Lu Yingxiao is an utterly ordinary daughter born to a concubine in an earl's household. She is neither as dignified and refined as her legitimate elder sister nor as charming and lovely as her younger half-sister. Her greatest virtue is knowing when to be content.
Han Qi is an unremarkable son born to a concubine in a marquis's household. He is neither as brave and powerful as his legitimate elder brother nor as dazzlingly talented as his younger half-brother. The only thing he has going for him is a rather handsome face.
An utterly ordinary daughter of an earl's household marrying an unremarkable son of a marquis's household is about as commonplace a match as they come.
After they marry, however, Lu Yingxiao discovers that Han Qi may seem indifferent to worldly affairs, but he is actually ambitious and always looking for trouble.
Lu Yingxiao really doesn't want to become a widow while she's still young, so...
Just as Han Qi is about to turn his third brother against their eldest brother in a bid for the heir's position, a servant reports, "Second Master, Madam twisted her ankle in the garden. She's waiting for you to carry her back to her room!"
Just as Han Qi is about to frame a colleague to get ahead in his career, a servant reports, "Second Master, Madam has a headache after catching a chill. She's waiting for you to come back and massage her!"
Just as Han Qi is about to join the Fourth Prince and raise an army, a servant comes running again.
Han Qi can bear it no longer. "What's wrong with Madam this time?"
"Madam... Madam is gravely ill. There's no hope for her!" the servant cries, looking distraught.
Han Qi strips off his armor and hurries back to their room. He finds his wife's cheeks rosy and osmanthus cake crumbs at the corner of her mouth. He pulls down the bed curtains, ready to show her what "no hope" really means...
(Second Female Lead's Perspective)
In her previous life, Ye Zhenwan married the wrong man and ended up divorced and cast aside. As she lay dying, the new emperor, Han Qi, gave her a coffin, sparing her the fate of being left exposed in the wilderness.
Reborn, she resolves to avenge herself and gain power. And, in gratitude for Han Qi's kindness to her in her final moments, she decides that once his first wife dies an untimely death, she will marry him as his second wife and help him rise to the throne.
But, to her surprise, in this life Han Qi's first wife is someone else. Not only does she survive their wedding night, but Han Qi adores her, and he himself is drifting further and further from the path of the ruthless hero he became in his previous life...
Theme: Contentment brings happiness.
