Marrying into Imperial Power

[Upcoming novel, A Plan to Spoil a Yandere, is being drafted Blurb at the very end~] Blurb: [Considerate, gentle, lovesick prince x resourceful, easygoing noblewoman] Shen Qingzhu was proud of her schemes and served the Crown Prince as an adviser. But the ruler's suspicions led to her family being falsely accused. Her heartbroken, she took her own life in a raging fire. Given a second life, she wanted no part in court politics. She only wished to stay away from the halls of power and protect her loved ones. That same year, Prince Duan, Gu Wanzhou, returned to the capital by imperial decree. The two, who seemed to have nothing in common, were bound together by an imperial edict of marriage. They first met beneath warm red bridal candles. He lifted her veil, his expression cold but full of disgust. "This little patch of land is yours to keep as penance." The second time they met was in the main hall of the prince's residence. Gu Wanzhou spitefully mocked her, refusing to yield in the slightest, but she responded calmly and humbly. The slight lift of her hair and her cheeks, red from the cold, stirred something in his heart. Every time after that, she managed to surprise him. At first, she was focused on making amends. The marriage arranged by the heavens was simply a different way for her to live. But the gradual change in his attitude, his gentle words and thoughtful nature, often left her at a loss. That day in the courtyard, she lay on his back and listened as he confided, "This is the first time I've liked someone so much, so I might be a little... strange." He didn't know that his repeated protection of her and his unconditional trust had made her fall for him. Gu Wanzhou was guarded and longed to draw close, yet feared warmth. Shen Qingzhu's frank affection made him willing to protect her for the rest of his life. She was gentle and radiant. She told him, "You have a home, you have me, and you have us." She had seen injustice, deceit, separation and death, and the destruction of families. She longed all the more for peace throughout the land, with calm seas and clear skies. "We entered this game long ago." Fortunately, her beloved was by her side, and she no longer had to fight alone. What are you doing all this for? For a future the current Crown Prince cannot achieve. A peaceful land, a prosperous nation, its people safe, and its borders secure. Extra scene: Shen Qingzhu slowly woke and saw Gu Wanzhou holding her hand. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and he slept restlessly. She moved slightly and tugged at her wound, letting out a soft hiss. The person beside her woke at once. "Does it still hurt?" She smiled and shook her head. Her husband gently and affectionately brushed the loose hair from her forehead. "May I ask you, miss, to spare a little tenderness for your husband while you serve your country and its people? I ask for little, only that you stay healthy and that we grow old together." Reader's guide: 1. Entirely fictional, and very, very loosely based on history. Readers who want historical accuracy should stay away. 2. One couple, both leads are sexually inexperienced, happy ending. 3. The leads help each other thrive. 4. Marriage first, love later; all sweetness, no angst. [If you're interested, please add it to your favorites~] Upcoming novel, A Plan to Spoil a Yandere. Please add it to your favorites~ [Seemingly docile but actually gloomy yandere heroine x scheming, straightforward hero] Yan Ning was a child taken in by the Huo family. She was five years old that year, filthy from head to toe, with a piece of meat she'd snatched from a dog's mouth in her hand. Everyone in the hall wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. Only Huo Yunqing held her hand and gently told them all, "From now on, A Ning is one of the Huo family." She lived under their roof, keeping her head down and making herself small, but in the end, the Huo family still drove her to ruin. Three years later, when she returned to the Huo family, she discovered that they had already fallen into decline, and the only person who had ever treated her well had married far away. To find Huo Yunqing as quickly as possible, she had no choice but to share a carriage with her longtime rival. She offered him nothing but polite flattery, while thinking that she hoped never to see him again for the rest of her life. When they were young, Yan Ning lost control and nearly killed someone. Xie Heming witnessed it, and ever since then, he had leverage over her. She found him more and more irritating. Dressed in bright red and bedecked with flowers, he looked just like a peacock strutting around in search of a mate. He was exactly the kind of person she had always looked down on, but for some reason, when she saw him smile at another woman, it annoyed her terribly. She thought, I might as well break his legs. Then he won't be able to run away. Xie Heming was one of the most outstanding young men in his noble family. His clan was finding him a suitable woman of the right age, with special instructions to exclude Yan Ning. But the harder you try to avoid some people, the more likely you are to run into them. The woman rumored to be obedient and well-behaved was actually ill-tempered and cruel. Anyone who offended her met a miserable end. Later, Yan Ning died, but he refused to believe it. Only after hearing that a woman who looked like Yan Ning had appeared outside the Huo family home did he hurry there without stopping. When he saw her, he said the words he'd rehearsed in his mind countless times: "Seventh Lady Yan, it's been a long time." Extra scenes: 1. Xie Heming stuffed pastries into his mouth and said casually, "That young woman confessed her feelings to me." "Did she?" Yan Ning stood up, knocked the hand reaching for the plate away, and glanced at him. "Does she know you secretly kissed me when I was drunk?" 2. Yan Ning: Big sister, big sister, big sister. Xie Heming: Seventh Lady, Seventh Lady, Seventh Lady. Yan Ning: What are you, trying to summon a ghost? P.S.: 1. Fictional dynasty and fictional locations, all made up. Don't nitpick! 2. A very, very slight ensemble cast, with a little mystery-solving. 3. I haven't thought of anything else. I'll add more if I do. 4. The heroine wants to find her sister; the hero only wants to stay by the heroine's side. Theme: Founding a nation, securing the land, and bringing peace to the world