Discarding the Powerful Minister After Using Him

Everyone, my new novel next door, My Husband Divorced Me and My White Moonlight Stole Me Away, is now out!! Sunny female lead x dark, unhinged male lead, coercive romance, stealing another man's wife, white moonlight: it's got all the tropes!! Come add it to your reading list!

[New novel blurb below]

[Blurb]

A beautiful, tragic woman who puts on a sweet, helpless act, with every possible advantage stacked in her favor x a cold, powerful official focused on his career, whose defenses crumble when the heroine schemes against him

Su Yin was born into a small merchant family and was scorned by her relatives for being the daughter of a courtesan. Her father brought her to the welcome banquet for Shi Lingyan, the newly appointed prefectural governor of Yangzhou. To her surprise, Shi Lingyan was tricked into taking her as a concubine.

Shi Lingyan was a trusted confidant of the ruler and a famously ruthless official in Chang'an. He had been sent away on an important mission.

After their marriage, Shi Lingyan was cold and hard-hearted. He tested her countless times, never trusting her. Gripping her chin, he asked with a menacing look, "What are you really after?"

At last, Shi Lingyan completed his mission and received an imperial decree summoning him back to Chang'an. On his return, he would become the most powerful chancellor in the realm.

After using Shi Lingyan to complete her revenge, Su Yin repaid her emotional debt with a painting, escaped their brief affair, and regained her freedom. She fled Yangzhou in a small boat. When Shi Lingyan learned she had left, he tore the painting to pieces, his veins bulging...

A misty, blue-green fishing cove, far from any settlement.

An extraordinarily beautiful woman scatters flower seeds. Their delicate fragrance drifts on the breeze, and she smiles.

"Su Yin, you certainly look like you're enjoying yourself!"

The woman pales at the voice and dares not look up.

Shi Lingyan strides over and pulls the woman who has caused him such agonizing pain into his arms.

Su Yin struggles. "Lord Shi, I told you I didn't want to spend my whole life trapped in the inner quarters."

********[New Novel Blurb]**********

*A carefree country girl, gentle and delicate but strong-willed x a gloomy, obsessive man who looks heroic and fearless on the outside

Yun Lu is a kindhearted, carefree country girl.

Her beautiful eyes make the whole world look lovely.

Huo Qingbei is a nobleman from a powerful local family.

His cruel eyes make the whole world look wicked.

Yun Lu accompanied her older brother to the capital for the imperial examinations. When she checked into an inn, she found a strange man staying in the room next door.

Yun Lu went over to greet him. The only response was the sound of a door slamming shut, loud enough to echo through the inn.

But Yun Lu didn't take it to heart. Every day, she knocked on the adjoining room's door and brought him pastries.

One day, Huo Qingbei asked coldly, "Are you bothering me to make sure your brother passes the exams?"

Yun Lu blinked. "You never leave your room. I was worried you'd die in there."

Huo Qingbei: "..."

Huo Qingbei mocked and sneered at her, thinking she wouldn't come back. But the next day, the familiar knock sounded again.

Gradually, he grew used to that knock.

Sometimes, when Yun Lu didn't bring him pastries, he found himself uneasy.

After Huo Qingbei passed the exams, a rebellion by the southern tribes broke out again, devastating the region. The court sent him south to put it down. He left without a word.

Yun Lu waited a long time, and gradually gave up hope. Later, she married Pei Shiqing, a considerate and devoted colleague of her brother.

After Yun Lu married, her brother was sent away to serve in the provinces, while her husband became increasingly devoted to pleasure, taking one concubine after another.

Huo Qingbei, who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, returned to the capital.

He heard that Yun Lu had fallen out of favor with her husband and was living a difficult life.

His sword-sharp gaze turned bloodshot, and an idea bloomed like a ghost flower steeped in blood.

Steal her away!

The emperor ordered his officials to bring their wives to a temple to pray.

The royal temple was lush with bamboo and pine, and the air was thick with incense.

Yun Lu stepped out of her room. A scattering of Buddhist prayer beads on the ground led her to a temple pavilion.

Through the leaves, she saw a man and woman entangled before the Joyful Buddha, moving together like a pair of living statues.

Yun Lu recognized the man: it was none other than her husband.

Huo Qingbei stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his embrace. He wiped away her tears and brushed his lips against her ear, saying in a chilling voice, "Your husband can't perform."

This is a story about stealing another man's wife. The female lead is not sexually inexperienced. Please skip it if you dislike that.

The political intrigue and institutions are inspired by the Song Dynasty; clothing is inspired by the Wei-Jin and Song dynasties.

Theme: Love yourself before you can love anyone else.