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八宝妆 Eight Treasures Trousseau
Everyone in the City of Jing thinks that bestowment of marriage between Xian Junwang and the di daughter of the Yi’an Marquis House is to insert a fresh flower into manure.
Xian Junwang was that fresh flower and the di daughter of Yi’an Marquis House was that manure that was not liked.
It is said that what is heard is false, seeing is believing. Who knows what the truth really is?
Xian Junwang was that fresh flower and the di daughter of Yi’an Marquis House was that manure that was not liked.
It is said that what is heard is false, seeing is believing. Who knows what the truth really is?
626 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2014
26 people are currently reading
393 people want to read
About the author
Yue Xia Die Ying
70 books38 followersAssociated Names:
* Yue Xia Die Ying
* 月下蝶影
* เยวี่ยซย่าเตี๋ยอิ่ง, เยว่เซี่ยเตี๋ยอิ่ง, เย่ว์เซี่ยเตี๋ยอิ่ง (Thai)
* Yue Xia Die Ying
* 月下蝶影
* เยวี่ยซย่าเตี๋ยอิ่ง, เยว่เซี่ยเตี๋ยอิ่ง, เย่ว์เซี่ยเตี๋ยอิ่ง (Thai)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
July 18, 2020
The gentleman is peerless, the beauty a white jade"
If you go into this book expecting a normal Chinese romance novel you will be heavily disappointed but if you are expecting a novel full of court antics and thousand of scheming and struggle for the crown, you would be more than satisfied with this book. I do agree that at first I was not actually expecting much from this novel. I had heard a lot about the author and her previous novels and many had read that before this and had a much better opinion about it but something nagging inside me wanted to give this the chance first.
The plot itself heavily relies of court relationships and the scheming that leads to the ascension of a new emperor in China and if one has watched drama like Story Of Yanxi Palace they can easily understand the scheming within the Imperial Family and the Inner Courtyards. If put simply for those Chinese drama fans this book is a perfect blend of Story of Yanxi Palace and the Story of Ming Lan. The scheming and the utter devotion the leads after their marriage reminds me a lot of the latter while the Imperial feuds reminds me that of the former. As I have mentioned previously, the plot and the characters heavily rely on those machinations to slowly glide forward.
What is beautiful in the story is the attention to detail. The story itself over the span of 108 chapters is not rushed neither is it dragged. Due to the number of chapter one can expect it to be rather boring but the author has put in enough charm to the story that not even one sentence of the story is boring. The attention to detail captures the audience and we are transported nicely into the Forbidden Palace that is filled with fei and taijin vying for the attention and favor of the emperor.
Just as the plot, the characters too take home a charm that stays with you through out the story. Our heroine, Hua Xi Wan is not your typical female lead. The charm in her is the fact that she is utterly and completely lazy. Yes you did not read it wrong. She is lazy. The only thing she wants to achieve in life is to spend her days sleeping, eating and reading. Who can not fall in love with a FL like that? That is completely the aim in my life too. Although for two years she does manage to achieve it, we can safely assume after a certain point she does turn somewhat busy. Our ML is not the typical Ml we see in the stories either. He is what you call a wolf in sheep clothing. The fact that the story starts with their arranged marriage does not hinder the flow at all. We do not witness a love at first sight neither do we see either one of them going beyond their rationality for each other who are completely strangers to each other. Both of them are polite and respectful to each other and through out the 108 chapters we are given the realistic journey from their wedding to the point where they fall in love. This clearly is not a story that relies on romance to propel the story forward, thus the story carries its own charm that gives it a very realistic aspect to it (other than counting the whole transmigration plot). Even the side characters, especially the Fl's paternal families are a real treat as they show undying devotion to the our characters. Another attractive point of the story is how it manages to give in detail the court life. We are provided with vivid and beautiful imagery of the life of the Chinese Empire and as mentioned above we are instantly transported to the Forbidden palace with their beautiful yet dangerous court life.
This being the second Historical novel that I have read on Ancient China, I really did not know what to expect but I can easily mention that in turn has become one of my favorite. Although the previous novel that I had read, Chongfei Manual was more about this novel too had managed to slowly make its way to the top of my list. If you are a fan of Asian history and does not mind a novel with beautiful descriptions of the court life of Ancient China, I would highly recommend this to you. I can easily confirm the musings of many who have mentioned the ability of the author for writing intriguing historical novels. Yue Xia Die Ying is without doubt one of the best at it.
If you go into this book expecting a normal Chinese romance novel you will be heavily disappointed but if you are expecting a novel full of court antics and thousand of scheming and struggle for the crown, you would be more than satisfied with this book. I do agree that at first I was not actually expecting much from this novel. I had heard a lot about the author and her previous novels and many had read that before this and had a much better opinion about it but something nagging inside me wanted to give this the chance first.
The plot itself heavily relies of court relationships and the scheming that leads to the ascension of a new emperor in China and if one has watched drama like Story Of Yanxi Palace they can easily understand the scheming within the Imperial Family and the Inner Courtyards. If put simply for those Chinese drama fans this book is a perfect blend of Story of Yanxi Palace and the Story of Ming Lan. The scheming and the utter devotion the leads after their marriage reminds me a lot of the latter while the Imperial feuds reminds me that of the former. As I have mentioned previously, the plot and the characters heavily rely on those machinations to slowly glide forward.
What is beautiful in the story is the attention to detail. The story itself over the span of 108 chapters is not rushed neither is it dragged. Due to the number of chapter one can expect it to be rather boring but the author has put in enough charm to the story that not even one sentence of the story is boring. The attention to detail captures the audience and we are transported nicely into the Forbidden Palace that is filled with fei and taijin vying for the attention and favor of the emperor.
Just as the plot, the characters too take home a charm that stays with you through out the story. Our heroine, Hua Xi Wan is not your typical female lead. The charm in her is the fact that she is utterly and completely lazy. Yes you did not read it wrong. She is lazy. The only thing she wants to achieve in life is to spend her days sleeping, eating and reading. Who can not fall in love with a FL like that? That is completely the aim in my life too. Although for two years she does manage to achieve it, we can safely assume after a certain point she does turn somewhat busy. Our ML is not the typical Ml we see in the stories either. He is what you call a wolf in sheep clothing. The fact that the story starts with their arranged marriage does not hinder the flow at all. We do not witness a love at first sight neither do we see either one of them going beyond their rationality for each other who are completely strangers to each other. Both of them are polite and respectful to each other and through out the 108 chapters we are given the realistic journey from their wedding to the point where they fall in love. This clearly is not a story that relies on romance to propel the story forward, thus the story carries its own charm that gives it a very realistic aspect to it (other than counting the whole transmigration plot). Even the side characters, especially the Fl's paternal families are a real treat as they show undying devotion to the our characters. Another attractive point of the story is how it manages to give in detail the court life. We are provided with vivid and beautiful imagery of the life of the Chinese Empire and as mentioned above we are instantly transported to the Forbidden palace with their beautiful yet dangerous court life.
This being the second Historical novel that I have read on Ancient China, I really did not know what to expect but I can easily mention that in turn has become one of my favorite. Although the previous novel that I had read, Chongfei Manual was more about this novel too had managed to slowly make its way to the top of my list. If you are a fan of Asian history and does not mind a novel with beautiful descriptions of the court life of Ancient China, I would highly recommend this to you. I can easily confirm the musings of many who have mentioned the ability of the author for writing intriguing historical novels. Yue Xia Die Ying is without doubt one of the best at it.
May 7, 2021
Eight Treasures Trousseau
#1 There are no concubines.
Even thou for ancient settings they make sense, still prefer the ML to be faithful if he claims to love the FL. (And it was really fun to see him slowly fall for her and kind of do a double take when he realises he is falling for her XD).
#2 No stupidly evil plans that are in fact laughable by the bad guys.
Always a +
#3 Our leads aren't annoyingly OP to the point it would make no sense.
In fact, I do like how the novel was more or less grounded and realistic and the FL did mention it how the dramas and what not are totally overblown.
#4 It had the ease and peace of a sort of slice of life story.
Reminds me of Legend of Concubine’s Daughter Minglan or Story of Minglan for c-drama watchers and thus I loved it.
Action is good and all, but now and then this simple peace is also needed and Eight Treasures Trousseau has it. So glad I found this novel.
And not like it was all peace and laziness (from the FL's side -our girl is a pro at being lazy XD), it had action as well so won't find it boring.
#5 The writing was excellent.
Some found the subtexts confusing, but I loved it. In fact, I hate it when everything is said plain & clear in black & white making it so boring and as if the audience are idiots and couldn't understand between the lines.
Thus ETT had some intrigue and was more interesting to read since you could anticipate what is to be from what the characters implied.
#6 Some also complained there were too many terms left in pinyin and sure, for beginners it might be confusing, but since I've read some novels and seen plenty of c-dramas I was already familiar with most of them.
There were some I had no knowledge of and thus learned smt new, but I actually preferred that the translators leave the many varied terms of address in pinyin with a glossary for explanation because in English it would all just turn into Jin Ling's Uncle's(lol, MDZS/The Untamed at it's finest XD otherwise and lose the texture of just how important all the relationships are.
Cough, sorrynotsorry. Couldn't resist. And that ^ is just the tip of the iceberg (lolololololol)
So yeah, at least for me, I preferred that and liked that the translators made a glossary with some reminders and left most of the terms in pinyin instead of translating to simple cousin/aunt/in-law etc. It just loses so much of cultural and society's meaning. Well, or smt like that XD
#7 All in all, this novel is now among my favourites because I thoroughly enjoyed the characters & the story. Especially the interactions between the FL & ML. It was joy to read.
