Reborn to Cherish My Sickly Wife

*Straightforward, guileless general puppy top x frail, gentle, brilliant strategist older woman bottom *The puppy is reborn *The frail health is the author’s personal preference. Xie Huiyu is sickly and spends most of her time running on one bar of battery, but rest assured, it has a happy ending. Shen Lingge was born into a family of generals. At eighteen, she put down a rebellion; at twenty, she reclaimed lost territory and was appointed Grand Marshal Xuanwei. She campaigned across the land and spent half her life on the battlefield, never once considering using her troops to seize power. But she could not escape the charge of “growing too powerful for the emperor.” Because she refused to take sides in the succession struggle, she was purged after the new emperor took the throne. Accused of treason, she had been locked up in the Imperial Prison for fifty-five days. Her former colleagues dared not have anything to do with her. Only her “wife” came every day. Xie Huiyu was in poor health, always carrying the scent of medicine, cool and detached. The chill in the Imperial Prison made her lower her eyes and cough softly, adding a frosty pallor to her face. In a calm voice, she handed over a meal. “Eat well and get some rest. If you die, I’ll join you in death.” Shen Lingge had married the Xie family’s legitimate daughter when she was eighteen. She spent years leading troops in battle; Xie Huiyu spent years bedridden. The marriage had been arranged by imperial decree, and when they crossed paths at home, they merely nodded and passed each other by. The snow was bitterly cold that day. From above, Shen Lingge watched as the wife she had never truly looked at dragged a handcart through the snow all by herself, carrying her corpse home. She watched her fall again and again, watched the blood streaking her pale hands, watched her cradle Shen Lingge’s cold body in her arms. “Shen Lingge, this is the first time we’ve ever slept together…” In Xie Huiyu’s world, that year the young General Shen had raced past in splendid armor, and when she glanced back, her heart had stirred. Shen Lingge awoke from a dream and returned to the year she was eighteen. Red silk fluttered through the Shen family residence. It was her wedding day. Shen Lingge thought, This time, I’ll protect her. But how exactly was she supposed to protect her? She didn’t take sides in the succession struggle because she had no idea which side to take. Shen Lingge: “What if I resign and return to my hometown?” Xie Huiyu: “Without your military power, will your old enemies let you live in peace?” Shen Lingge: “Then what if I become a villainous minister and control the emperor to command the lords?” Xie Huiyu: “…” Shen Lingge, looking like a dejected puppy: “Then tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. I’ll listen to you, no matter what.” Xie Huiyu knew the young General Shen as a dashing warrior in splendid armor, but she had no idea she was a single-minded blockhead who had no clue how to navigate court politics. In short: strong limbs, simple mind, overwhelming martial prowess, and not a single trick up her sleeve. But she was… kind of cute. She came back from court with a warm sesame flatbread tucked against her chest, leaving a red mark on her skin. “Hurry and eat. This is the best flatbread in the East Market.” On days off, she took Xie Huiyu on outings in the countryside, plunged headfirst into a stream to catch a fish, then showed it off. “Wife, look! Aren’t I amazing?” Xie Huiyu: “…” Never mind. She had to find a way to protect this clueless wife of hers. Fortunately, although Shen Lingge wasn’t bright, she wasn’t stubborn either. Point her somewhere and she would charge straight in. She was even more obedient than a puppy. Theme: Always stay positive and full of strength!