COO 152
Rate 4/5
Summary:
Ruan Longling was divorced by her fiancé, Liu Chengji, who was studying in the capital because of her status as a merchant girl. She finally figured it out: In this world, apart from money, only the blood of close relatives can be relied on. The Ruan family is well-known in the business, and she has ten thousand gold in hand, so she doesn’t have to worry about food and drink. The only wish is to have a child who will inherit the family business.
With the idea of giving up a husband and seeking a son, Ruan Longling fell in love with a sharp scholar. The scholar’s face is like a crown of jade, and the wind is gentle. From his appearance to his temperament, he is exactly what Ruan Longling likes. If there is a father like this, the son must be clever.
Ruan Longling used 18 tricks to seduce the scholar and her into a married couple, and the two of them spent a wonderful time together like glue.
Review:
The plot actually as expected and easy to predict but I quite enjoyed reading it. It started good, MC looks stubborn and type that can't accept woman fate. But then slowly her character is fading out. ML is just like any other domineering noble type. There are braindead and plot holes but it's still tolerable.
MC is from merchant family. Her eldest brother died young. MC mother divorced MC father. Then she got sick and now only bedridden. 2nd sister married out early, 3rd is MC, 4th is younger sister about to come of age, 5th is a brother who learn in out of town academy. From 12 yo, MC brought up her siblings alone. She expand the business. The story started when she need some money to keep the business. She collect all debts but still missing some. She has a childhood sweetheart, they already engage. The fiancee went to capital for exam and promise to marry her once he won.
Then MC collect debt from the fiancee aunt. ML saw MC when she collect the debt. MC still trying to save the fiancee family face. ML said she might making wedding dress for others. MC thought he cursed her so she didn't have good impression of ML. Then they met several times. MC fiancee come back and broke the engagement. MC got heartbroken and ask a lot of money that she gave him for his study. The fiancee reputation got bad and he sent the money.
ML is chief minister, he initially like the fiancee talent but then he decide to discard him. ML tried to find new talents since he killed a lot minister to protect his sister the queen. ML sister gave birth just before the late emperor died. So current emperor is a baby. ML took rein of the government for his sister.
MC who's heartbroken plan to never marry. But she still want a child for herself. So she seduce ML and plan to abandoned him after she got pregnant. She said she just played with ML. ML plan to take her as concubine and bring her to capital. MC refuse him and said hurtful things. ML went back to capital and tried to forget MC.
5 years later MC family went to capital. MC make sure ML is not in the capital. She didn't know ML is chief minister, she thought he is a merchant. ML was forced to marry a woman from Duke family. The woman is obsessed with ML. She fake sickness to make the queen and ML parent pitied her. They then force ML to take her as wife. ML agreed since he thought it doesn't matter who.
ML met MC but he didn't know about the child. A lot of MC trying to run away and reject ML, then ML forcing and chasing MC. ML found about the child and MC plot to only want the child. He got furious but then he heard how MC felt from her family.
In the end ML promise to marry MC as wife. ML ex-fiancee ask ML sister help to drug ML so she can have relationship and marry ML. She promise to become ML sister spy.
ML found out about the trap. He got angry at his sister and broke their relation as sibling. The queen regret it. The ex-fiancee was scolded by the family. They plan to send her out the next day but the ex-fiancee fled. She came back to ML parent house and beg to let her stay for few days.
ML parent agreed. This is the stupid thing. They are a duke family despite the old couple already retired. How come they didn't get news that the ex-fiancee drug ML. ML also punished her by stripping her status as county princess and exiled her. But ML also didn't know that the ex is in his parent house...
In summary the ex plan to kill MC and her son. She work with MC suitor who was tortured by ML. They kidnap MC and her son when they are at ML parent house. MC is about to be raped then ML rescue her. The ex was tortured and her family was exiled.
MC and ML got their wedding and live happily. I felt MC is braver on early part, she took care the family problem bravely. But then after she went to capital and met ML, she become common. She just focus on running away and stubbornly refuse ML. I don't even understand the use of her lies rejecting ML and saying her son is not ML's. She already admit she has feeling for ML and I know love is not her priorities, she also felt guilty that her son didn't have father. But ML already want her as his wife. Why bother running away and reject him repeatedly.
The ending is current emperor aka ML nephew is dying when he was 18. He abdicate to ML. ML refuse him but finally relent. ML sister accept it, she plan to take her son out of palace before he died.
MC eldest brother was found by ML. He lost memory and join navy to eliminate pirates. He already married and has 3 children. This is really not important. MC mother just suddenly appear again after MC married and felt depressed because of eldest brother death. MC also suddenly felt sad. Then ML tried to find the eldest brother. After appear in few sentences, there's no more appearance both for eldest brother and MC mother.
MC youngest brother got paired with the last princess from late emperor. MC sister is with ML best friend. There are extras about them but I didn't read it.