And the novel was short as well, just 108 chapters, but that was enough. Am glad it wasn't uselessly dragged out.
Well, short by c-novel standards. If converted to your usual American/European book length, I'd say it's a longer one or if divided then maybe 2 or 3 book worth?
But yeah, by c-novel standards - rather short. And I liked it just fine for the flow of the story was easy and didn't feel like stopping anywhere and read it quite fast.
#8 Actually, for those who are new to historical palace c-novels this one might be a good start to dip into these waters - had a (comparing to your usual such novels) small cast & barely any harem fights and the FL has a loving & supporting family thus wouldn't make a newbies head spin in total confusion of just what the hell is going on and who the hell were these guys again or WTF how could you do that, etc *snickers*
Also, for those who are interested to read it the fan translation can be found here: Dreams of Jianghu
Awesome people have taken the time & effort to translate it for us commoners who otherwise wouldn't have a clue and were kind enough to share it :)
#9 The author has another novel that was written a year before this one titled To Be A Virtuous Wife and is of similar style and as usual, some prefer that, some prefer this, the comparisons are endless due to the similar setting.
Personally, I was more interested in this plot so started with Eight Treasures Trousseau, because the stories don't have any connection other than both FL's had transmigrated to the past.
Now that I'm done with ETT, will read the other one as well and then can compare...thou...is it really needed...each story has their own tale to tell & characters to show, so...nah, not gonna compare - no need for it, will just enjoy each story for their worth.
#10 Forgot to mention - so yeah, this is a transmigration novel aka the FL died in present time and time-traveled to the past and was "reborn" in another's body.
But really, it might as well not have been, because of how seamlessly & naturally the FL had adapted to her situation.
In this way it's also similar to Minglan in the aspect that the whole modern woman into ancient setting wasn't annoyingly OP or out of bounds - the FL transmigrated into a child and thus grew up in the society and adapted to it while still retaining her memories of past life in present time(that is kind of a mouthful) thus knew how to act to fit in while also held some struggles because we do have some progress regarding women rights & such in present time, but no such luck for women of ancient times.
Also, the reason I keep referencing Minglan is because that was the first c-novel I read of similar slice-of-life transmigration setting and since it has a c-drama adaptation people might be more familiar with it.
P.S.
Also - everybody gets an Oscar for their acting XDXDXDXD
#1 There are no concubines.
Even thou for ancient settings they make sense, still prefer the ML to be faithful if he claims to love the FL. (And it was really fun to see him slowly fall for her and kind of do a double take when he realises he is falling for her XD).
#2 No stupidly evil plans that are in fact laughable by the bad guys.
Always a +
#3 Our leads aren't annoyingly OP to the point it would make no sense.
In fact, I do like how the novel was more or less grounded and realistic and the FL did mention it how the dramas and what not are totally overblown.
#4 It had the ease and peace of a sort of slice of life story.
Reminds me of Legend of Concubine’s Daughter Minglan or Story of Minglan for c-drama watchers and thus I loved it.
Action is good and all, but now and then this simple peace is also needed and Eight Treasures Trousseau has it. So glad I found this novel.
And not like it was all peace and laziness (from the FL's side -our girl is a pro at being lazy XD), it had action as well so won't find it boring.
#5 The writing was excellent.
Some found the subtexts confusing, but I loved it. In fact, I hate it when everything is said plain & clear in black & white making it so boring and as if the audience are idiots and couldn't understand between the lines.
Thus ETT had some intrigue and was more interesting to read since you could anticipate what is to be from what the characters implied.
#6 Some also complained there were too many terms left in pinyin and sure, for beginners it might be confusing, but since I've read some novels and seen plenty of c-dramas I was already familiar with most of them.
There were some I had no knowledge of and thus learned smt new, but I actually preferred that the translators leave the many varied terms of address in pinyin with a glossary for explanation because in English it would all just turn into Jin Ling's Uncle's
So yeah, at least for me, I preferred that and liked that the translators made a glossary with some reminders and left most of the terms in pinyin instead of translating to simple cousin/aunt/in-law etc. It just loses so much of cultural and society's meaning. Well, or smt like that XD
#7 All in all, this novel is now among my favourites because I thoroughly enjoyed the characters & the story. Especially the interactions between the FL & ML. It was joy to read.
And the novel was short as well, just 108 chapters, but that was enough. Am glad it wasn't uselessly dragged out.
Well, short by c-novel standards. If converted to your usual American/European book length, I'd say it's a longer one or if divided then maybe 2 or 3 book worth?
But yeah, by c-novel standards - rather short. And I liked it just fine for the flow of the story was easy and didn't feel like stopping anywhere and read it quite fast.
#8 Actually, for those who are new to historical palace c-novels this one might be a good start to dip into these waters - had a (comparing to your usual such novels) small cast & barely any harem fights and the FL has a loving & supporting family thus wouldn't make a newbies head spin in total confusion of just what the hell is going on and who the hell were these guys again or WTF how could you do that, etc *snickers*
Also, for those who are interested to read it the fan translation can be found here: Dreams of Jianghu
Awesome people have taken the time & effort to translate it for us commoners who otherwise wouldn't have a clue and were kind enough to share it :)
#9 The author has another novel that was written a year before this one titled To Be A Virtuous Wife and is of similar style and as usual, some prefer that, some prefer this, the comparisons are endless due to the similar setting.
Personally, I was more interested in this plot so started with Eight Treasures Trousseau, because the stories don't have any connection other than both FL's had transmigrated to the past.
Now that I'm done with ETT, will read the other one as well and then can compare...thou...is it really needed...each story has their own tale to tell & characters to show, so...nah, not gonna compare - no need for it, will just enjoy each story for their worth.
#10 Forgot to mention - so yeah, this is a transmigration novel aka the FL died in present time and time-traveled to the past and was "reborn" in another's body.
But really, it might as well not have been, because of how seamlessly & naturally the FL had adapted to her situation.
In this way it's also similar to Minglan in the aspect that the whole modern woman into ancient setting wasn't annoyingly OP or out of bounds - the FL transmigrated into a child and thus grew up in the society and adapted to it while still retaining her memories of past life in present time
Also, the reason I keep referencing Minglan is because that was the first c-novel I read of similar slice-of-life transmigration setting and since it has a c-drama adaptation people might be more familiar with it.
P.S.
Also - everybody gets an Oscar for their acting XDXDXDXD
January 21, 2019
This is like To Be A Virtuous Wife but different hahaha...
Okay, Hu Xi Wan and Yan Jin Qiu are married by the decree of the emperor. Everyone thought she's an ugly person and poor YJQ to be married to her. But then they were wrong bahaha...
HXW is the laziest heroine that I've ever encountered. All she did is eat, read and sleep. This was actually her goal in life:
HQW: "The goal of my life is to eat when I want, sleep when I want, and if I don't want to go out, that no one can call me out. It is so tiring to go out. It is tiring to be careful when I speak, and when I encounter someone of a higher rank, I have to bow and flatter them. Don't you find it bothersome?"
HXW was an actress in her past life. I'm not pretty sure if she had her heart broken but her experiences in the entertainment circle made her non-romantic somehow.
So her attitude about tall, handsome and rich men was that they could be looked at, hugged, and played with, but she could not love them.
her attitude about love:
Life was so short and love was so ephemeral. She did not want the ephemeral love to take over her brief life. Women were always used to giving everything for love, even forgetting themselves. She probably just loved herself more, so love was not so important.
about her husband, YQJ
It would be more accurate to say that she was repelled by this marriage that was unequal between the sexes. Because she knew the reality was so, she dociley accepted this marriage, but because of her emotions deep inside, she would not feel true love for Yan Jin Qiu, her husband.
Maybe, even if she could not give her love, she should treat Yan Jin Qiu better as he did not have any concubines right now, and had not done anything wrong to her.
In more common words, he didn't owe her anything.
about his role as a nobility:
Seeing Yan Jin Qiu also take out his Oscar-winning skills, Hua Xi Wan sighed. She hadn't thought that after being reborn, she still had to continue her old line of work. This was a tragic story.
Their relationship was cordial - she did not offend him and he did not offend her. The romance was slow actually. After half a year into the marriage HQW was able to ask him...
HQW: Can I believe in you?
YJQ: From now on, even though I cannot tell you some things, I will not lie and fool you. are...are you willing to walk with me?
HQW: What you said....? Why don't we try?
Now, Yan Jin Qiu's thoughts about HQW:
Yan Jin Qiu never seen Hu Xi Wan being so cruel to another female. In his impression, she was usually very lazy, elegant, or indifferent. But no matter the time, she was always beautiful, as though the shortcomings of her personality had nothing to do with her.
But suddenly, when this woman showed her shrewish side, and was fighting viciously against someone else, he had a feeling that he was being protected by this woman.
It really was... a strange feeling.
Yan Jin Qiu was an emperor's nephew who was so beautiful and elegant. He was scholarly and loved to draw and people would assume that he never had great ambitions. But little they did know that this guy was vicious in his own ways.
When he married HXW, he was polite and cordial and spoiled her so much. Then he became open to her (without forcing their selves) and playful :-)
YJQ: "In front of others, I'm naturally a gentleman, but in front of Xi Wan this gentleman will change into...a hungry pervert."
According to HQW, In terms of personality, both she and Yan Jin Qiu were not kind people, but she usually was one who did not move unless the enemy moved. Yan Jin Qiu was more vicious. If the enemy did not move,he would force the other to move.
I believe it's YJQ who fell in loved first. The C-novels that I read? It's the guys who fell in loved first heheheh and I kinda like it.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven's blessings, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
I don't know why but I like romance stories when the MCs do not confess the I LOVE YOU to each other. I mean, I'd rather choose that they'd not say the magic words but it is obvious with their actions. Plus, I also like slow romance :-)
HXW is a bad-ass heroine who can literally defend herself and her fu against rebels and assassins. It's a pity that I haven't seen YJQ in action because I'd really love to know his capabilities in terms of his kung fu skills.
