witted Tenth Prince wasn't such a bad deal. But there was just one problem: she had to survive the struggle among the Nine Princes and make a name for herself in this bloodless battle. The Tenth Prince, a survivor on the losing side whose name is too difficult to type and who can't even have his own name in Green River Literature, really is a dimwit, isn't he? [Second Preorder] Marrying After Coming Down the Mountain Wen Jiujiu was born into a family of martial artists, but her father died, leaving her the family's only heir for three generations. Raised to be delicate and pampered, Wen Jiujiu suddenly became a juicy prize surrounded by wolves. The family's collateral branches and other martial arts sects all waited to devour her inheritance. The heroic chivalry of the stories was nowhere to be seen. In her previous life, driven to desperation, Jiujiu could only heed her mother's words and marry the prefect's son, bringing the Zhao family's estate with her. Only after marrying him did she realize that she had escaped one den of wolves only to fall into another. The promise that their second son would take the Wen surname and inherit the Wen family estate came to nothing. Her husband looked down on her for coming from a bandit family instead of an official household, and took several favored concubines. In the end, she lost her life and still couldn't protect her child. Given another chance, Wen Jiujiu tried to save her father, but she was too late. She wanted to fight back, but she wasn't strong enough. After thinking it over, she finally steeled herself, gathered her dowry, came down the mountain, and set out to marry. This time, Wen Jiujiu was clever. She chose carefully and settled on the newly arrived assistant general at the Jiangzhou garrison. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a tall, straight figure, but a fierce look. He always wore a stern expression, and no one had ever seen him smile. Word was that he came from the capital, and had left to seek work only after his whole family died. He was nearly thirty and had never been engaged. He supposedly had some hidden ailment and might not live long. After giving it some thought, Wen Jiujiu decided that a man with a hard enough fate to be left a bachelor, and no family connections, was just right for her. So she simply brought a matchmaker and showed up at his door to demand marriage. Jiang Yun Zhao: Who said I have no parents? Who said I'm sick and won't live long? Who said no one wants me? What? I have to say all that to get a wife? Then fine, I'll say it. Theme: Stay true to yourself.