Three Wives, One Brow

[New Story Now Open, Blurb at the Bottom, Come Give It a Try!] Song Hemiao and Shao Lang were betrothed as children, and when they came of age, she naturally climbed into the bridal sedan bound for the Shao residence. She thought childhood sweethearts were meant to become a happy young couple, but she never expected that just after the nuptial wine went down, her husband's concubine, already heavily pregnant, would come to her demanding recognition of her status. The child in the concubine's womb was already five months along, but Shao Lang was still in mourning for his grandfather. While Song Hemiao worried he would be overcome with grief at his grandfather's death, he was making passionate love to his concubine. Song Hemiao made a huge scene and resolutely went back to her family home. But her parents and elder brothers, who had always doted on her, now said the same thing as Shao Lang: "A man is just learning his trade. A lowly concubine is nothing to worry about." Learning his trade? Fine. Then she would find someone lowly, too, and learn a thing or two herself. * She set her sights on her younger brother's study companion. Yu Yeqing had lost both his parents and had no standing or title. She gave him money, forcing him to submit and let her vent her desires. In secret, she indulged in every kind of transgression. She thought they would go on living in this murky entanglement for the rest of their lives, but unexpectedly, he left without a word. When they met again, three years had passed. The Song family had fallen into ruin, and in the end she was still trapped in the mire of the Shao household, barely surviving. But Yu Yeqing was now dressed in finery, with no trace of the poverty and restraint he had once shown. Song Hemiao still remembered how she had humiliated him back then, and faced him as if he were a formidable enemy. Yet when her husband fawned over the governor at a banquet, the governor, aloof as the cold moon, hooked a finger beneath the hem of her skirt under the round table. * Yu Yeqing thought that for the rest of his life, he could only wait in some dark corner for Song Hemiao to spare him a moment's attention, until Heaven took pity on him and let her choose him. He knew he shouldn't, but still fell for her like a moth to a flame, until her elder brother took him hostage. Her brother said she wanted to return to the Shao family and mend her broken marriage, and that Yu Yeqing was a burden that would damage her reputation. Later, he was left covered in wounds and nearly beaten to death on that rainy night. For three years, he repeatedly examined himself. He should hate everyone, and he should hate her, too. But from the moment he saw her again, watching her tenderly wipe the corner of her husband's mouth, the resentment tangled with his hatred gradually became clear: It was all her troublesome husband's fault. She was blameless. [Reading Guide] 1. One-on-one romance, both leads are each other's only partner. 2. The second male lead is impotent, so he and the heroine never have a married life. 3. An alternate world. Official titles and forms of address are inspired by the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties; the geography is original. 4. She and the second male lead never completed the wedding rites or exchanged formal marriage documents, so even a search through nine generations of relatives would not implicate the heroine. During her marriage, she had no romantic involvement with the male lead. The following is a forthcoming story. Visit my profile to save it to your collection! Hu Shen grew up on the grasslands. Her elder brother was favored by the khan, and her life was going reasonably well. Until one day, after her brother led an army into the Central Plains, he returned with a captured man from the Central Plains. They said he was the legitimate son of a great noble house in the Central Plains, born to a family of high rank. They said that although he was a civil official, he fought bravely and had great potential. The khan wanted to recruit him, but he would rather die than submit. No matter how he was tortured and humiliated, he would not yield. With no other options, someone suggested getting him a wife. Give him a wife and a child to soften his heart. Of course, it would also be a show for the emperor of the Central Plains. Would the emperor believe that someone who refused to surrender under torture would submit just because he married and had a child? The woman's status had to be just right: If she was too low-born, she would be no different from a concubine in the Central Plains. If she was too high-born, how could the khan's princess be used as bait? Later, her brother came to her. Later still, she gave Xie Xiaoxiao a bowl of wine mixed with deer blood. She thought Xie Xiaoxiao hated her. Otherwise, why would he look at her so coldly, and lie motionless when they shared a bed and she tried to stir his desire? And why would he have thrown their infant son to his death after joining forces with the Central Plains to assassinate the khan? Five years later, Xie Xiaoxiao wielded great power. He had proved his loyalty by killing his own son, was ruthless and vicious, and was the emperor's most trusted confidant. But in the middle of the night, he would always remember the three disgusting years he had spent as a captive. Then unrest broke out along the border once more. He led an army to quell it, only to encounter again the woman who had repeatedly humiliated him. She was dressed as a Han Chinese woman. Though she had remarried, she was now a widow, holding the child she had with her late husband tightly in her arms. Her frail body trembled as she looked at him in fear. At last, Xie Xiaoxiao's heart, steeped in resentment for years, found an outlet... Their positions had been reversed. Now she was the prisoner, at the mercy of others. [Reading Guide] 1. Both leads are each other's only partner. 2. The child was not killed, and the male lead never meant to kill him. 3. The heroine never remarried. The child the male lead sees is actually his and the heroine's. 4. An alternate world. Official titles and forms of address are inspired by the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties; the geography is original. 5. The grassland setting combines elements of ancient steppe peoples. The grassland language in the story is inspired by Mongolian sounds. For example, the heroine's name, Hu Shen, echoes Husen, meaning hope. 6. Romance-focused, a story with a little bitterness and lots of sweetness. Theme: Keep striving to live!