All in all, it's a slow read but enjoyable.
Okay, Hu Xi Wan and Yan Jin Qiu are married by the decree of the emperor. Everyone thought she's an ugly person and poor YJQ to be married to her. But then they were wrong bahaha...
HXW is the laziest heroine that I've ever encountered. All she did is eat, read and sleep. This was actually her goal in life:
HQW: "The goal of my life is to eat when I want, sleep when I want, and if I don't want to go out, that no one can call me out. It is so tiring to go out. It is tiring to be careful when I speak, and when I encounter someone of a higher rank, I have to bow and flatter them. Don't you find it bothersome?"
HXW was an actress in her past life. I'm not pretty sure if she had her heart broken but her experiences in the entertainment circle made her non-romantic somehow.
So her attitude about tall, handsome and rich men was that they could be looked at, hugged, and played with, but she could not love them.
her attitude about love:
Life was so short and love was so ephemeral. She did not want the ephemeral love to take over her brief life. Women were always used to giving everything for love, even forgetting themselves. She probably just loved herself more, so love was not so important.
about her husband, YQJ
It would be more accurate to say that she was repelled by this marriage that was unequal between the sexes. Because she knew the reality was so, she dociley accepted this marriage, but because of her emotions deep inside, she would not feel true love for Yan Jin Qiu, her husband.
Maybe, even if she could not give her love, she should treat Yan Jin Qiu better as he did not have any concubines right now, and had not done anything wrong to her.
In more common words, he didn't owe her anything.
about his role as a nobility:
Seeing Yan Jin Qiu also take out his Oscar-winning skills, Hua Xi Wan sighed. She hadn't thought that after being reborn, she still had to continue her old line of work. This was a tragic story.
Their relationship was cordial - she did not offend him and he did not offend her. The romance was slow actually. After half a year into the marriage HQW was able to ask him...
HQW: Can I believe in you?
YJQ: From now on, even though I cannot tell you some things, I will not lie and fool you. are...are you willing to walk with me?
HQW: What you said....? Why don't we try?
Now, Yan Jin Qiu's thoughts about HQW:
Yan Jin Qiu never seen Hu Xi Wan being so cruel to another female. In his impression, she was usually very lazy, elegant, or indifferent. But no matter the time, she was always beautiful, as though the shortcomings of her personality had nothing to do with her.
But suddenly, when this woman showed her shrewish side, and was fighting viciously against someone else, he had a feeling that he was being protected by this woman.
It really was... a strange feeling.
Yan Jin Qiu was an emperor's nephew who was so beautiful and elegant. He was scholarly and loved to draw and people would assume that he never had great ambitions. But little they did know that this guy was vicious in his own ways.
When he married HXW, he was polite and cordial and spoiled her so much. Then he became open to her (without forcing their selves) and playful :-)
YJQ: "In front of others, I'm naturally a gentleman, but in front of Xi Wan this gentleman will change into...a hungry pervert."
According to HQW, In terms of personality, both she and Yan Jin Qiu were not kind people, but she usually was one who did not move unless the enemy moved. Yan Jin Qiu was more vicious. If the enemy did not move,he would force the other to move.
I believe it's YJQ who fell in loved first. The C-novels that I read? It's the guys who fell in loved first heheheh and I kinda like it.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven's blessings, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
I don't know why but I like romance stories when the MCs do not confess the I LOVE YOU to each other. I mean, I'd rather choose that they'd not say the magic words but it is obvious with their actions. Plus, I also like slow romance :-)
HXW is a bad-ass heroine who can literally defend herself and her fu against rebels and assassins. It's a pity that I haven't seen YJQ in action because I'd really love to know his capabilities in terms of his kung fu skills.
All in all, it's a slow read but enjoyable.
May 9, 2020
4.5 stars
I am no stranger to reading chinese novels, but this one was truly beautiful and well-crafted.
What I liked about this novel:
Spoilers ahead~
-scheming and destroying your enemies is fun and gives me life (not going to lie, I started this novel because I was promised some good plotting and I am really satisfied);
-The male lead, Yan Jin Qiu. I like characters that are intelligent and have a great capacity for subterfuge. And can I say how much I enjoyed Jin Qiu being ruthless af? *chef's kiss*
-The female lead, Hua Xi Wan. I aspire to be like her. I adore her laziness, her fierceness, her intellect, and her total lack of faith in men. What an icon.
-The male and female leads together make such a power couple. Brains, beauty, and Oscar-worthy performances. They suit each other so well and make people jealous, their relationship is such a fresh breath of air. I enjoyed the tacit understanding between each other
-The secondary characters are developed and each have their motivations. I cannot say that I am displeased with any of the characters' endings. More than anything, I think that the author did a great job at giving life to these characters. I liked even the villains.
-I liked that from time to time we would be provided with some Xi Wan wisdom about the relationship between men and women.
-The humor, although subtle, was enough to have me dying.
-Although the pace was slowish, it did not felt dragged on, but rather it was used to shape the story and bring more depth to the story.
-The ending. Mocking the notion of time travelling in a story with a time traveler was a funny touch that I will forever love.
What I didn't like:
-Although the epilogue was satisfying, it felt a little too short and abrupt. Which was weird since the pace of the rest of the story was slow.
I enjoyed reading this novel immensely and now I am a fan of this author and I will for sure read her other works. Peace out.✌
I am no stranger to reading chinese novels, but this one was truly beautiful and well-crafted.
What I liked about this novel:
Spoilers ahead~
-scheming and destroying your enemies is fun and gives me life (not going to lie, I started this novel because I was promised some good plotting and I am really satisfied);
-The male lead, Yan Jin Qiu. I like characters that are intelligent and have a great capacity for subterfuge. And can I say how much I enjoyed Jin Qiu being ruthless af? *chef's kiss*
-The female lead, Hua Xi Wan. I aspire to be like her. I adore her laziness, her fierceness, her intellect, and her total lack of faith in men. What an icon.
-The male and female leads together make such a power couple. Brains, beauty, and Oscar-worthy performances. They suit each other so well and make people jealous, their relationship is such a fresh breath of air. I enjoyed the tacit understanding between each other
-The secondary characters are developed and each have their motivations. I cannot say that I am displeased with any of the characters' endings. More than anything, I think that the author did a great job at giving life to these characters. I liked even the villains.
-I liked that from time to time we would be provided with some Xi Wan wisdom about the relationship between men and women.
-The humor, although subtle, was enough to have me dying.
-Although the pace was slowish, it did not felt dragged on, but rather it was used to shape the story and bring more depth to the story.
-The ending. Mocking the notion of time travelling in a story with a time traveler was a funny touch that I will forever love.
What I didn't like:
-Although the epilogue was satisfying, it felt a little too short and abrupt. Which was weird since the pace of the rest of the story was slow.
I enjoyed reading this novel immensely and now I am a fan of this author and I will for sure read her other works. Peace out.✌
May 22, 2018
Plot: 4/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 4/5 (rough estimation as I read the translated to English version)
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
Characterisation: 4/5
Prose: 4/5 (rough estimation as I read the translated to English version)
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
July 2, 2018
Interesting read. A lot of subtly talk and plots. Both main characters were very intelligent and the female lead was seriously kick ass....when she wasn't lazing around xD
Currently reading
November 12, 2021Hmm so from what I'm getting from reviews the heroine's main goal in life is to laze around and sleep all day and that sounds very relatable. I'm going to read this.
April 5, 2022
yes i did indeed have an ancient china royalty phase… this book is such a satisfying read and quite brutal too which is always fun
June 27, 2021
This author with the poetic name is new to me, I actually started off with reading her xianxia book on cultivation of a young girl Ascending, Do Not Disturb but ended up curiously jumping to this instead on the translation site Dreams of Jianghu.
Eight Treasures Trousseau is a transmigration Chinese novel, our heroine Hua Xi Wan was an actress in the entertainment circle in modern times before transmigrating to become the Third Miss of a prominent family in a fictional Great Zhao Dynasty (according to the text and translator, it bears similarities to Tang Dynasty). Hua Xi Wan is matched by emperor decree to marry Yan Jin Qiu, Xi'an Junwang, nephew to current Qilong emperor. What follows is numerous intense politicking and court machinations. At the time the novel starts, Hua Xi Wan is 16 and has grown up in this ancient Chinese dynasty atmosphere but still retains memories of her modern past.
This is not akin to Bu Bu Jing Xin or The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. Hua Xi Wan's notable characteristics are that she is indolent and stunningly beautiful. It's been commented that reading this author's works is relaxing and cotton candy sweet. Fine for relaxing reading but the stakes never feel really high. In most of these court politics dramas/novels, each side plots and sets up intricate traps, there's wins and losses, right? While there are 'accidental' miscarriages, poisonings, death by hanging, imprisonment, torture, it often feels that the golden couple is protected by plot armor. Not only that, our heroine grows up in a noble household that dotes on her, after marriage her husband also indulges her (despite him otherwise being ruthless and merciless toward his enemies). She never suffers any significant losses - her maternal family, her close servants/court ladies, all those she cares for are untouched throughout this supposed harrowing grab for the dragon throne.
