Marrying a Powerful Minister

Because of a portrait, Jiang Lingyi was almost forced to become the emperor's stand-in for his beloved.

The palace was rife with undercurrents, and the court was unstable.

To save herself, she carefully plotted each step and seduced Lu Zhixu, the powerful court official.

After their wedding, the two of them put on an act, mixing three parts genuine affection with seven parts pretense. They both played their roles remarkably well.

But as the act went on, they discovered that years ago, when Lu Zhixu was still a slave, Jiang Lingyi had been the one to save him.

She had witnessed his fall from grace and his rise to glory. Only then did she realize that she was Lu Zhixu's beloved all along.

It wasn't that she looked like the late empress. The late empress looked like her.

Lu Zhixu said, "Jiang Lingyi, just be yourself. I'll love you."

Jiang Lingyi said, "It's terrifying to hear the ruthless Chancellor Lu say he loves me. I want us both to get exactly what we want."

[Important Content Warnings]

One-on-one romance, both leads' first love

Powerful official pursues his wife after driving her away

Court intrigue and scheming, a couple who put on a show

Theme: Getting what you want makes life worth living.