*The proudest princess lowers her gaze x the most proper gentleman falls from grace
Sheng Chian, the legitimate son of the Duke of Sheng, was as graceful as jade and famed throughout the capital for his flower-themed lyrics. Unfortunately, fortune was not on his side. With no hope of inheriting his title, he could only work hard at his studies, hoping to place first in the imperial examinations and enter government service.
On the eve of the palace examination, Princess Deyin, the emperor's most beloved daughter, took a fancy to Sheng Chian and insisted on marrying him.
Forced to marry the princess, Sheng Chian lost every chance to rise rapidly through the ranks. He could only settle for a middling, unimportant post, while others mocked him for relying on his looks to get ahead.
Everyone assumed he hated Princess Deyin with all his heart.
*
Factional strife spilled into the imperial harem, and Deyin had to hastily choose a consort and marry beneath her station. Using the verdict in an imperial examination fraud case as leverage, she struck a deal with the talented and celebrated young master of the Sheng family.
She would help him escape a death sentence, and he would help her deal with her marriage.
On the day their marriage was decreed, Deyin took a proper look at her supposed "beloved" for the first time.
The two walked side by side out of the Golden Throne Hall. The princess, resplendent in red, suddenly turned around. Her phoenix eyes curved gently, and her beauty was more captivating than the most dazzling peony in the capital. Yet her words were merciless:
In two years, we'll divorce.
You can pursue your own path to success, and I'll live as I please.
Sheng Chian paused, then smiled and nodded. Deep in his eyes lurked a terrifying possessiveness. "All right."
*
When he was young, his tutor taught him to study the Four Books and Five Classics, taught him how to wield power and manipulate people's hearts, and taught him one more thing.
If you desire something but cannot have it, then plan carefully and pursue it little by little.
*Before you read:
★ Marriage first, love later, with maximum sweetness
★ Proud, sharp-tongued little princess x cool-headed, principled young gentleman
★ The government system is modeled on the Tang and Song dynasties; most other details are fictional
*
Theme: Plan carefully before you act.
