Once a Noble Wife and Now a Rough man’s Beloved

Song Ying marries Yue Shaozhi, the powerful Regent of the Yin Dynasty, at the age of sixteen. To the outside world, she is the envied Regent Princess, but their marriage is cold and distant. Yue Shaozhi rarely shares a bed with her, and when he does, it is devoid of affection. Song Ying endures two years of silence and neglect, maintaining her composure and dutifully managing the household. Her life changes when her half-sister, Song Ruoer, returns from their hometown. Song Ying, who has always treated Ruoer as a true sibling, invites her to stay in the residence to alleviate her own loneliness. Unbeknownst to Song Ying, Ruoer and Yue Shaozhi have begun a secret affair. Song Ying discovers the truth when she overhears them in the courtyard and later finds an earring belonging to Ruoer at Yue Shaozhi’s feet. Instead of confronting them, she quietly counts the days of her suffering until she can no longer bear the humiliation.

One morning, Song Ying calmly requests a divorce. Yue Shaozhi, indifferent and unbothered, agrees immediately, sending his guard Yu Liang to deliver the papers. Song Ying returns to her father’s mansion, the Marquisate, where she faces the disappointment of her father, Song Jinzhuo, and the coldness of her stepmother, Zhou Hanxiang. The capital buzzes with gossip about the divorce, and Song Ying learns that her father views both daughters as commodities, pleased that the second marriage to the Regent brings further political advantage. Song Ying moves to a secluded mountain villa to escape the suffocating atmosphere of her family home. There, she encounters Huo Zhen, a rugged and direct general who claims she once fed him when he was a beggar. Huo Zhen declares his intention to marry her and repay her kindness, but Song Ying, still wounded by her recent divorce, rejects his advances and flees to another property.

Despite her attempts to remain isolated, Song Ying is drawn back into the social sphere when she is invited to an autumn banquet hosted by Princess Ziyang. The event is a trap set by Princess Ziyang and Li Xingrou, who mock Song Ying’s status as a divorced woman. Li Xingrou challenges Song Ying to an archery competition, wagering that the loser must serve the winner as a servant for ten days. Song Ying, known for her delicate upbringing, appears helpless and clumsy with the bow. However, Huo Zhen arrives unexpectedly and offers to teach her. With his guidance, Song Ying hits the target twice, but on her final shot, a maid deliberately distracts her by shouting that she is on her period, causing her to miss. Just as she is about to be humiliated, Yue Shaozhi intervenes, shutting down the event and protecting Song Ying’s dignity, though he claims his actions are to shield his new wife, Song Ruoer, from the scandal.

Following the banquet, Song Ying realizes that her previous perception of Yue Shaozhi was flawed. She discovers that her archery skills were not as poor as she pretended, revealing a hidden competence she had suppressed to survive in the palace. Meanwhile, Yue Shaozhi becomes intrigued by Song Ying’s deliberate concealment of her abilities, suspecting she is hiding her true self. Song Ying decides to move out of her father’s mansion to secure her independence and avoid further entanglement with her family’s political schemes. Huo Zhen continues his persistent pursuit, climbing walls and offering gifts, while Song Ying gradually begins to open up to his straightforward affection. The story concludes with Song Ying asserting her autonomy, rejecting the pity and manipulation of her family, and beginning a new chapter with Huo Zhen, who sees her for who she truly is rather than her title or past.