Blurb:
The Jiang and Teng families have been enemies for three generations.
One imperial decree of marriage, two sworn foes.
The wedding finery is a cage; the marriage contract, a shackle.
They test and oppose each other at every turn.
Time wears away their hostility, and love quietly takes root beneath their mutual suspicion.
When old grudges resurface, can they carve out a path to stay together amid their families' feuds?
Jiang Zhu, daughter of the Marquis of Pingyi and a noblewoman of the capital, has lived a carefree, worry-free life up until the age of eighteen.
Then an imperial decree orders her to marry, and Jiang Zhu goes straight to throw herself into a river.
Her intended is the heir of the Duke of Xinguo.
The Duke of Xinguo's family and the Marquis of Pingyi's family are hereditary enemies, sworn foes, political rivals. In short, they would rather die than coexist.
Jiang Zhu can't accept it. She cries and begs, threatening to take her own life, but no one can defy the emperor's command.
After the wedding, Jiang Zhu takes stock of her situation.
She's barely arrived in her husband's home, and already her parents-in-law dislike her, her sister-in-law is hostile, and her other sisters-in-law are inexplicably antagonistic.
Her nominal husband is nowhere to be seen.
Fine. She has plenty to eat and drink, and she doesn't have to deal with her husband. She can live with that!
Completed works: The Princess and the Traitor, Yun Yanyun Returns
Coming soon: Hard to Refuse Your Grace
Zhiwei quietly takes care of her husband's funeral arrangements. After seeing off his coffin and sorting through his belongings, she watches the white mourning decorations come down from the courtyard and resolves never to rely on another person in this life. She will honor her widow's virtue, keep his memory close, and grow old alone.
But fate has other plans, and heaven will not grant her wish.
He believes that with the power of an emperor, he can force her to remain by his side and take what she does not wish to give. But the heavens work in cycles, and karma never fails: one day, he will reap what he has sown.
Theme: Love your family and yourself
