Shen Mingzhu was the only daughter of Yangzhou's richest family. Raised in luxury from childhood, she became an orphan whom everyone wanted to take advantage of when her parents died suddenly.
To protect her life and fortune, she decided to find a live-in son-in-law. Before his death, her father had hosted a guest named Pei Yanzhi, a talented and promising candidate in the imperial examinations with an excellent literary reputation and handsome looks. He was just to Shen Mingzhu's taste.
Shen Mingzhu schemed tirelessly, tempting him with her beauty and wealth, but Pei Yanzhi remained unmoved.
Then the prefect's son drugged her, drove her into a lake, and tried to ruin her reputation in front of everyone. At last, Pei Yanzhi's compassion stirred, and he jumped into the lake to save her.
Shen Mingzhu seized the opportunity, ensnared Pei Yanzhi, and consummated their relationship before they could even marry. They wed in a hurry.
She sent out invitations far and wide and spent ten thousand taels of silver. The wedding banquet went on for three days and three nights, and the whole city heard of it.
Shen Mingzhu had planned to manage the family business with Pei Yanzhi, but overnight, the officialdom of Yangzhou was turned upside down. The man who purged the corrupt officials was her live-in husband. It turned out his real name was Pei Jingheng. He was not only the heir of a marquis, but also an imperial inspector traveling incognito, who had been lying low for months to investigate a corruption case.
On the day he returned to the capital, he spoke with rare gentleness: “Mingzhu, come back to the capital with me. I will inform my parents and ask them to accept you as a favored concubine.”
Only then did Shen Mingzhu realize that they had married in haste. They had held a wedding, but there had been no marriage contract, so their marriage did not count.
She had been in the dark, but he had known all along.
Shen Mingzhu refused to be a concubine and angrily threw Pei Jingheng out of her home. In a fit of anger, he returned to the capital alone.
Pei Jingheng was born to a noble family and had a cold disposition. He had little interest in women, but knew his future principal wife would have to be a highborn lady. During his trip to Yangzhou, Shen Mingzhu unexpectedly latched onto him. But she was just a woman, so he might as well take her in. Given her merchant family background, making her a favored concubine was already the greatest concession he could offer.
So after returning to the capital, he waited and waited for Shen Mingzhu to lower her head.
But all he got was news that she planned to find another husband.
That night, a swift horse galloped out of the capital, racing straight toward Yangzhou.
P.S. The male lead has no genuine feelings for her at first. Later, he has to grovel to win his wife back.
Theme: Women should strive to stand on their own.
