Latest Scheming Male Lead Novel

【Sweet寵, abuse and scum, outwardly innocent but secretly dark male lead, fierce and adorable female lead, extreme push and pull between male and female leads】 The Wuning Marquis's daughter was to be married, but the bride hanged herself.

The groom was the Prince of Danshuo, highly favored by the emperor and deeply relied upon within the court. The marriage was personally decreed by the emperor.

In their panic, the Marquis's Residence had no choice but to find someone to take her place. Assassin Cheng Nianying asked, "Are you sure you want to find me?"

****

The Prince of Danshuo was handsome and almost unnaturally intelligent, but unfortunately, he was plagued by a serious illness. He had known all along that the Marquis's daughter had a secret lover and that marrying into the Prince's Residence was a ploy for her to act as a spy from within.

But this spy was not quite what he expected. She wasn't eager to curry favor; every night, she would merely look at him and say, "With your health, you should rest well."

The Prince: "..."

*

The new Princess Consort was truly interesting. Faced with household scheming, she countered with brute force—no one could beat her anyway.

When assassins appeared, she would shield the Prince behind her and charge to the front. Upon seeing her former lover, the Princess Consort exclaimed, "Where did this scoundrel come from? I'll knock your head off!"

Former lover: "?"

Prince's subordinates: "?"

Didn't they say they needed to be wary of the Princess Consort at all times?

*

At first, he treated her with slight disdain. The day the Marquis's Residence begged for her to be swapped back, that sickly Prince went completely mad.

*

This is a story about a heartless, crazy person who enjoyed manipulating others, slowly falling in love, and later realizing the "true fragrance" of his wife.

A clear-headed and rational female protagonist versus an arrogant and scheming male protagonist. (Both male and female leads are pure + marriage before love + the powerful bowing their heads + forced possession).

Xu Shuyou's parents both passed away. To find a backer for herself and her younger brother, she had no choice but to go to the capital to live with her aunt. Her aunt's husband's family was the Duke Chengguo's Mansion, which was extremely famous in the current dynasty.

Upon her arrival, she carefully plotted, appearing smooth and rational, her true intentions difficult to discern. He observed her with cold eyes, poisonous-tongued and arrogant, seemingly dismissive, yet she had already entered his heart.

Love is difficult, but once worries are cast aside, there is warmth, soft jade, and the comfort of embroidered curtains, as the dew drops and peonies bloom...

An outwardly warm but inwardly cold and shrewd shamaness protagonist, paired with a gentle yet cunning and subtly manipulative merchant male lead who knows when to advance and retreat.

Everyone in the world knows that there is a Shamaness Temple within the imperial palace. The shamanesses within deliver heavenly decrees, perform divination, and pray for blessings. Even the Emperor respects them threefold, yet they haven't spoken a word for a long time.

The truth is that Mingyu, as a shamaness, is feared by the Emperor, with her actions restricted at every turn. On ordinary days, she is forced to appear as a historian, unexpectedly witnessing the changing of imperial power.

Under the pursuit of the new Emperor, Mingyu is forced to flee the palace in disarray.

Once rescued, she initially thought she could escape the center of power. However, she didn't realize that Young Master Yu Tong'an of the Yu family was determined to drag her into the fray.

Yu Tong'an chuckled lightly, "With the new Emperor ascended, my Yu family is also facing ruin. You and I are on the same path, so why not conspire together?"

"I am just a commoner; how can I conspire with a young master?" Mingyu rolled her eyes but grabbed Yu Tong'an's hand, turning around to stir the muddy waters even more.

Author's note: All settings in this novel serve the plot; please do not scrutinize them strictly.

【Chasing His Wife / Hidden Identity / Marriage First, Love Later】

| Clear-minded, charming, and sunny heroine vs. cold, self-possessed, stubborn, and cunning male lead |

Lu Tingwan lived with her mother in Jiangling for seventeen years, where she mastered bookkeeping, makeup, gardening, and business skills.

When her mother passed away, her father brought her to the capital and tricked her into a substitute marriage, sending her to the estate of Cheng Xianz hi, a powerful official of the Great Lan dynasty.

Cheng Xianzhi was a favored minister personally promoted by the Great Lan Emperor to counterbalance the power of the imperial family's relatives. In less than five years, he had risen to the rank of Right Servant-in-Chief of the second grade, holding absolute power. It was rumored that Minister Cheng was aloof, indifferent, and decisive, yet this formidable minister also had a childhood sweetheart and "white moonlight" with whom he shared his wedding day, as both entered his manor on the same day.

