Record of Smoke and Willows Behind Vermilion Gates

Zhu Men Yan Liu Lu

A small apothecary raised an ambitious man.

When Lu Tingxuan married Wen Wanyu, he was so poor he could barely afford a thing. Once he struck it rich, however, he brought one wife and concubine after another into the back courtyard. The proper wife was dignified, the concubines alluring, and the maids climbed the ranks. Everyone smiled, and everyone hid a knife.

With fake medicine, salt permits, and collusion between officials and merchants, he fought his way from Liuye Alley to Linhe Prefecture. He earned more and more silver, and his heart grew darker and darker. But when the gates of a grand mansion open, trouble comes in too: rivalry for favor in the household, betrayal by his employees, old cases reopened, and enemies returning.

Qin Zhaoer abandoned her husband for wealth, Wen Wanyu endured humiliation to preserve appearances, Sun Tieshan sought revenge for his brother, and Bai Yingkui struck back with a knife. Yesterday's splendor turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

This is a historical romance and a hit novel about the ways of the world: ruthless household battles, cutthroat business rivalries, heart-wrenching romance, and deeply satisfying payback. It tells of wives and concubines vying against one another, the rise and fall of officials and merchants, and the cycle of cause and effect.

1.286 million characters, 449 chapters, about 2,866 characters per chapter, with regular updates. You won't be able to guess who gets the last laugh until the very end.