To Be A Virtuous Wife

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As a virtuous wife, does it include tolerating his cousin, enduring his concubines, bearing his mother?

If you will not let me live freely, why would I let you live in satisfaction?

Did fate let women time-travel so they could learn the three morals and four virtues?

Rather than act like a coward and live, it would be better to live in satisfaction and die.

Associated Names
One entry per line
He Wei Xian Qi
Thế nào là hiền thê
ชายาผู้มีคุณธรรม
何为贤妻
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Eight Treasures Trousseau (31)
Chu Wang Fei (14)
Husband, Be A Gentleman (12)
Chongfei Manual (10)
Demon Wang’s Golden Favorite Fei (8)
Mei Gongqing (7)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Masterlist
  2. my favorite Chinese historical romance novels
  3. Ancient romance novels
  4. Wei Aixia's Already Read List 1
  5. Good read for me

Latest Release

Date Group Release
10/07/15 Dreams of Jianghu c33
10/06/15 Dreams of Jianghu c32
10/05/15 Dreams of Jianghu c31
10/04/15 Dreams of Jianghu c30
10/03/15 Dreams of Jianghu c29
10/02/15 Dreams of Jianghu c28
10/01/15 Dreams of Jianghu c27
09/30/15 Dreams of Jianghu c26
09/29/15 Dreams of Jianghu c25
09/28/15 Dreams of Jianghu c24
09/27/15 Dreams of Jianghu c23
09/26/15 Dreams of Jianghu c22
09/25/15 Dreams of Jianghu c21
09/24/15 Dreams of Jianghu c20
09/23/15 Dreams of Jianghu c19
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Akime yuko
Akime yuko rated it
May 29, 2024
Status: c1
I came here after reading eight treasures trousseau. What more can I say? Everyone was right. The two book is very similar the only difference is that the ML of this book has a harem in his yard which is why I've been avoiding this for a long time and I deeply regretted it.

Since everyone in the comments is already talking abt our two main characters im not gonna delve too much into them. I mean they're perfect for each other, watching their affection slowly go deeper is very satisfying... more>> and touching but strangely there is one side character that made me teared up.

Qin Bai Lu.. At some point I do hate her but her last sentence made me cry

He Yuan- I think his biggest punishment is falling for someone he could never have.

This novel is actually one of the few rare ancient novel where there is no death despite fighting for the throne. I love how the author executed the side characters ending. In fact I find myself rooting even for the "villain" to changed themselves and the author did a good job on that. Everyone got whatever they deserved

last but not least I sincerely hope everyone will give this novel a chance and won't focused on the negative reviews. This novel is uncensored and feels very original. It give you the real insight of what's it's like being a woman in ancient China <<less
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l8rose
l8rose rated it
November 6, 2023
Status: Completed
This novel is pretty good with very little in the way of hiccups for the main couple. While there are events that happen (such as mu*der in the ML's harem), none of them shakes the relationship between the pair.

The FL is a transmigrator but this has very little consequence to the story. Like a few other Ancient Chinese stories, it is only done to explain her different mentality and how she handles the women in the harem around her. However, this difference is what interests the ML because she is... more>> both open (to him) and has the mentality of a Manager (she literally treats the harem like it's a business and that the concubines are the workers). While she does have a few moments of jealousy, she is very accepting of the reality she's in and becomes rather satisfied in her life when the ML chooses to focus solely on her.

The ML is one of four princes. He is not the favoured or the oldest but the most crafty. All his life, he has arranged things so that he doesn't showcase how capable he is. To the point that the two main contenders for the throne compete with each other and ignore him. He is willing to do what he needs to succeed because he understands that it would not be good for the Dynasty if the favoured prince took the throne. From the beginning, he has stated that he will not favour a concubine over his wife. Because of this, he acts like he is in love with her but then falls for her and has no other woman in his eyes from beginning to end.

Spoiler

There are several women who scheme to climb into his bed but it always fails. He simply has zero interest in the rest of the women in the harem or in adding women to it. This even leads to one concubine mu*dering another and trying to frame the MC as well as a princess from another country to volunteer herself to be one of his concubines.

[collapse]

The scheming against the couple doesn't really start until the ML becomes the Emperor. Previous to that, it's just the MC dealing with the other women in the harem, the crap family the original host had and the jealousy from the wife of another prince.

Spoiler

The wife of the other prince was torn between blaming her prince husband and the MC for the fact that her life was terrible. She had very little capability for handling her husband's harem or to draw her husband's attention. It doesn't help that her husband was very arrogant and pretty much a terrible person. The prince also takes in the MC's half-sister as one of his concubines for the sole purpose of using her in place of the MC (yuuuuup). The prince's wife is a minor antagonist who hangs around until the end of the novel with spectacular results.