There are some 'reading between the lines' dialogue and actions with subtext. It was fun reading on the translation website Dreams of Jianghu fellow readers on the same chapter dissecting the meanings or implications. But overall, it's a rather fluffy piece. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Eight Treasures Trousseau is a transmigration Chinese novel, our heroine Hua Xi Wan was an actress in the entertainment circle in modern times before transmigrating to become the Third Miss of a prominent family in a fictional Great Zhao Dynasty (according to the text and translator, it bears similarities to Tang Dynasty). Hua Xi Wan is matched by emperor decree to marry Yan Jin Qiu, Xi'an Junwang, nephew to current Qilong emperor. What follows is numerous intense politicking and court machinations. At the time the novel starts, Hua Xi Wan is 16 and has grown up in this ancient Chinese dynasty atmosphere but still retains memories of her modern past.
This is not akin to Bu Bu Jing Xin or The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. Hua Xi Wan's notable characteristics are that she is indolent and stunningly beautiful. It's been commented that reading this author's works is relaxing and cotton candy sweet. Fine for relaxing reading but the stakes never feel really high. In most of these court politics dramas/novels, each side plots and sets up intricate traps, there's wins and losses, right? While there are 'accidental' miscarriages, poisonings, death by hanging, imprisonment, torture, it often feels that the golden couple is protected by plot armor. Not only that, our heroine grows up in a noble household that dotes on her, after marriage her husband also indulges her (despite him otherwise being ruthless and merciless toward his enemies). She never suffers any significant losses - her maternal family, her close servants/court ladies, all those she cares for are untouched throughout this supposed harrowing grab for the dragon throne.
There are some 'reading between the lines' dialogue and actions with subtext. It was fun reading on the translation website Dreams of Jianghu fellow readers on the same chapter dissecting the meanings or implications. But overall, it's a rather fluffy piece. 2.5 stars rounded up.
June 14, 2020
Actual rating: 4.25⭐
This is another transmigration novel. I really didn't feel like our main female was from another world because she adapted so well on the world/dynasty. A lot of people is comparing this to To Be a Virtuous Wife and I do see the similarities.
I love the layers of conspiracies to gain the throne. But this one doesn't explain much the process but just reveal the result so I'm lost at some parts.
I love the laziness of our main female and I also like her female servants. The flavor of woman empowerment is ver much appreciated. It is a world where females doesn't have that much freedom and there's also slavery.
It is quite good but not too much detailed on the fight scenes.
This is another transmigration novel. I really didn't feel like our main female was from another world because she adapted so well on the world/dynasty. A lot of people is comparing this to To Be a Virtuous Wife and I do see the similarities.
I love the layers of conspiracies to gain the throne. But this one doesn't explain much the process but just reveal the result so I'm lost at some parts.
I love the laziness of our main female and I also like her female servants. The flavor of woman empowerment is ver much appreciated. It is a world where females doesn't have that much freedom and there's also slavery.
It is quite good but not too much detailed on the fight scenes.
March 11, 2018
Uma obra linda sobre a corte para quem além de gostar de romance, também tem interesse em jogos políticos.
Título: Os oito tesouros do enxoval, (Eight Treasures Trousseau em inglês), (八宝妆 – Bā bǎo zhuāng em mandarim )
Autor: Yue Xia Die Ying
Língua lida: Inglês. Pela Dreams of Jianghu
Tem em português: Não tem. Eu tinha interesse em traduzir, mas não tive retorno na minha mensagem pedindo autorização para traduzir para o português, e não consegui encontrar o e-mail do tradutor
Sinopse em português traduzida por mim:
Todos na cidade de Jing achavam que o decreto do casamento entre Xian JunWang e a filha di da casa do Marquês de Yi’an era como plantar uma flor recém colhida no esterco.
Xian Junwang era a flor recém colhida e a filha di da casa do Marquês de Yi’an era o esterco que ninguém gostava.
Não dizem que o que ouvem pode ser falso, que tem que ver para acreditar? Quem realmente sabia qual era a verdade?
Na verdade, eu iria fazer essa resenha junto com outro livro da mesma autora, que foi traduzido antes, e só estava esperando terminarem a tradução desse livro para fazer a resenha. Esperei, a tradução foi finalizada no final do ano passado, e não tinha feito a resenha ainda. Decidi fazer agora, e decidi separar as resenhas.
O motivo? São dois livros, então para que fazer uma resenha só?
O motivo de antes? O enredo é idêntico, o tom é idêntico.
A própria tradutora chama esse livro de Para ser uma esposa virtuosa 2.0!
E estou usando parte da resenha de um no outro mesmo!
O enredo de Para ser uma esposa virtuosa e de Os oito tesouros do enxoval é o seguinte: uma mulher moderna é transmigrada para o corpo de uma mulher da antiguidade, que se casa com um príncipe. Esse príncipe está envolvida na sucessão do trono. A protagonista só quer viver uma vida confortável e preguiçosa, mas nas poucas horas que precisa, sabe ser esperta. Ela conquista o príncipe logo de cara e o afasta das inimigas.
Até o final dos dois livros é igual. Sério, se você ler um livro, o final do outro é igualzinho!
E creio que esse enredo só vai se diferenciar um pouco de uma outra obra que parece que será traduzida da autora, O trabalho como uma Consorte Imperial (The Imperial Consort Occupation).
E isso me fez repensar no que me fazia interessar por um livro e sobre plágio. Já deixei de ler muitos livros por causa da sinopse, por achá-la simples demais, ou o contrário; ler um livro ruim por causa de uma premissa boa. Sempre a base do enredo foi algo importante para mim, mas agora já não é mais. Por mais que esses dois livros sejam idênticos em questão de história, sejam até mesmo escritos pela mesma autora, que dá o mesmo tom, e que a protagonista é a mesma, o decorrer é diferente. Isso diferencia Para ser uma esposa virtuosa de Os oito tesouros do enxoval. Não o conteúdo, não como é contato, mas sim o caminho que a história percorre. O começo e o final de ambos são quase idênticos, mas o como chegou lá foi diferente. Com isso, mesmo que fossem autores diferentes, eu não poderia falar que um é plágio do outro.
Agora, a história desse livro, e não do outro.
Ao contrário de várias histórias de transmigração, a protagonista, Hua Xi Wan, não transmigrou para o outro mundo logo no começo da história. Isso aconteceu quando o seu atual corpo era criança. Quando essa menina morreu, o corpo de uma atriz tomou conta dele e viveu até o presente momento, no qual se casava. Só que ela estava cansada da correria e da falsidade do mundo do entreterimento, e preferiu viver reclusa. Quase não saía de casa até a vida adulta e eram poucos os que viram o seu rosto.
Só que fofoqueiros como só os seres humanos conseguem ser, logo surgiu um rumor para explicar o motivo dessa menina nunca sair de casa: ela era feia, horrorosa, deformada. E algumas pessoas tinham motivos para que esse rumor continuasse. Os inimigos queriam ter uma mulher a menos como concorência no mercado casamenteiro, no qual além da nascença, a aparência também era importante. Quem iria querer ser o noivo de uma mulher famosa por sua feuira? Seria como uma humilhação para ele e sua família.
Só que os pais de Hua Xi Wan também tinham um motivo para que quisessem que a filha tivesse a fama de feia. Isso porque Hua Xi Wan era linda. Já falei como a beleza pode ser importante, e com um rosto como o da garota, ela teria muitos problemas. Poderia ser desejada por vários homens que seriam inescrupulosos para se casar com ela, e até mesmo poderiam forçar um casamento com alguém de status mais elevado do que o da família deles. E foi isso o que aconteceu.
O imperador decretou o seu casamento com o Príncipe de segundo grau (JunWang) Xian, Yan Ji Qiu. Ele era o sobrinho do imperador, filho de um príncipe que foi seu concorrente na luta do trono, e perdeu. O motivo para que esse casamento era claro: o imperador não gostava do JunWang Xian. O imperador só tinha um filho, justamente com a sua imperatriz, o príncipe herdeiro, e ele era um bosta, e ainda por cima histério. A capacidade de ter filhos era determinante para a manutenção da linhagem real, então era uma falha grave. O seus dois sobrinhos do imperador, filhos de diferentes pais, representavam uma ameaça não só para o príncipe herdeiro, mas também para ele mesmo. Sabendo da incompetência do filho, a imperatriz impedia que as concubinas reais tivessem filhos, já que literalmente qualquer um era melhor que ele.
(leia o resto da resenha no blog, clicando na imagem acima)
November 29, 2022
Been reading a string of BL novels nonstop so I decided to switch it up and read something different. I wanted to read about palace intrigue and scheming, so I picked up Eight Treasures Trousseau, which was exactly what I was looking for.
The MC, Hua Xiwan, is a modern day actress who died and was reborn into historical China as the third daughter of a moderately well-off noble family. She has a beautiful appearance, but due to a long recovery from illness, she hasn't made an appearance in public in years and years, and rumors are abound that that she's actually quite ugly. Because of this, the Emperor matches her up with one of his prince nephews, Xian junwang i.e. Yan Jinqiu, in hopes of bringing him down and reducing his chances at the throne. Little does he know, HXW is actually a rare beauty and he's doing YJQ a huge favor by giving him a gorgeous wife from a good family.
Obviously the story ends with our two main characters on the throne, but it's a long journey to get there and everyone in the Imperial family is scheming against each other in the meantime. Kinda sad to see these twisted family dynamics. So much scheming also means that most of the main side characters don't have a happy ending, especially the female ones. There were two characters in particular who really didn't have it easy, and I was sad that their story ended the way it did.
