After the Sickly Beauty Is Sent as a Substitute Bride

Chu Zhaohuai had shallow ties with his family and was plagued by a frail, sickly body. The Imperial Preceptor had once divined his fate and predicted that he would face a great calamity at the age of eighteen. If he survived it, he would enjoy a smooth and peaceful life thereafter. Shortly after celebrating his eighteenth birthday, he was treated as a discarded son by his family and deliberately forced into a marriage in his place, sent to the capital to marry the feared God of Death and die in his stead. —Rumor had it that the God of Death, Ji Xun, had suffered severe injuries on the battlefield, and whenever his madness flared up, he would slaughter people without mercy. Chu Zhaohuai: “……” Fortunately, the God of Death was also said to have little time left to live. As long as Chu Zhaohuai could endure until Ji Xun’s life ran out, he would have survived his calamity. Chu Zhaohuai prayed fervently to every god and Buddha he could think of, wholeheartedly wishing for Ji Xun to ascend to heaven as soon as possible and reach the afterlife in peace. At Huguo Temple, he drew a fortune stick asking for “the Prince’s good health.” He received the worst possible fortune. Chu Zhaohuai immediately became so excited that tears of joy filled his eyes. When Ji Xun saw the tears Chu Zhaohuai was desperately trying to hold back, his heart stirred. Could it be that this person cared for him so deeply? Recently, the entire capital had been buzzing about “the God of Death taking a male wife.” Everyone assumed that the so-called “Princess Consort” probably would not survive for even three months. Yet no one expected that the notoriously sinister God of Death would suddenly become as gentle as silk wrapped around a finger. He treated Chu Zhaohuai with exceptional care, and whenever Chu Zhaohuai was in danger, Ji Xun would fly into a rage to protect the beauty he loved. Even when his madness struck, he never once hurt Chu Zhaohuai. Chu Zhaohuai had never been valued so highly by anyone before. He was both overwhelmed and flattered, and he made up his mind: If he survived his calamity and was still alive, he would spend the rest of his life together with Ji Xun. But later, Ji Xun still died. For three days and three nights, Chu Zhaohuai kept vigil beside his coffin on snowy nights, his heart as lifeless as withered wood. The political winds in the capital shifted dramatically, and a new emperor ascended the throne. The frail beauty, dressed entirely in mourning clothes, wandered about in a daze, clutching his late husband’s belongings with nowhere to turn. Unscrupulous people in the capital coveted him and plotted to take advantage of his helpless situation. That was until a man dressed in black robes arrived surrounded by an entourage. Everyone fell to their knees and cried out in unison: “Long live the Emperor!” —It was none other than Ji Xun, who had faked his death and escaped, only to return as the man who now ruled the entire world. Everyone assumed that Chu Zhaohuai would be overjoyed upon discovering that his “dead husband” had come back to life. Instead, they watched as Chu Zhaohuai staggered to his knees, bowed respectfully, and called out: “Your Majesty.” The face of the supreme ruler, high above all others, suddenly turned deathly pale. [A seemingly gentle and obedient shou who is actually in a deeply questionable mental state and calmly goes insane × an overthinking, ruthless and merciless gong who is extremely calculating but keeps convincing himself that his wife loves him; 1v1, happy ending.] — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: After the Sickly Beauty Is Sent as a Substitute Bride — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