[collapse]

While the story is fairly good, it just seems like most of the main events happened in the background or were solved by someone other than the MC. At times it almost felt like she was an observer of the events and not really a participant or that the MC was forgotten until everything else had been dealt with.

The translator also left a lot of untranslated words in. While this does add a lot of flavour, it does get to be a bit confusing when a lot of words are used at once or later when people's titles change. <<less
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czeihne
czeihne rated it
October 18, 2023
Status: Completed
This is my go to novel. Whenever I get tired of reading or something to pass in between long novels, this would be it. I've read this 5x.

I find the story realistic in a sense. The FL transmigrated, QQJ learned to adapt and it is understandable that she won't easily believe in ML and his sweet words. ML wont fall easily as well. Everything is a gradual process.

I don't mind he had a harem in the past but the moment QQJ appeared, he had none.

I like the way they... more>> develop and al the efforts Heng had put in.

Their journey, the struggles and how they share the same view of the sunset just like a poached egg.

Whenever I think about this novel, I would always remember the beginning " this is me seducing wangye" part <<less
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Nettie
Nettie rated it
August 22, 2023
Status: Completed
I'm so sad.

Why did they have to write about them in old age and after passing.. That's the greatest conflict I have when reading. It's so hard to read about your two favorite characters dying now I'm writing this with wet eyes..

Anyways I really appreciate QQJ's personality and how she receives HH's affections. The act that she was stubborn when to came to believing the truth behind his words. After a while I did symphatise with HH's sincerity but we can't blame QQJ for being unable to read his mind... more>> like us who have a completely different POV. But at some point before QQJ knew it she had already fell though she still thought that she would be able to let go at any time.

I don't know what to say I really love they're story and don't be mad at the fact that she has an easy life cause that's what she earned. Her personality and temperament is the reason she was able to live so well and I personally don't think there's anything unfair about it (or perhaps I'm also being biased..?).

Anyways I really like this story so give it a try and don't let the bad reviews stop you from enjoying this piece.

I'm now going to let go of these characters and in the future when I recall them I'll really miss the days I spent reading this novel. <<less
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Anna_Tiashe
Anna_Tiashe rated it
April 14, 2023
Status: Completed
It's a relaxing and enjoyable read for leisure. Although it gave me mixed feelings, whether the story should have been elongated or sometimes feeling that it was just right to stop there. Sigh.... so much confusion. It's a transmigration plot where a future person enters an ancient person's body.

Now, this main character is neither trying to forge a new path nor finding a new guy but adapting to the current situation that she is in. It's really refreshing to come across such a point of view. The author is really... more>> brave to be introducing the male lead who's in a polygamy relationship. Kudos to the effort and your brilliance (because it's the truth in ancient times; one man, many wife).

The pace of the story is not too fast or slow and just nice to keep up without feeling bored. The progress of their relationship is gradual, and you find yourself rooting for them, too. Lastly, they could improve on the use of language and punctuation. Thank you for your efforts, author and translator. <<less
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Naniey25
Naniey25
September 12, 2022
Status: c123
I'm in love with this novel and very much in love with MC. I'm not sure why a lot of reviews are so low but from what I read it were mostly due to preferences. This story is not for people who wants face slapping or instant gratification. To me, this story is the most realistic out of all transmigration stories I've ever read. This story is my go to guide if I've ever got transmigrated to old times.

Let me address the complaints stated by other reviewers:

1. The translation. I... more>> like this kind of translation. I've learned a lot of new Chinese word from this story. A lot of the words that have been kept have very complicated meaning and hard to be translated into English. It also help in keeping the overall mood of the story since it is very intricated with ancient Chinese culture. I don't know why a lot of people complaining about the translation when the translator gave both short and detailed notes/glossary. I like learning something new through reading. It is a bit tedious but it helps in understanding the story in terms of context and social notion of the time. For example, the title of concubine is determined by their rank (Cefei/Qieshi/Tongfang). This ranking system is hard to be translated and easier to be understood if we kept the phrase. Plus, the terms that were used are all historically accurate.

2. Cold MC. To me, Qing Ju is very mature amd realistic upon her situation. I know some of you guys want an MC who would face slap other concubines and dominates her husband. However, you need to be aware of the social structures of the time. It was common for guys to have concubines especially for the royals. He Heng is definitely a normal ancient chinese man who does not believe in poligamy. Plus, he's a future emperor who will have tons of women is his harem. There's no point in eliminating all females especially not for a guy who doesn't believe in having only one wife. She could even be label as jealous which could be used as a reson for divorce during that time. She doesn't show her heart easily. She is a woman who takes very good care of herself. No point in being virtous if you yourself are suffering for it. It is a bit unreasonable to call her cold. She may not love passionately but her love is steady like a slow flowing river.