There were a lot of sweet interactions between the MC and ML, but I wouldn't consider this a romance story by any means. Because of her previous life experience, HXW is a bit cynical about love, and while she treats YJQ nicely and fully trusts him by the end, I'm not quite sure if it amounts to love. YJQ, on the other hand, is fascinated not by her beauty but by her strength and wit, and by the end, he's so whipped that even his subordinates wonder at his two-faced personality XP
The translation was done beautifully, but honestly I got a little lost in the writing sometimes. When something important happens, sometimes it's only hinted at and I have to either read the comments from other people or read the next chapter to fully understand what went down. The dialogue is also at times very subtle, so it was a little hard to follow the MC and ML's conversations as they're each hinting at things instead of directly saying it.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I think I enjoyed the middle part of the story the most. It took a while to get into the story at the beginning with all the names and families and Chinese titles being thrown around, and near the end it was one death after another, which was too much. I'm sure there was a little bit more time in between the deaths in the story world, but it felt like our characters just finished with the mourning rituals for one character when the next character passes away. It started with the Crown Prince, whose death by poisoning was sort of explained in the end, but I'm surprised even the Empress Dowager died. Yes she tried to manipulate YJQ onto the throne, so she's not completely free of blame, but she treated him a lot better than the other characters did and even arranged for his marriage to HXW behind the scenes, so I expected her to live to a ripe old age instead of also dying by poison.
One of my favorite scenes from the whole story comes when HXW goes to the Zhou residence to flex her power and status and demands the return of her elder cousin back to the Hua family. The Zhou family was completely not giving face to their family until the MC shows up, and it felt so good to watch the whole family get their face slapped.
Speaking of face slapping, another satisfying occasion of this happens when YJQ's older sister comes crawling back to his home to ask for their help in clearing her name from her husband's murder. HXW got into fully protective mode on YJQ's behalf and let her temper go for the first time in the story and scolded the sister for being a hypocrite and only recognizing her paternal family when it was convenient for her. Her points were spot on. I was cheering HXW the whole way through the fight; she really nailed it! Plus there was some nice coordinated supporting lines by YJQ, so they were both on the same page so openly for the first time against a third party.
I love the MC's personality as it closely reminds me of my own. She loves to lay around all day and eat and sleep, and she's generally too lazy to engage in the normal societal courtesies of attending and hosting parties, but if you touch her bottom line, then good luck to you. It reminds me of the quote, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She's not rejected in love here, but every time someone schemes against her or tries to get YJQ's attention, she has no patience for them, even if it's a maidservant who's served her for years. I just love how lazy she is... so many times she starts thinking about the implications of an event, realizes it's too much work, and then she decides to go eat or sleep instead XD
It's a good thing HXW was an actress in her previous life, as there was SO much acting, especially around the other Imperial family members. Here's a classic example from the Empress Dowager's death bed that had me cracking up:
“Please, Emperor, do not be like this. Imperial Grandmother frequently talks to this subject about your filialness and consideration to her. No one could have predicted what happened today.” Yan Jin Qiu’s eyes also turned red and he started to sob. “This subject… this subject only hopes that Imperial Grandmother can be healthy and unharmed.”
Seeing Yan Jin Qiu also take out his Oscar-winning skills, Hua Xi Wan sighed. She hadn’t thought that after being reborn, she still had to continue her old line of work. This was a tragic story.
“Wang Ye, do not be like this.” Hua Xi Wan pinched a corner of her handkerchief and wiped at her eyes without any elegance. She quickly started to cry to the point she couldn’t breathe. She acted out a woman who was afraid and shocked and worried about her husband. “If Imperial Grandmother knows that you have neglected your body so, when Imperial Grandmother recovers, won’t she feel pain for your health? You… do not be too sad.” While she urged Yan Jin Qiu to not be sad, she was crying sorrowfully.
It was interesting to read how YJQ slowly falls in love with HXW, from being complete strangers to trusted accomplices to a true married couple by the end. This passage nicely describes how head over heels he is for her, and what I appreciate is that he actually was attracted to her strength rather than her beauty:
When he first saw Hua Xi Wan, he was stunned by her beauty, by her smile, but only just stunned. What really moved his heart was that anger when she was furious. At that time, she was like the only streak of color among black and white which caused his heart to move.
The closer they became, the more he felt that this kind of woman was one who was suited to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She was lazy but not stupid, beautiful and intelligent, emotional but cool.
He did not need a noble lady who was so dignified that she was a statue, or a woman of the Imperial Family who would adhere to etiquette. She might be slightly lazy, or have her own thoughts, or was not the same in how she acted and what she was really like, but from beginning to now, what he wanted was a living woman, and not a puppet.
Sometimes, the path of a person was too hard to walk, and he needed to find someone suitable to walk it with him.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven’s blessing, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
The MC, Hua Xiwan, is a modern day actress who died and was reborn into historical China as the third daughter of a moderately well-off noble family. She has a beautiful appearance, but due to a long recovery from illness, she hasn't made an appearance in public in years and years, and rumors are abound that that she's actually quite ugly. Because of this, the Emperor matches her up with one of his prince nephews, Xian junwang i.e. Yan Jinqiu, in hopes of bringing him down and reducing his chances at the throne. Little does he know, HXW is actually a rare beauty and he's doing YJQ a huge favor by giving him a gorgeous wife from a good family.
Obviously the story ends with our two main characters on the throne, but it's a long journey to get there and everyone in the Imperial family is scheming against each other in the meantime. Kinda sad to see these twisted family dynamics. So much scheming also means that most of the main side characters don't have a happy ending, especially the female ones. There were two characters in particular who really didn't have it easy, and I was sad that their story ended the way it did.
There were a lot of sweet interactions between the MC and ML, but I wouldn't consider this a romance story by any means. Because of her previous life experience, HXW is a bit cynical about love, and while she treats YJQ nicely and fully trusts him by the end, I'm not quite sure if it amounts to love. YJQ, on the other hand, is fascinated not by her beauty but by her strength and wit, and by the end, he's so whipped that even his subordinates wonder at his two-faced personality XP
The translation was done beautifully, but honestly I got a little lost in the writing sometimes. When something important happens, sometimes it's only hinted at and I have to either read the comments from other people or read the next chapter to fully understand what went down. The dialogue is also at times very subtle, so it was a little hard to follow the MC and ML's conversations as they're each hinting at things instead of directly saying it.
**Warning: Spoilers Ahead**
I think I enjoyed the middle part of the story the most. It took a while to get into the story at the beginning with all the names and families and Chinese titles being thrown around, and near the end it was one death after another, which was too much. I'm sure there was a little bit more time in between the deaths in the story world, but it felt like our characters just finished with the mourning rituals for one character when the next character passes away. It started with the Crown Prince, whose death by poisoning was sort of explained in the end, but I'm surprised even the Empress Dowager died. Yes she tried to manipulate YJQ onto the throne, so she's not completely free of blame, but she treated him a lot better than the other characters did and even arranged for his marriage to HXW behind the scenes, so I expected her to live to a ripe old age instead of also dying by poison.
One of my favorite scenes from the whole story comes when HXW goes to the Zhou residence to flex her power and status and demands the return of her elder cousin back to the Hua family. The Zhou family was completely not giving face to their family until the MC shows up, and it felt so good to watch the whole family get their face slapped.
Speaking of face slapping, another satisfying occasion of this happens when YJQ's older sister comes crawling back to his home to ask for their help in clearing her name from her husband's murder. HXW got into fully protective mode on YJQ's behalf and let her temper go for the first time in the story and scolded the sister for being a hypocrite and only recognizing her paternal family when it was convenient for her. Her points were spot on. I was cheering HXW the whole way through the fight; she really nailed it! Plus there was some nice coordinated supporting lines by YJQ, so they were both on the same page so openly for the first time against a third party.
I love the MC's personality as it closely reminds me of my own. She loves to lay around all day and eat and sleep, and she's generally too lazy to engage in the normal societal courtesies of attending and hosting parties, but if you touch her bottom line, then good luck to you. It reminds me of the quote, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She's not rejected in love here, but every time someone schemes against her or tries to get YJQ's attention, she has no patience for them, even if it's a maidservant who's served her for years. I just love how lazy she is... so many times she starts thinking about the implications of an event, realizes it's too much work, and then she decides to go eat or sleep instead XD
It's a good thing HXW was an actress in her previous life, as there was SO much acting, especially around the other Imperial family members. Here's a classic example from the Empress Dowager's death bed that had me cracking up:
“Please, Emperor, do not be like this. Imperial Grandmother frequently talks to this subject about your filialness and consideration to her. No one could have predicted what happened today.” Yan Jin Qiu’s eyes also turned red and he started to sob. “This subject… this subject only hopes that Imperial Grandmother can be healthy and unharmed.”
Seeing Yan Jin Qiu also take out his Oscar-winning skills, Hua Xi Wan sighed. She hadn’t thought that after being reborn, she still had to continue her old line of work. This was a tragic story.
“Wang Ye, do not be like this.” Hua Xi Wan pinched a corner of her handkerchief and wiped at her eyes without any elegance. She quickly started to cry to the point she couldn’t breathe. She acted out a woman who was afraid and shocked and worried about her husband. “If Imperial Grandmother knows that you have neglected your body so, when Imperial Grandmother recovers, won’t she feel pain for your health? You… do not be too sad.” While she urged Yan Jin Qiu to not be sad, she was crying sorrowfully.
It was interesting to read how YJQ slowly falls in love with HXW, from being complete strangers to trusted accomplices to a true married couple by the end. This passage nicely describes how head over heels he is for her, and what I appreciate is that he actually was attracted to her strength rather than her beauty:
When he first saw Hua Xi Wan, he was stunned by her beauty, by her smile, but only just stunned. What really moved his heart was that anger when she was furious. At that time, she was like the only streak of color among black and white which caused his heart to move.
The closer they became, the more he felt that this kind of woman was one who was suited to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She was lazy but not stupid, beautiful and intelligent, emotional but cool.
