The Fisher Girl of Wujiang

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Tough, resilient, straightforward river pilot x "pathological liar," scheming prince

The world is vast, and the imperial court is far away. Hidden in Jingzhou is a little fishing village, where a young fisherwoman lives.

With a swallow soaring and kites rising, all is perfect. Her name is Yu Shiyuan.

Yu Shiyuan cannot read, but she dreams of blasting apart the reefs, helping her fellow villagers leave the mountains, and escaping poverty.

Fortunately, her father left behind a recipe for making black powder. Fortunately, she rescued a civil official who reportedly works for the imperial court.

But... he seems to have something on his mind, and he keeps refusing to teach her what's in his manuscript.

In the autumn of the eighteenth year of Beining, Li Zhuoxiu investigates a wrongful conviction and ventures deep into the treacherous Twenty-Six Reaches of the Wu River. The current is swift, hidden reefs lie in wait, and boats capsize.

A woman saves him.

The world is vast, and the imperial court is far away. While people in Jindu switch from using copper coins to silver, someone here is still carefully tallying every copper coin.

"Shiyu, what position do you hold now?" Yu Shiyuan asks worriedly, clutching the account book.

"Are you afraid I won't be able to repay you?"

"Yes..."

Li Zhuoxiu laughs softly. "My salary will be enough to pay you back eventually."

"You teach me to read, so it wouldn't be right to charge you for lodging..."

Li Zhuoxiu gazes at her sincere eyes for a long time, then replies, "But as for feelings, I owe you a great deal."

Yu Shiyuan cannot figure out what he means. She looks at him in confusion, but he says no more.

He secretly keeps Yu Shiyuan's manuscript, hoping to unravel its secrets and add another spark to the fire beneath the imperial throne.

He deliberately keeps the truth from her, so that even if things come to light, she won't be held responsible.

But despite all his careful planning, he unwittingly leads her step by step into the abyss.

The setting is loosely based on the three ministries and six boards, the nine courts and five directorates, and the rent, labor, and tax system. Some positions may be fictional for the sake of the story.

River pilot (a real historical profession, not made up): someone who guides boats through waterways. The difference between a river pilot and a towpath hauler is roughly that the latter does physical labor, while the former relies on expertise.

The male lead is Li Zhuoxiu, courtesy name Shiyu.

70% plot, 30% romance

[The Wolf You Raise Will Bite]

Zhang Fuling takes in a wild young man, handsome and tall. Feeling sorry for him, she lets him stay at her home and earns herself a good reputation in the process.

As the days pass, the boy gets more and more talkative under Zhang Fuling's careful instruction. The only problem is that he never has anything nice to say. His words are as poisonous as if they'd been dipped in venom.

Zhang Fuling wonders: Did I do something wrong in raising him?

*

At first, Mo Yu lives among wolves. Later, he is set up by others and drawn into a long-planned conspiracy.

In late spring, locust blossoms fall in profusion. A woman's pale hand reaches out to him, and its brightness hurts his eyes. "I'll call you Jiayu. From now on, you can live at my home in peace."

In the shadows with his head bowed, Jiayu curls his lips into a cold smile. When he looks up, his eyes are full of innocence.

She is kindhearted, but he is determined to show her the world's cruelty.

The court is full of treachery. He sees how things work and intends to stay out of it, watching her lose all hope.

But when her gentle fingertips smooth the furrow in his brow, she smiles sadly. "Will you stand on my side?"

His long-suppressed emotions burst from his chest. He grips the back of her head and nearly frantically brushes his nose against hers. In a low, hoarse voice, he says, "Don't regret it."

Theme: The people's livelihood comes first