Marrying Down (Matriarchal Society)

The moment Zou Heng closed her eyes, she found herself in a matriarchal world.

She might not have a gentle, charming husband or a prestigious, wealthy family, but she did have a whole family of bloodsuckers!

A biased father; a younger sister with delusions of grandeur; and a pair of brothers who thought too highly of themselves, dressed in gaudy outfits all day, and only hoped to hook a rich woman.

The original owner, exploited by her family for years, had lost all hope and left without hesitation.

Faced with a family clamoring to be fed and a pile of messes, Zou Heng could only marvel: what a disastrous start.

Who would have thought that someone would marry down into a family like hers?

Zou Heng couldn't understand it, couldn't make sense of it, and couldn't figure it out. She was even a little scared.

*

Si Qingyue was the most prominent young man in the capital.

His mother was the sworn sister of the Phoenix Empress and had won great military honors. His father was a business prodigy, and the family had more silver than they could ever spend. One of his two elder sisters had distinguished herself in martial arts, while the other had excelled in her studies.

As the only young man in the family, he had been indulged by everyone since childhood. Unfortunately, he had always been sturdier and taller than other young men, with open, handsome features, and had somehow become the ugliest man in the entire city.

Though his family background could have helped him find a suitable wife, he had been devoted to martial arts from a young age and never understood the meaning of being graceful, composed, and gentle.

This made the women of the entire capital keep their distance.

As a result, Si Qingyue's marriage became a major headache for his family.

Si Qingyue didn't care. If he couldn't marry up, he'd marry down. He swore he would have his future spouse completely under his thumb in terms of family background and martial strength.

Si Qingyue once had a dream. In it, he married the Third Imperial Daughter. After their wedding, she treated him with gentleness and generosity, indulging him and letting him have his way.

Until his mother helped her ascend the throne.

He thought he was about to be granted the title of Empress Consort and would soon become the fatherly model for all under heaven. But then his mother was convicted of treason.

The Si family was wiped out, and Si Qingyue died in the cold palace. In the end, all he got was a straw mat, and his body was discarded at a mass burial ground.

He thought wild dogs were bound to tear his corpse apart, but then he discovered someone had given him a proper burial.

He and that woman had been strangers. Only after he was laid to rest did he learn her name: Zou Heng.

P.S. Cover image source: Xiaohongshu blogger Xiaojuzi Tai Suan

Theme: Stay kind, polite, humble, and at ease