3. Bland MC. Really? Yeah, she doesn't do much cuz that what women of that time do. She did what she could within the limit she have. She managed her household, control the harem, curry favor, takes care of her husband just like any other women of that time do. Just because she is a modern woman doesn't mean that she would know a lot about modern stuff. How many of you women knows about modern invention to the point of able to create those inventions? Tax system? Judiciary? Modern finance? Modern health system? Pharmacy? Administration? Qing Ju is just a normal girl with modern prespective over life. She believe in woman rights but she's not a position where she can just pick up a sword, ride horses and fight for woman right. That's unrealistic. She believe in monogamous marriage but she's powerless against the society so she try to treat her husband's concubines nicely since she knows it is not their own choice. If you want those MC who are strong, outspoken, high-achiever, all that jig, this is just not the story for you. Don't complain and just move on. <<less
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fallinlight
fallinlight rated it
March 22, 2022
Status: Completed
This novel was okay. It was not bad but it's not excellent either so it was pretty average for me.

To be honest, I don't really like the story but it's just a personal opinion of mine so I have nothing to say about that.

The translations though, it was pretty bad. The first few chapters were terrible but I keep reading and it improved so props to the translators for that. But, I was pretty pissed that the translators decided to kept many chinese words that could be translated to english... more>> pretty well and didn't lose the original meaning. And not to mention the footnotes, I just can't understand why they don't put it just below each paragraphs to make it easier to read. So, yeah. The story was a bit meh for me but I could see why it's high in most people's list. <<less
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cgem
cgem rated it
February 15, 2022
Status: Completed
This is one of my favorite web novels so far! If you could get pass all the pinyin/chinese terms then this novel will bring you lots of endearing moments, life lessons, along with character growth.

My number one reason to read this novel is:

- if you want to learn how to seduce a man and make him fall head over heels in love with you.

Qu Qing Ju pretty much nail down the role of seductress and how to do it in a graceful and dignified way leaving all love rivals in... more>> jealousy, envy, hopelessness, and awe.

Her guidebook is simple: be yourself, put yourself first, look your best, communicating what you want, have a good attitude, be sweet and charming, flirtatious, cunning, mysterious, make him earn your trust and love, etc...

How she implement all these element to make He Heng respect, pamper and fall in love with her is brillant and requires multiple re-reading to master all those techniques.

If you have been in multiple relationships in the past, this novel will give you a glimpse into the different types of man-woman relationships and reasons why a man would prefer one woman instead of another. Of course, all of us wants to be Qu Qing Ju. So start taking notes from the beginning. <<less
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WeirdPersonOnTheInternet
WeirdPersonOnTheInternet rated it
September 27, 2021
Status: c38
I have not gotten too far into this novel but this is how I think of it right now. It's good but I felt kinda unimpressed. Based on the amazing reviews, I thought I would love this but right now it's only... Good. I like FL and the ML, it's just that the ML kinda develops feelings too quickly for me. In other imperial harem novels I enjoyed, it took a while before the main couple realized their feelings. This late romance is what I think is best fitting for... more>> the imperial harem novels. If the ML already loves FL from early on, the FL is put above all the other concubines and thus she barely has any conflicts. I just find it to be a bit boring, though it can be exciting at times. This novel so far is only lacking in imperial harem conflict that I loved the genre for. <<less
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Noveltoread
Noveltoread rated it
May 27, 2021
Status: Completed
I read this novel way earlier but realize I havent rated it when it is one of my fav.

I read this when I was sucker for historical, ancient setting with harem schemes and political struggles, and this doesn't disappoint at all. This novel has all the elements in mild form as it shows things more from MC perspective who isnt heavily politically inclined.

Our MC who gets transmigrated into timid wangfei adapts herself into the setting pretty seamlessly. She is very realistic and practical does what she wants and wants to... more>> enjoy life to the fullest while being lazy.

She doesnt whine how the ML has concubines and has mentality of ancient man but accepts it and the fact that he won't truely love her or his love will be everlasting. She doesnt fully believe in the ML but accept the fact that for her to be in power she needs to win over her husband and does things to gain his attention. He finds her very intriguing and mysterious and slowly falls for her.

She is very respectable, isnt overpowering does her duties as the head of harem very well. She, coming from modern life understands the women of this setting and sympathizes with them and does everything she can to accommodate their needs. But she isn't a pushover. She isn't goody two shoes or an innocent person who lets people mess her. She clap back as well.

