The Villainous Princess Is Delightfully Unhinged

Princess Li Yanci was the most beautiful woman in the capital, and excelled in both virtue and talent.

That year, the emperor issued an edict arranging her marriage, casting a shadow over her once-smooth life.

Worse still, she learned in a dream that she was the villainess in a story.

In the story, she and the top candidate in the palace examination pledged themselves to each other and, for his sake, defied the emperor's arranged marriage.

But she didn't know that he already had a wife who had stood by him through hardship, and that the emperor secretly had this wife put to death to make way for their marriage.

The top candidate blamed Li Yanci and remained cold toward her after they married, even seeking out other women.

Li Yanci suffered for three years before dying suddenly.

After her death, the top candidate married another noblewoman, joined Prince Yong's rebellion, and became a powerful minister through his service to the new ruler.

When Li Yanci awoke, she grabbed a feather duster and stormed into the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the middle of the night.

The emperor had barely recovered from being beaten when he saw his elder sister with her hair down and ornaments removed, weeping bitterly.

"Men are worse than dogs! Why arrange a marriage? Why marry anyone at all?"

"Never marry, never have children, and you'll keep your youth forever. Never give birth or raise children, and you'll enjoy immortal life!"

The whole palace was stunned: the virtuous princess had gone mad.

*

The princess's refusal to marry set the capital abuzz.

The Noble Consort made a snide remark about her having impossibly high standards. The princess smiled. "Since you're so concerned, why don't you marry in my place?"

The chief minister scolded her for her outrageous conduct. The princess scoffed. "If the chancellor objects, he can go complain to the late emperor."

The marquis suspected she had someone in mind. The princess cried out in surprise. "My lord, you're so perceptive. I do have my eye on you, or rather, on your cat."

From then on, the princess's reputation for madness spread far and wide.

As the dynasty's only prince with a different surname, Prince Yong had the face of an immortal but a fearsome reputation. People said he was harboring treasonous ambitions, yet he was the emperor's favorite.

The emperor intended to arrange a marriage between him and his elder sister. Thinking of the princess's sterling reputation, Prince Yong found the prospect dreadfully dull and stayed away from the palace for days.

One day, while passing through the outskirts of the capital, he saw the newly appointed top candidate in the palace examination tied to a kite, frantically calling for help.

Remembering the man's misdeeds, Prince Yong watched with amused composure.

But when he turned around, he saw her in a mountain pavilion:

The princess who had almost been made his bride was plucking grapes and glancing over with casual indifference.

"Why are you barking? You're not even in the sky yet."

Prince Yong gazed at her for a long moment, then his lips slowly curved into a smile.

*

Unhinged, beautiful peony x ambitious man with unshakable composure

Content Warnings

1. One-on-one romance, both leads have no prior sexual experience, happy ending.

2. The heroine can go mad at any moment and send everyone flying. Her daily outbursts are a steady feature.

3. In her dream, the heroine only learned about the wife who stood by the top candidate through hardship after she died. After waking, she stopped the emperor from ruining someone else's life and helped the original heroine reach a happy ending.

4. They're all mad, so don't get hung up on little details like the heroine beating up the emperor.

5. The top candidate isn't a good person, nor is he the male lead. There is another male lead.

Theme: Be your own unique self