He did not need a noble lady who was so dignified that she was a statue, or a woman of the Imperial Family who would adhere to etiquette. She might be slightly lazy, or have her own thoughts, or was not the same in how she acted and what she was really like, but from beginning to now, what he wanted was a living woman, and not a puppet.
Sometimes, the path of a person was too hard to walk, and he needed to find someone suitable to walk it with him.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven’s blessing, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
January 28, 2022
Honestly so boring. Also- idk why so many translated novels are on Goodreads? Lmao my full reviews can be found at Novel Updates under “spiceggroll”
Anyway, this author is hit or miss for me. I adored Ascending, Do Not Disturb, but literally fell asleep reading this one. Happy ending, though!
Anyway, this author is hit or miss for me. I adored Ascending, Do Not Disturb, but literally fell asleep reading this one. Happy ending, though!
April 7, 2022
Basic af. Bored me to tears. RTC.
July 8, 2024
Not as entertaining as Qian Shan Cha Ke's novels. This is slow paced and there isn't much action. Also the female lead is so earth shatteringly beautiful that it's a bit ridiculous.
August 12, 2024
2.95 stars
January 19, 2024
It's now 1/18/24
I debated between four and five stars because I really liked it but I wasn't like "OMFG EVERYONE HAS TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW" but then again I also can't stop thinking about it - and after I read this I read four books in a row by this author.
>.> So ... LOL maybe I should give it five stars. (Initially I gave it four but I convinced myself.)
I don't know if I'd DNF'd this book previously or started one similar to it at the end of 2023, but this time I'm glad I kept going because it was SO GOOD.
I did feel there were some gaps/wish there had been slightly more development but ... I never thought I'd love a genuinely lazy heroine so very much.
And the thing is she's lazy yes, but she's also super badass like our bitch is a workout queen and a badass top tier martial artist. So - let our queen be lazy. (LOL and about that ... >.>)
I liked our grey hero too. He presents one face to the world, but FL has always known he's been more than that. It's not exactly overtly said but it is - it's hard to explain - there's no intro you're kinda fed it at random future times that's she's an actress or former actress from modern times who transmigrated into the FL's body...) and her dry commentary is HILARIOUS. OMG the "acting" of the royal family - I'm literally laughing out loud as I type just thinking about it.
I definitely will be re-reading this book at some point in the future <3
I'd say ... A-? A? I don't know.
~*~*~*~*~
😱😱😱 c47 for this book starting so slow (and lowkey I feel like I DNF’d it my first try) it def picks up and is SO deeply scheming like EVERYTHING IS A TRAP
every word look deed gift everything.
I still can’t see through ML (and like <.< does he secretly know martial arts?)
Lol this book lowkey kinda makes me feel a bit dumb :x like the “ Translator Ramblings: The murder mystery continues. Yan Jin Qiu and Hua Xi Wan have a heart to heart about their marriage expectations. I love the implied question that Yan Jin Qiu had. Three birds with one stone, showing vulnerability and expressing love while asking Hua Xi Wan about herself.” … I didn’t catch/see the TRIPLE… also <.< what EXACTLY is he asking I still can’t even tell/decide if he’s TRULY treating her with sincerity/am deeply suspicious…
Also though 🙄😒 YJQ’s sister is relentlessly stupid. Thought she finally got a wake up call after her husband was assassinated but nope & she’s so shitty about HXW’s sincere gifts to her children. 😒
Also 😱😅 O.o wtf to the rumor of HXW whipping ML what is WRONG with the public/how do they always get everything about her SO wrong.
Sigh at least HWX has a delightful family ❤️
C49 :/ I feel bad Hou Shi (Shen(?) Junwangfei miscarried and <.< am suspicious of the crown princess. Also can’t decide if crown princess is good or bad…) seems HWX likes both at least in part right now… and ML looking down when he heard the news - 😱 did HE play a role?!
C51 omg the suicide of Li Meiren … and the acting of ~all the women & their servant girls. A+
>.> was this the doing of Hou Shi? People are endlessly attacking this evil crown prince 🤷🏻♀️
AHHHHBWAAAAAHHHH C55 when HWX straight up asks if she can trust YJQ and he says “ Yan Jin Qiu focused on this pair of beautiful eyes. “From now on, even though I cannot tell you some things, I will not lie and fool you. Are… are you willing to walk with me?”” I JUST COME ON. So … this HAS to be him truly treating her with sincerity & he’s actually honestly been wooing her… RIGHT?!
(Also though 😱 Hou Shi just popping up telling FL she’ll help her become empress. Oof. Poor thing though :/ I hope she can become pregnant… tbh I hope she can divorce & find a non trash ass man. 😒😡)
C56 Zhang Shi is just BEWILDERINGLY stupid. Like STUNNINGLY stupid. INCOMPREHENSIBLY stupid. BREATHTAKINGLY stupid. … at least 2nd Hua Miss’s father & brother don’t suck. Just omfg.
lol ok but the END of it I was like 😱😹 ok I see why it’s called “support” daaaamn. TKO on both 2MH’s younger brother showing up at his BIL’s house AND HWX “just happening by” and both refusing to go in. YAAS HUA FAMILY. … seriously they should expel Zhang Shi 😒😡
Ok lol I literally exclaimed “OH FUCK” at the end of c57. 💯 ML has appeared. And I LOVE this Hua family show if force & solidarity against this shit Zhou family. Ahaha.
58… hm I wonder - did the matter have to go to court since the idiot Zhou family was unwilling to divorce? Also 😡 I still think the evil Zhou son was let off too easy. I’m scared for how malicious cousin might be though like will she actually be grateful to HWX tomorrow…
C60 - lol I love how succinctly clue giving & summarizing the chapter titles are. I’m def convinced the emperor is the father of the crown princess’s baby 😬☠️
Heh to the imperial cousins causing the crown prince’s infertility. And def the empress has murdered any other imperial heirs.
Most important is FL saving the little servant girl ❤️ (srsly wtf was that dream thing…)
C65 lol loved FL telling off her shitty SIL. 😜😇 too bad everything is so fade to black for the “enviable night” b/t FL & ML.
C66; ML is more & more being so honest with FL meanwhile she’s more like “… pass” 😅🫠 - I def think it’s possible the emperor poisoned the crown prince but ugh dude what if the baby is a girl?!
I also don’t get why the old imperial physicians need… oh. Because it’s “their fault” the CP is ~dying 🙄😒😒
Ooooc67 “When he first saw Hua Xi Wan, he was stunned by her beauty, by her smile, but only just stunned. What really moved his heart was that anger when she was furious. At that time, she was like the only streak of color among black and white which caused his heart to move.
The closer they became, the more he felt that this kind of woman was one who was suited to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She was lazy but not stupid, beautiful and intelligent, emotional but cool.
He did not need a noble lady who was so dignified that she was a statue, or a woman of the Imperial Family who would adhere to etiquette. She might be slightly lazy, or have her own thoughts, or was not the same in how she acted and what she was really like, but from beginning to now, what he wanted was a living woman, and not a puppet.
Sometimes, the path of a person was too hard to walk, and he needed to find someone suitable to walk it with him.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven’s blessing, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
In this world, it was too difficult to find someone suited to him. How could he bear to miss a chance like this?
In reality, he and she were people of the same type. The heavens had them come together—this meant that the heavens had intended it to be so.
A match made in heaven should not be missed.”
C70 RIP crown prince we never knew or liked you. 😹☠️💯 to HWX&YJQ’s acting. Perfectly in sync. (Also seriously obvs he acts weak but is he ~secretly some super martial artist? I HOPE SO.)
C71 I literally while laughing in ~shock said “ohmygod”3x like shoutout to HWX and her amazing maids acting team A+💯 “Assassin?”
C78 shoutout to ML for knowing “ Some things were not able to be obtained by sacrificing a woman.” and officially the empress dowager can fuck off forever trying to force ML to have any kid so she can be the grand empress dowager - oh right AND SHE HELPED KILL HIS MOM. Omfg.
C86 lol ok maybe I’m giving him too much credit but seriously how did YJQ make the guardhouse outside the imperial tomb burn + places in the city just as the baby was born? <.< and lol to him “standing above” all this.
C95 ok FL & her oldest cousin have the most fucking complicated relationship ever. … that being said FL has saved her at least 2x now. And OMFG her with her sword and her maids with their daggers 😱😱😻😻💯💯💯💯💯
C97 FL’s mom almost gives a new definition to mama bear ❤️💯 - curious about Hou Shi running screaming “save me” out of Sheng junwangfu… and lol & when FL says “this probably wouldn’t have happened if they had a child” (she wouldn’t have left) & ML immediately is like “let’s have a baby.”
C101 this stupid bitch Yuan ShuYi (the former MingHua(?) junzhu) is just RUSHING to die. Ugh.
I read the book here: https://dreamsofjianghu.ca/%E5%85%AB%...
I debated between four and five stars because I really liked it but I wasn't like "OMFG EVERYONE HAS TO READ THIS RIGHT NOW" but then again I also can't stop thinking about it - and after I read this I read four books in a row by this author.
>.> So ... LOL maybe I should give it five stars. (Initially I gave it four but I convinced myself.)
I don't know if I'd DNF'd this book previously or started one similar to it at the end of 2023, but this time I'm glad I kept going because it was SO GOOD.
I did feel there were some gaps/wish there had been slightly more development but ... I never thought I'd love a genuinely lazy heroine so very much.
And the thing is she's lazy yes, but she's also super badass like our bitch is a workout queen and a badass top tier martial artist. So - let our queen be lazy. (LOL and about that ... >.>)
I liked our grey hero too. He presents one face to the world, but FL has always known he's been more than that. It's not exactly overtly said but it is - it's hard to explain - there's no intro you're kinda fed it at random future times that's she's an actress or former actress from modern times who transmigrated into the FL's body...) and her dry commentary is HILARIOUS. OMG the "acting" of the royal family - I'm literally laughing out loud as I type just thinking about it.
