Luohua Chun

(Complete) Hua Chun had a husband everyone envied. He was not only handsome, but also exceptionally talented and remarkably successful in government. Among his peers, he was a star no one could hope to match. At first, Hua Chun admired him too, serving him with care and taking pride in him. Two months after their wedding, she became pregnant. Her husband left her in their hometown to care for his parents and went alone to the capital to pursue his career. He did not disappoint her: he placed first in the imperial examinations and joined the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. She celebrated his success and wept with joy. Even when he wrote to say he couldn’t come home that year, she had no complaints. Later, her husband went south of the Yangtze as a censor to root out corrupt governance. He was young, yet a shrewd and seasoned operator, and his name became famous in the capital. She was even prouder of him. As time went on, her husband’s fame grew, while his letters came less and less often. For five whole years, they saw each other only a handful of times. She had forgotten what it was like to be with a man… Day after day, year after year, she no longer knew what she was waiting for. At last, news came from the capital: the commandery princess of the Prince of Xiang’s household had taken a liking to her husband and wanted him to demote Hua Chun from wife to concubine so he could marry the princess. Heavens, why go to all that trouble? She wouldn’t stand in their way. She immediately sent a divorce agreement to the capital, hoping to be free as soon as possible so she could make a life for herself. The young master Wang next door might have no official rank or wealth, but he was honest and kindhearted, and would make a good companion. But a month later, someone arrived from the capital. Not only did they return the divorce agreement, they also wanted to bring her and her son to the capital… If he refused to let her go, fine. Then no one was going to have an easy time. (The groveling begins in the opening chapters.) (Daily life in a grand household, domestic details, married first and falling in love later, rekindled love, husband groveling to win his wife back, same male lead throughout) Next story: Snow in the Evening Courtyard, a sweet-and-sour marriage-first romance. Synopsis: Ning Muyun is the youngest daughter of the Duke of Ning’s household. She lives a quiet, secluded life and has a gentle disposition, making her the least conspicuous of the Ning family’s seven young ladies. She was betrothed as a child, but just before the wedding, her fiancé ran off with someone else. Xie Jiachi is the third son of the Duke of Xie’s household. His mother is a princess who wields great influence over the court, and his father, a top scorer in the imperial examinations, is famous throughout the land. Xie Jiachi is as lofty and unattainable as a forest of jade trees amid wind, snow, moonlight, and frost. He too had been promised in marriage from a young age, but on the eve of the wedding, his fiancée’s entire family was killed in battle. The Ning and Xie families had ties going back generations and had promised to unite their families through marriage. They originally planned for the Ning family’s third daughter and the Xie family’s second son to wed, but both were in love with someone else. To grant those two their wish, the old engagement was foisted upon Ning Muyun and Xie Jiachi, two unlucky souls. The emperor issued a special decree, allowing the second and third sons to marry on the same day, making two happy matches. The next day, they went to pay their respects over tea. The eldest son and his wife were perfectly in harmony. The second son and his wife were deeply in love. The third son and his wife could only stare at each other. (They marry first and fall in love later, domestic life, sweet and sour.) (Main couple: the male and female leads. Secondary couple: a career-minded princess and a cool, aloof top scorer in the imperial examinations. They are currently divorced.) Theme: With a bright moon in your heart, you can bask in the spring sunshine