The Substitute Bride Empress

[Updated irregularly]

In a time of chaos, war flared across the land.

The Chen family wagered that Prince Jing would claim the throne, and wanted to marry off a daughter to win his favor.

Unfortunately, the Chen family's only legitimate daughter was already engaged to a coarse man born on the frontier.

As the clan head struggled with his conscience, Chen Wanqing stepped forward from a corner.

"Father, if Elder Sister refuses to marry him, I'll go instead."

*

Though Chen Wanqing was born into an aristocratic family, her mother was a celebrated courtesan, and her brothers and sisters had never accepted her.

But as a woman, marriage was the only way she could escape the Chen family.

She secretly took a good look at every eligible young man in the capital, but not one suited her.

That is, until she met Li Changce.

He had just arrived in the capital and had already caused plenty of uproar with his rough manners.

He was healthy and handsome, and though his family had fallen on hard times, he still held the title of marquis's son.

The only problem was that he was engaged to her legitimate elder sister.

So what? Her father and elder sister both wanted to break off the engagement.

After their first meeting, she put on a pitiful act, volunteered to marry far from home in her sister's place, wrangled a hefty dowry, and happily went off to marry him.

Who could have guessed that after a brief spell of peaceful married life, her husband would raise a banner in rebellion...

*

The Dingbei Marquis's household had sworn to defend the northern frontier for the late emperor. Young Marquis Li Changce himself was born at Pingbei Pass and grew up with blood on his blade.

The howling northern winds had nurtured his ambition.

After coming of age, he obeyed his mother's orders and returned to the capital to marry into the Chen family.

But the moment he met Lord Chen, he knew the marriage was probably doomed. The Chen clan had been an illustrious family for generations and looked down on the Dingbei Marquis's household from the start.

To his surprise, the Chen family kept its word and sent him a bride as beautiful as a flower.

From that day on, the young marquis had one more reason to rebel:

To win his wife a phoenix crown.

*

"One day, I'll take you back to Luoyang, where the nobles will bow their heads and hold the reins and carriage for you, my wife."

"I don't want us to be doomed lovers, fleeing beneath the blades of the great clans. I want to share the highest power with you. I want future generations to look back through history and know that we were a loving couple, remembered for a thousand years, for ten thousand years."

A few reading tips:

1. It's a fictional setting, very fictional.

2. It's mostly a love story, with little emphasis on political intrigue.

Theme: A gentleman's worth is not defined by rank. The throne belongs to whoever is capable.