After failing to make the palace selection, Yu Zhen was granted in marriage by the Qianlong Emperor to his brother-in-law, Fu Heng, the ninth young master of the illustrious Fucha clan. But Fu Heng already loved someone else, leading to the awkward situation of his wife and concubine entering the household on the same day. Yu Zhen was the granddaughter of the great writer Nalan Rongruo and was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Qing Dynasty. Yet fate toyed with her, separating her from the man who had once gazed at her with a gentle smile and promised to stay by her side until they were old. If every encounter is destined to end in parting, why let anyone stir your heart? Faced with a husband who does not love her, should she meekly accept her lot, or boldly take charge and keep him in check? “Why did you marry me? What are you after?” “I want nothing from you. And even if I did, it would be nothing more than your happiness.”