Lu Tingwan was shrewd; to escape the inescapable situation in the capital, she willingly stepped into the scheme. On her wedding night, under the red candle light, she casually used her red veil as a cushion while meticulously counting her dowry, planning how to start a business outside, earn money, and then divorce him and run away.

***

Three months into the marriage, she had not once seen her husband. At the same time, a merchant named Jiang Yanli became famous in the capital for her exceptional business acumen.

During an assignment, Cheng Xianzhi unexpectedly encountered Lu Tingwan, who was disguised as a man and using a pseudonym. Facing the handsome and upright official, she introduced herself: "My name is Jiang Yanli." Later, Cheng Xianzhi was implicated in an investigation and found himself in trouble. Unaware that this person was her nominal husband, Lu Tingwan helped him provide evidence.

After that night, Cheng Xianzhi arrived at Yansheng Hall, where he confronted the happily counting money individual behind a screen, demanding, "Jiang Yanli? When did you become my manor's second madame?" Lu Tingwan's back stiffened as her identity was exposed. She decided to reach an agreement with him: once his objectives were met, he would give her a divorce letter and set her free. Cheng Xianzhi readily agreed: "Deal."

After helping Cheng Xianzhi secure his promotion, Lu Tingwan asked him to honor his promise of divorce. However, Cheng Xianzhi had already fallen deeply in love. Lu Tingwan then unexpectedly uncovered a shocking secret: Cheng Xianzhi’s "white moonlight" was a sham?

***

Later, Cheng Xianzhi saw her forgo sleep and meals to practice archery for someone else, observing silently and regretting his promise of divorce. When news of Lu Tingwan's impending divorce spread, countless men came to propose, nearly breaking down the Cheng family's threshold. Seeing the courtyard filled with betrothal gifts, Cheng Xianzhi gritted his teeth, "I'm not dead yet, and you're already arranging for the next one?"

Lu Tingwan ignored him. When his affection was disregarded, the uncontrollable emotions pushed him into darkness. Under the lonely moonlight, he could no longer hide his usual composure and climbed through Lu Tingwan's window onto her bed. He abruptly pulled her close, releasing his long-suppressed feelings, and forcefully kissed her. Lu Tingwan struggled against his grip and gave him a harsh slap.

Cheng Xianzhi flinched in pain, her scent lingering on his cheek, and pleaded bitterly, "A'wan? I am your rightful husband. If he can kiss you, why can't I?" He begged, "Stay. Please, stay for me?" Lu Tingwan closed her eyes and wept in his forceful embrace. Cheng Xianzhi tasted her salty tears and sobered up, enduring the stinging pain as he gently wiped away her tears. She absolutely refused!

—Wild geese flying south means return.

—Wild geese flying north means departure.

Reading Guide: 1. 1v1, SC. 2. Early on, the female lead's business ventures are central. She is clear-headed, dares to love and hate, with the romance developing mostly in the middle to late stages; there will be intense competition among suitors. 3. Fictional setting, government ranks draw inspiration from the Tang Dynasty, with many private settings.

Yun Zheng was the only daughter of the richest man in Daqi, wealthy beyond measure. In her previous life, she married into the Marquis's estate with a dowry covering ten li, only to become a laughingstock on her wedding night.

Her husband led his 'white moonlight' to bow in the main hall, marrying both women simultaneously. Her mother-in-law publicly shattered her family heirloom jade bracelet, forcing her to accept her fate. She lived as a widow for ten years, guarding the ancestral tablets in the main house, then was forced to adopt her 'white moonlight's' son. Her vast dowry was drained, and in the end, she was poisoned and thrown into a mass grave.

Before her death, her husband embraced his 'white moonlight' and laughed aloud. "How can a merchant's daughter reeking of copper possibly be worthy of my Marquis's family registry?" he scorned. "You are merely a stepping stone for my Marquis's century-long prosperity!"

Reborn to the moment her husband was marrying two wives, as both sedan chairs landed—she kicked over the dragon and phoenix candles. "Marrying two wives? Isn't this fraud? I want to turn the tables!"

Did they want her to meekly accept her fate? No, absolutely not! Whoever wanted to make her miserable, she would ensure they all suffered. Whoever wanted her dead, she would send their entire family to their deaths!

Later: The fallen Marquis's estate knelt before the Yun family's shops, begging and weeping for her to be added to the Marquis's ancestral registry. Yun Zheng smiled faintly, looking at the cold and stern Ninth Imperial Uncle.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle lazily toyed with his jade thumb ring: "Zheng'er, you are already on the imperial family's jade scroll. Your name and mine are side by side; after a hundred years, we will receive offerings from all imperial descendants." The Marquis's entire family felt as if struck by lightning, collapsing to the ground...