A Marquis's Estate Cousin's Daily Life on the Run from Famine

Shen Zhunnian transmigrates into a book. The good news: she's born beautiful and delicate, with fields and shops galore, so she can be a happy little layabout.

The bad news: she's a cousin living under the Marquis's roof, and the family is about to be condemned and exiled. Few survive exile during a famine, and she, a step-cousin, is only distantly related to the Marquis's family.

Shen Zhunnian jolts upright from her lazy life, grabs a small bundle, and sneaks off with Qiulu to escape. Along the way, she picks up a young man, extraordinarily handsome, with a face like a jade immortal. His swordsmanship is superb, though he's a little foolish and likes chopping people up. No matter, he's just the right companion for fleeing famine.

After the disaster, they settle in a town. The scenery is lovely, with beautiful mountains and rivers. There's just one problem: the court decrees that unmarried men and women past a certain age must work as laborers.

She doesn't want to haul bricks, so she makes an agreement with the handsome young man to fake a marriage and divorce after three years.

After the wedding, Shen Zhunnian spends every day making new delicacies and sets up a little stall. In spring, she serves wontons with bamboo shoots; in summer, sweet-and-sour green plum drinks; in autumn, osmanthus soup noodles; and in winter, tea and hotpot by the stove.

Her handsome husband carries water and chops wood every day, does the laundry, warms her bed, and hands over all the household money. He takes such good care of her that she couldn't be more comfortable.

But before three years are up, Xiao Chengyuan is chopping wood at home as usual when a troop of black-armored guards suddenly rushes in and surrounds the entire restaurant. "We pay our respects to the Imperial Grandson and his consort!"

Shen Zhunnian, who is ordering her husband to fetch water for her foot bath: "..."

Weren't they supposed to get divorced? How did she become the Imperial Grandson's consort?

#IsItTooLateToGetOnMyKneesNow#

2.

In his previous life, Xiao Chengyuan was the Imperial Grandson, born cold and cruel, with a taste for human-skin lanterns. He studied under Master Xu Wu and was peerless in swordsmanship. When his country fell and his family was destroyed, he was cast adrift.

In the ninth year of Jianzhang, his maternal grandfather's family, the Zhongyong Earl's household, was condemned on fabricated charges. Every man was executed, and the women were brutally humiliated.

Within a few short years, Xiao Chengyuan ascended the throne and slaughtered the Zhao and Ye imperial houses. After avenging himself, he was reborn, back before his maternal grandfather's family was exiled. Poisoned and suffering from amnesia, he spent some time acting like a fool. As soon as he regained a little awareness, he heard the sharp-tongued mistress and servant by the bamboo lantern whispering that a pretty boy like him was useless, but with his foolish mind, he'd be easy to trick. They might as well marry him and keep him warm in bed.

Xiao Chengyuan: Heh.

He was a thoroughly wicked man, one who loved to bully the woman he cherished until she cried.

Now he had a target.

Theme: Strength and optimism