I definitely will be re-reading this book at some point in the future <3
I'd say ... A-? A? I don't know.
~*~*~*~*~
😱😱😱 c47 for this book starting so slow (and lowkey I feel like I DNF’d it my first try) it def picks up and is SO deeply scheming like EVERYTHING IS A TRAP
every word look deed gift everything.
I still can’t see through ML (and like <.< does he secretly know martial arts?)
Lol this book lowkey kinda makes me feel a bit dumb :x like the “ Translator Ramblings: The murder mystery continues. Yan Jin Qiu and Hua Xi Wan have a heart to heart about their marriage expectations. I love the implied question that Yan Jin Qiu had. Three birds with one stone, showing vulnerability and expressing love while asking Hua Xi Wan about herself.” … I didn’t catch/see the TRIPLE… also <.< what EXACTLY is he asking I still can’t even tell/decide if he’s TRULY treating her with sincerity/am deeply suspicious…
Also though 🙄😒 YJQ’s sister is relentlessly stupid. Thought she finally got a wake up call after her husband was assassinated but nope & she’s so shitty about HXW’s sincere gifts to her children. 😒
Also 😱😅 O.o wtf to the rumor of HXW whipping ML what is WRONG with the public/how do they always get everything about her SO wrong.
Sigh at least HWX has a delightful family ❤️
C49 :/ I feel bad Hou Shi (Shen(?) Junwangfei miscarried and <.< am suspicious of the crown princess. Also can’t decide if crown princess is good or bad…) seems HWX likes both at least in part right now… and ML looking down when he heard the news - 😱 did HE play a role?!
C51 omg the suicide of Li Meiren … and the acting of ~all the women & their servant girls. A+
>.> was this the doing of Hou Shi? People are endlessly attacking this evil crown prince 🤷🏻♀️
AHHHHBWAAAAAHHHH C55 when HWX straight up asks if she can trust YJQ and he says “ Yan Jin Qiu focused on this pair of beautiful eyes. “From now on, even though I cannot tell you some things, I will not lie and fool you. Are… are you willing to walk with me?”” I JUST COME ON. So … this HAS to be him truly treating her with sincerity & he’s actually honestly been wooing her… RIGHT?!
(Also though 😱 Hou Shi just popping up telling FL she’ll help her become empress. Oof. Poor thing though :/ I hope she can become pregnant… tbh I hope she can divorce & find a non trash ass man. 😒😡)
C56 Zhang Shi is just BEWILDERINGLY stupid. Like STUNNINGLY stupid. INCOMPREHENSIBLY stupid. BREATHTAKINGLY stupid. … at least 2nd Hua Miss’s father & brother don’t suck. Just omfg.
lol ok but the END of it I was like 😱😹 ok I see why it’s called “support” daaaamn. TKO on both 2MH’s younger brother showing up at his BIL’s house AND HWX “just happening by” and both refusing to go in. YAAS HUA FAMILY. … seriously they should expel Zhang Shi 😒😡
Ok lol I literally exclaimed “OH FUCK” at the end of c57. 💯 ML has appeared. And I LOVE this Hua family show if force & solidarity against this shit Zhou family. Ahaha.
58… hm I wonder - did the matter have to go to court since the idiot Zhou family was unwilling to divorce? Also 😡 I still think the evil Zhou son was let off too easy. I’m scared for how malicious cousin might be though like will she actually be grateful to HWX tomorrow…
C60 - lol I love how succinctly clue giving & summarizing the chapter titles are. I’m def convinced the emperor is the father of the crown princess’s baby 😬☠️
Heh to the imperial cousins causing the crown prince’s infertility. And def the empress has murdered any other imperial heirs.
Most important is FL saving the little servant girl ❤️ (srsly wtf was that dream thing…)
C65 lol loved FL telling off her shitty SIL. 😜😇 too bad everything is so fade to black for the “enviable night” b/t FL & ML.
C66; ML is more & more being so honest with FL meanwhile she’s more like “… pass” 😅🫠 - I def think it’s possible the emperor poisoned the crown prince but ugh dude what if the baby is a girl?!
I also don’t get why the old imperial physicians need… oh. Because it’s “their fault” the CP is ~dying 🙄😒😒
Ooooc67 “When he first saw Hua Xi Wan, he was stunned by her beauty, by her smile, but only just stunned. What really moved his heart was that anger when she was furious. At that time, she was like the only streak of color among black and white which caused his heart to move.
The closer they became, the more he felt that this kind of woman was one who was suited to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She was lazy but not stupid, beautiful and intelligent, emotional but cool.
He did not need a noble lady who was so dignified that she was a statue, or a woman of the Imperial Family who would adhere to etiquette. She might be slightly lazy, or have her own thoughts, or was not the same in how she acted and what she was really like, but from beginning to now, what he wanted was a living woman, and not a puppet.
Sometimes, the path of a person was too hard to walk, and he needed to find someone suitable to walk it with him.
He had originally thought that he would never find a woman who would fulfill his standards, but by heaven’s blessing, he found her. Then he would do all he could to obtain her heart.
In this world, it was too difficult to find someone suited to him. How could he bear to miss a chance like this?
In reality, he and she were people of the same type. The heavens had them come together—this meant that the heavens had intended it to be so.
A match made in heaven should not be missed.”
C70 RIP crown prince we never knew or liked you. 😹☠️💯 to HWX&YJQ’s acting. Perfectly in sync. (Also seriously obvs he acts weak but is he ~secretly some super martial artist? I HOPE SO.)
C71 I literally while laughing in ~shock said “ohmygod”3x like shoutout to HWX and her amazing maids acting team A+💯 “Assassin?”
C78 shoutout to ML for knowing “ Some things were not able to be obtained by sacrificing a woman.” and officially the empress dowager can fuck off forever trying to force ML to have any kid so she can be the grand empress dowager - oh right AND SHE HELPED KILL HIS MOM. Omfg.
C86 lol ok maybe I’m giving him too much credit but seriously how did YJQ make the guardhouse outside the imperial tomb burn + places in the city just as the baby was born? <.< and lol to him “standing above” all this.
C95 ok FL & her oldest cousin have the most fucking complicated relationship ever. … that being said FL has saved her at least 2x now. And OMFG her with her sword and her maids with their daggers 😱😱😻😻💯💯💯💯💯
C97 FL’s mom almost gives a new definition to mama bear ❤️💯 - curious about Hou Shi running screaming “save me” out of Sheng junwangfu… and lol & when FL says “this probably wouldn’t have happened if they had a child” (she wouldn’t have left) & ML immediately is like “let’s have a baby.”
C101 this stupid bitch Yuan ShuYi (the former MingHua(?) junzhu) is just RUSHING to die. Ugh.
I read the book here: https://dreamsofjianghu.ca/%E5%85%AB%...
September 24, 2021
i read this one after 'to be a virtuous wife' and i would probably recommend reading this one first, then the other one. this one is not as good as the other one. 2.5 stars.
July 13, 2025
Typically don't enjoy stories involving court politics/fights for the throne because of all the scheming or slice of life stories but surprisingly I was entranced by this story. There's so much subtext that there were times I needed to reread paragraphs to figure out what the real meaning was.
I loved the characters of ETT. I liked how the actions of the other characters were explained and given complexity like Hua Yiliu, Empress Dowager, Empress, Hou shi, and Crown Princess. I also liked how the story focused on showing what women of this time went through and how they're used by their husbands. Hua Xiwan's observations about what women of this time period always felt refreshing to hear. Hou Shi and Crown Princess come to mind as two characters who I found it hard not to sympathize for based on the hand they've been dealt because of their marriage into the imperial family. (Chapter 54 which includes a lot of Hou Shi's thoughts about society and her own marriage is one of my favorites in the story).
Most of the scheming Yan Jinqiu does happens off screen and implied which I get why (Yan Jinqiu doesn't like people seeing his scheming side and Hua Xiwan doesn't care enough to think too much about what he's doing in the shadows) but I wished it was shown onscreen more. YJQ has such a good reputation among the people in the book that HXW gets blamed for some of his actions by Yan Boyi. I feel like this duality is so interesting like your local scholarly wife guy has a secret torture room under his study where he cuts out people's tongues and hangs them up by the ribs.
Hua Xiwan was very entertaining because of how lazy she is. Originally living a life where she working hard to become an actress, she's using this new opportunity to relax. And her lazyness isn't just stated it's shown throughout the story and through her mannerisms. For example she'll start piecing together an imperial family member's scheme and stop half way through because it's too much to think about and she's too lazy to continue, her afternoon naps, how she dresses, and how she'll lounge around on her chaise. I also liked how she'd relate the two faced nature of the imperial family to acting. I found it an apt comparison especially since she was a former actress.
The relationship between the two of them I found very interesting. Both knew in the beginning that the relationship they were acting in the relationship for their own purposes (YJQ for his image and HXW because she was lazy and decided that being pampered wasn't a bad thing) but the development of feelings develop slowly as they keep testing each other. YJQ and HXW act affectionately from the start of their marriage so when feelings are actually developed it doesn't feel that much different from how they acted before. The development is subtle and I found it hard to pinpoint where HXW actually developed feelings (most of the time it feels like she wouldn't really care if YJQ divorced her) but it fits the story.
