Marrying into the Marquis's Household

Zhou Wanyin was a widow who lived with her young daughter in a quiet town. Her life was full and content.

One day, she rescued an injured stranger.

The man was tall and handsome, and every move he made spoke of extraordinary bearing. He clearly wasn't an ordinary person. He said he couldn't remember anything, and since she'd saved him, he was willing to offer himself to her.

Zhou Wanyin still thought of her late husband, so naturally she refused. The man wasn't discouraged. He went out during the day to earn money for Zhou Wanyin and her daughter, and patiently helped her settle the child at night. Her daughter liked him very much and wanted him to be her father.

As they spent more time together, Zhou Wanyin's heart softened. She thought that perhaps she and her daughter could use someone to rely on. So that night, after putting her daughter to bed, they crossed the line.

Who could have guessed that the next morning, a group of soldiers would surround their thatched cottage? At their head was a fair, beautiful young woman adorned with pearls and jade. She said she was the young lady of a marquis's household, and asked Zhou Wanyin to give her fiance back.

Only then did Zhou Wanyin learn that the man was Lu Zhi, heir to a marquis's household in the capital. Born into a noble family and exceptionally talented, he was the capital's most sought-after new scholar. Even a princess wanted to marry him, but he loved only his childhood sweetheart, his cousin, and had fought against everyone's objections to marry her. He had come to this town because his cousin had pawned a piece of jewelry, and while trying to retrieve it for her, he'd been ambushed.

Once she understood what had happened, Zhou Wanyin felt at peace. She bowed to the young lord, whose expression was complicated, and wished the two lovers a happy ending.

After looking at her, the young lord said, "Since you belong to me, you'll naturally come with me to the capital. I'll give you the status of a concubine."

Zhou Wanyin was stunned, but as a powerless woman, she had no way to resist.

And so Zhou Wanyin was forced into the marquis's household as the man's concubine. She watched as he wore her out until the third watch of the night, treated his cousin with warmth and tenderness, and made a grand show of arranging their wedding.

Zhou Wanyin had her pride, so she plotted and seized an opportunity to escape with her daughter.

What she didn't know was that after she left, Lu Zhi first called off the wedding, then mobilized every hidden guard and attendant in his household, swearing to find her even if he had to dig three feet into the ground.

Once he found her, he would lock her up without hesitation.

She could bear a child for her late husband. Why couldn't she bear one for him?

[A story with a different feel. Coming in 2026.]

[The female lead is not a virgin, the male lead is. Weibo: @Jinjiang Qiao Yan]

Theme: The glass is clear, the oranges are glorious.