[Gentle, kindhearted young lady x Cultured but depraved powerful official]
[Forced courtship / Marriage before love / Reconciliation after a breakup / The husband pursues his wife into the crematorium]
Qin Zhijin was the only daughter of the prime minister. When she was twelve, her quick wit saved the emperor's life, and she became a young relative dear to his heart. Blessed with imperial favor all her life, she grew up with a pure and trusting nature.
At the spring imperial examinations, she fell in love at first sight with Xun Su, a poor scholar who won first place. Gathering her courage, she confessed her feelings, but he politely refused.
The handsome young man stepped back half a pace and said respectfully, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss, but I am already betrothed."
Though Qin Zhijin was disappointed, she knew that love could not be forced.
Yet within a few days, Xun Su was framed and failed the examinations, and his betrothed died of an illness.
The emperor had been bedridden for many days. Even on his deathbed, he remained concerned for the prime minister's daughter, and so he issued an imperial decree arranging her marriage to Xun Su.
That day, Qin Zhijin held the decree in her hands, a smile spreading across her eyes.
She thought their marriage must have been ordained by Heaven after all.
*
In Xun Su's eyes, every hardship in his life had begun with this prime minister's daughter. Since she insisted on this marriage, he would grant her wish.
On their wedding night, he brazenly left his bride alone, appearing only at dawn the next day, reeking of alcohol.
He casually picked up the bridal veil-lifting rod and raised her chin with it. "Are you happy now? Did you ruin my future just to secure this marriage?"
Seeing her bewildered, innocent face only deepened the hatred in Xun Su's heart. He hated her for pretending to be kindhearted, and for showing no remorse.
Not long afterward, a new emperor took the throne, and the prime minister was immediately dismissed and exiled. The Qin family crumbled in an instant. Thanks to his role in helping the new emperor seize power, Xun Su became a rising star at court, wielding immense influence.
The once-beloved daughter of the prime minister was reduced overnight to a caged bird, confined to the inner residence.
He ordered her to move out of the main hall and into a remote side room, then dismissed all her maids, making her take care of everything herself, even dressing and bathing.
At every banquet, he made her serve the wine and dishes in front of everyone.
Late one night, he gripped Qin Zhijin's chin and laughed coldly. "So what if you were born to wealth and privilege? You're still a servant to a commoner like me."
*
Qin Zhijin finally gave up on him.
But that man had put a love spell on her. Every time it took effect, the agony was unbearable.
She tried to escape, but the spell's poison left her collapsed on the ground. The man would always stand beneath the veranda, watching coldly as she crawled back to his feet in despair.
He bent down and kissed her lips, his voice softening as he murmured between kisses, "Will you dare run away again?"
*
This time, she really did escape.
She severed every tie and vanished like a bird flying into the forest, leaving no trace.
At first, Xun Su paid it no mind. He sent people to search for her, certain that, as before, she would be unable to bear the spell's torment and would come back on her own.
But one day, then two... a month, then two. The people he sent returned empty-handed, bringing back the same reports again and again.
He awoke in the middle of the night and reached out. Beside him lay only cold, empty space. Only then did he dimly remember that she had not been by his side for a long time.
Beneath all that surging hatred, other feelings had taken root long ago.
Several months later, Xun Su happened upon a confidential report.
There had been rumors from the fief of Prince Beixuan: a woman whose face was veiled, but whose bearing and stature... closely resembled the missing daughter of the Qin family.
He rode through the night to the northern border, but behind a screen in Prince Beixuan's residence, he heard her calm voice.
"Jin'er, what do you want with the late emperor's decree?"
"To divorce Xun Su."
Reading Guide:
1. Happy ending, devoted couple, gentle and kindhearted young lady x cultured but depraved powerful official.
2. The male lead is a hypocrite and will put a love spell on the female lead.
3. The dynasty is fictional. Please don't nitpick historical details.
Theme: Be self-reliant and never give up.
