After a Swap of Brides, the Princess Bride Becomes the Khan’s Beloved

[A fake princess sent for a political marriage vs. the great chanyu of the grasslands] [Mutual scheming + neither lead is purely good + love tangled up with self-interest + only they can stand shoulder to shoulder] Lu Heyue, an illegitimate daughter of the Duke's household, was a beautiful but wooden girl who could take three blows without uttering a sound. She was the least remarkable young lady in the capital, yet somehow she was destined to become the Crown Prince's consort. Everyone thought she was unworthy of the Crown Prince, including the Lu family. So when the great chanyu of Shuobei asked for a princess's hand in marriage, they shoved her forward without mercy. Her legitimate younger sister smiled and said, "From now on, I'm the Crown Princess. You can wait to die in Shuobei." Mu Tuge, the great chanyu of Shuobei, was famous for his carefree ways, while the real power rested in the hands of the Left Wise King. Marrying him would earn Lu Heyue nothing but the title of Great Consort, and everyone in the capital waited to laugh at her misfortune. She should have been the lofty Crown Princess, but instead she ended up enduring a hard life on the grasslands. No one imagined she would become the grasslands' unquestioned mistress, much less one day return to the capital at the head of a cavalry army. Lu Heyue never imagined that her husband, who seemed to care only about eating, drinking, and having fun, was actually playing the pig to eat the tiger. A loving couple before the world, they schemed against each other in private. Beneath the warm quilt, they hid knives among the tender embraces. They were never destined to trust each other, and physical intimacy could not bring them true devotion. At first, Mu Tuge, the great chanyu of Shuobei, only wanted the princess sent for the political marriage dead. But on their wedding night, he saw the little white rabbit turn into a black-hearted lotus. He kept the fake princess by his side and used her to eliminate the Left Wise King. He thought they were simply trading favors, never expecting to give her his heart. "A Yue, you are the moon rising in the eastern hills, the one I cherish most."