I loved the characters of ETT. I liked how the actions of the other characters were explained and given complexity like Hua Yiliu, Empress Dowager, Empress, Hou shi, and Crown Princess. I also liked how the story focused on showing what women of this time went through and how they're used by their husbands. Hua Xiwan's observations about what women of this time period always felt refreshing to hear. Hou Shi and Crown Princess come to mind as two characters who I found it hard not to sympathize for based on the hand they've been dealt because of their marriage into the imperial family. (Chapter 54 which includes a lot of Hou Shi's thoughts about society and her own marriage is one of my favorites in the story).
Most of the scheming Yan Jinqiu does happens off screen and implied which I get why (Yan Jinqiu doesn't like people seeing his scheming side and Hua Xiwan doesn't care enough to think too much about what he's doing in the shadows) but I wished it was shown onscreen more. YJQ has such a good reputation among the people in the book that HXW gets blamed for some of his actions by Yan Boyi. I feel like this duality is so interesting like your local scholarly wife guy has a secret torture room under his study where he cuts out people's tongues and hangs them up by the ribs.
Hua Xiwan was very entertaining because of how lazy she is. Originally living a life where she working hard to become an actress, she's using this new opportunity to relax. And her lazyness isn't just stated it's shown throughout the story and through her mannerisms. For example she'll start piecing together an imperial family member's scheme and stop half way through because it's too much to think about and she's too lazy to continue, her afternoon naps, how she dresses, and how she'll lounge around on her chaise. I also liked how she'd relate the two faced nature of the imperial family to acting. I found it an apt comparison especially since she was a former actress.
The relationship between the two of them I found very interesting. Both knew in the beginning that the relationship they were acting in the relationship for their own purposes (YJQ for his image and HXW because she was lazy and decided that being pampered wasn't a bad thing) but the development of feelings develop slowly as they keep testing each other. YJQ and HXW act affectionately from the start of their marriage so when feelings are actually developed it doesn't feel that much different from how they acted before. The development is subtle and I found it hard to pinpoint where HXW actually developed feelings (most of the time it feels like she wouldn't really care if YJQ divorced her) but it fits the story.
January 1, 2021
Lot of people compared this novel with To Be A Virtuous Wife which is from the same author, Yue Xia Die Ying. Majority of them loves To Be A Virtuous Wife more than Eight Treasures Trousseau but I'm in the minority because I definitely love this novel more than TBAVW.
If I compared the female lead, they are both similar and there's no doubt that I love both of them. Hua Xi Wan(ETT) is definitely more lazy than Qu Qing Ju(TBAVW) but both of them are really clever and strong. I do partially have a soft spot for Xi Wan because she knows martial arts and can defend herself.
If I compared the male lead, it's no question that I love Yan Jin Qiu(ETT) more than He Heng(TBAVW). Jin Qiu love to dotes on Xi Wan and are extremely loyal towards her. He is even sometime clingy toward her.
Apart from the main leads in this novel, I absolutely loves and adores Xi Wan's parents and older brothers. They are very supportive and loving of Xi Wan. And apart from her family, Xi Wan's servant girls are really the best of the best. They are extremely loyal towards Xi Wan.
I just love this novel so much. Honestly the first time I read this novel, I had a hard time to understand the underlying meaning in their conversations but as I re-read this for the 2nd time, I found that I can easily understand what I had trouble understanding before lol. It's safe to say that this novel will always have a special place in my heart.
If I compared the female lead, they are both similar and there's no doubt that I love both of them. Hua Xi Wan(ETT) is definitely more lazy than Qu Qing Ju(TBAVW) but both of them are really clever and strong. I do partially have a soft spot for Xi Wan because she knows martial arts and can defend herself.
If I compared the male lead, it's no question that I love Yan Jin Qiu(ETT) more than He Heng(TBAVW). Jin Qiu love to dotes on Xi Wan and are extremely loyal towards her. He is even sometime clingy toward her.
Apart from the main leads in this novel, I absolutely loves and adores Xi Wan's parents and older brothers. They are very supportive and loving of Xi Wan. And apart from her family, Xi Wan's servant girls are really the best of the best. They are extremely loyal towards Xi Wan.
I just love this novel so much. Honestly the first time I read this novel, I had a hard time to understand the underlying meaning in their conversations but as I re-read this for the 2nd time, I found that I can easily understand what I had trouble understanding before lol. It's safe to say that this novel will always have a special place in my heart.
September 21, 2020
There wasn't much romance in this because although their marriage was arranged, the MCs were well suited for one another and eventually developed real feelings for each other. This book was a real page turner though due to all the scheming and intricate political relationships between the noble families.
It's my first time reading a book with a "lazy" female lead and it was refreshing because unlike other FLs, this one was intelligent and cunning and didn't rush into things, preferring to take action only when provoked. One thing that shocked me was finding out that she was only 16 years old when she got married to the male lead who was 20 but at the period, it was commonplace for everyone everywhere to marry off their daughters before they were even 18.
It was also really enjoyable to read about the development of the MCs' relationship, from both of them being quite indifferent but respectful to each other to supporting and loving each other. They were what one would call a power couple. It was nice because neither was chasing the other and rather, it was only natural that they would learn to care for and love each other.
It's my first time reading a book with a "lazy" female lead and it was refreshing because unlike other FLs, this one was intelligent and cunning and didn't rush into things, preferring to take action only when provoked. One thing that shocked me was finding out that she was only 16 years old when she got married to the male lead who was 20 but at the period, it was commonplace for everyone everywhere to marry off their daughters before they were even 18.
It was also really enjoyable to read about the development of the MCs' relationship, from both of them being quite indifferent but respectful to each other to supporting and loving each other. They were what one would call a power couple. It was nice because neither was chasing the other and rather, it was only natural that they would learn to care for and love each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2018
4 stars.
If I didn't read To Be A Virtuous Wife (TBVW) first, I might like this one more. Alas, that didn't happened. Well, this is still a good story. Shorter than TBVW but more darker and gory, I still very much enjoy this one. Compliments to the translator, wyhcwe for keeping lots of pinyin terms used in the book (TBVW too). I very much enjoy learning those terms and their meanings. For me, those terms in pinyin helped me in imagining the scenes described in the book (watching lots of chinese dramas help too! XD) vividly especially the story was set in historical (ancinet China) setting. A great read!
If I didn't read To Be A Virtuous Wife (TBVW) first, I might like this one more. Alas, that didn't happened. Well, this is still a good story. Shorter than TBVW but more darker and gory, I still very much enjoy this one. Compliments to the translator, wyhcwe for keeping lots of pinyin terms used in the book (TBVW too). I very much enjoy learning those terms and their meanings. For me, those terms in pinyin helped me in imagining the scenes described in the book (watching lots of chinese dramas help too! XD) vividly especially the story was set in historical (ancinet China) setting. A great read!
August 26, 2022
Dropped at chapter 73. It just got too boring for me. I really liked the main female character and how she basically didn't give any fucks or fall automatically in love with the male love interest. The set up seemed really interesting with the rumors of her being ugly and the emperor purposefully marrying her to his nephew so that he would offend her powerful family but the nephew treated her well from the beginning so there was no conflict. They were just wary and circling each other boringly until they decided to try trusting each other. Even the political intrigue was a bit boring since I've read other Chinese web novels that did it really well.
April 2, 2025
4 stars
I liked MC as a character, very refreshing. The focus of this book was very much the political intricacies of the royal court so I would say 90 percent of what was insinuated went right over my head. Still very interesting.
The ending felt like it crept up on me, like for all the lead up it did feel anticlimactic. I felt vaguely disappointed, i would have loved more of them as emperor and empress yk. However, despite that, I wouldn't say the ending was bad or rushed, just not enough for me.
I liked MC as a character, very refreshing. The focus of this book was very much the political intricacies of the royal court so I would say 90 percent of what was insinuated went right over my head. Still very interesting.
The ending felt like it crept up on me, like for all the lead up it did feel anticlimactic. I felt vaguely disappointed, i would have loved more of them as emperor and empress yk. However, despite that, I wouldn't say the ending was bad or rushed, just not enough for me.
January 28, 2024
there's a lot of hidden subtext in this story and I love how the author ties it all together. The politics is nice too and this is a more dark toned story and is not as soft as to be a virtuous wife. But that's what's more interesting about this novel. The romance is a slow burn and not a focus of the leads as they first deal with their opponents. Yet slowly but surely they come to like each other and grow in love and it's so delightful.
totally a good read and I highly recommend it.
totally a good read and I highly recommend it.
December 29, 2018
This was an excellent read! The slow build up, the quiet tension, the way no character is ever black or white... this was a good example of a good court intrigue novel.
I took one point off because the ending felt rushed.
I took one point off because the ending felt rushed.
May 7, 2020
I love the story from the author. Already read some of the novel she made and it is really a good story. The MC in this novel is also independent and rational person. I love how she is conduct with other and ML.
September 16, 2020
good stuff! not the best dynastic transmigration tale I've ever read but pretty good.
plenty of fun intrigue, political maneuvering, and scheming. also, monogamy in a polygamous time. the main character was great, clear flaws but also more than enough positive attributes to balance them out.
plenty of fun intrigue, political maneuvering, and scheming. also, monogamy in a polygamous time. the main character was great, clear flaws but also more than enough positive attributes to balance them out.
September 9, 2022
Es un libro que me he leido a ratos y para eso sus capitulos cortos eran ideales, a pesar de que en la mayoría de los casos acabaran dejándote con ganas de más de lo lento que avanzaba todo. Pero, a pesar de todo, ha sido muy entretenido.
May 19, 2024
3.5 can be given
A bit slow and dull with the first half and a bit better in the second half.
Worth your time, but the pace seems to be slow and lazy exactly similar to the MC character. Missing that expected WOW feeling..
A bit slow and dull with the first half and a bit better in the second half.
Worth your time, but the pace seems to be slow and lazy exactly similar to the MC character. Missing that expected WOW feeling..
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