The ML initially has the characteristics of those men in that period :arrogant doesnt think too much of his concubine but after some point your perspective will change as he show character development and realize he is devoted to our MC and the nation.

Both MC and ML are very level headed person. They are smart, realistic and dignified royalties.

Spoiler

It never clarifies if the MC truely loves the ML or not. As story progresses we can see how much the ML loves her and he himself believes he loves him more than she does. That doesnt mean she is cold to ML it's just that she doesnt express it verbally but she is always there when ML needs her. She isn't very emotional person who profuses love everytime she is more of action speaks louder and in the epilogue it hints that the MC also loves him very much but wont say that and will take it to her grave and let it remain as a mystery which in turn makes you feel for the ml.

[collapse]

But you can see from side character's perspective that the love between them will be seen as an example of so called legendary love in that era.

I had fun reading new words in this novel props to the translator for not changing wangfei into princess consort and such. It just add to the historical setting and makes it more authentic. There are quotes in the novel which are very heartwarming.

Overall this novel is very interesting and easy peaceful read describing everyday life of our MC who is wife of emperor candiate to be. She isnt the op knowing it all MC but someone who is very regular, talented person who take what life gives and makes it worthy.

Give the novel some time to grow into you and this novel will give the joy of reading. Thats what I felt when I read this novel. Highly recommended. <<less
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Kikae
Kikae rated it
April 8, 2021
Status: Completed
Ngl I avoided this novel many times because of the summary, (actually I'm not sure how I even started reading it lol) it's different from what the summary implies. While there is drama, schemes and problems, that's part of an ancient China novel honestly. It's nice novel, easy to read and enjoyable. The characters aren't one dimensional villans or anything like that. I love how the characters change and grow over time. Translation is 10/10, though they do leave some titles and stuff untranslated and in pinyin, I actually... more>> prefer that way. <<less
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Brasdf
Brasdf rated it
July 20, 2020
Status: c123
There are quite a lot of untranslated terms, which requires more work from the reader, but I think it is worth it, as it adds nuance to the interactions that otherwise would be missed. Otherwise, the translation quality is mostly good, but not great. In every chapter a few sentences wouldn't make sense or be a grammatical mess, or just be missing a negation.

The story starts well, but really slows down about a half in, the result is okay, but not remarkable. Finishing it was a bit tedious.
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FEMA
FEMA rated it
July 19, 2020
Status: c1
Full marks for story, "You tried" award for the translation, I really wish we could have separate ratings for them. The person has a good grasp of chinese, but OMG do they have a boner for trying to force chinese terms down the readers troath, they left a completely unreasonable amount of original language words that have perfectly good direct translations, unless they are trying to make material for chinese class.

I have already tried to read it before when I was just getting into chinese webnovels and I had to... more>> quit, could only managed it after reading a boatload of other novels that actually translate and just left the odd word for flavor or because there is not direct translation, unlike this mess of translation. <<less
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Rentintin
Rentintin
July 12, 2020
Status: --
I really really want to read this but the chinese terms are impeding me to understand what I'm reading. Yes it is understandable that the translator may want to present the different hierarchies in its original form but it only makes the reading unpleasant.
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XiaoFanTuan
XiaoFanTuan rated it
June 23, 2020
Status: Completed
Romance?

No

Realistic?

Yes

Did the FL love the ML wholeheartedly?

NO

Is the FL’s affection for the ML based on convenience? Does it have a hint of pity since she’s “oh so realistic so I can’t truly love the guy”??

Absolutely

Did I feel bad for the Male Lead?

D a mn right I did

Don’t give me that s h I t ending where ... more>>
Spoiler

some archeologist found their bodies inside a coffin which then meant that their love was oh so true and admirable

[collapse]

At least in 8TT I can feel how the FL was willing to try it with the ML but I guess being a strong independent woman is the theme for the author’s novels.

Seriously, if you want to read something fluffy then stay away from this novel. Doesn’t help that the beginning was kinda like reading a novel with chinese lessons on the side. But I guess I’m in the minority though coz I honestly appreciate that the TL left the pinyin on some words coz it kinda sets the mood esp since this is set in ancient china.

Yeah, one of the few novels where I felt bad and sad for the ML. He doesn’t deserve that cynical and pessimistic FL. Her being from the modern times doesn’t give her the right to be that way. If she can’t reciprocate or trust him then she could’ve just left and let the ML find someone who’ll love him better than be stuck with her and let him doubt himself. Gahd I hate her <<less
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rinshi
rinshi rated it
December 7, 2019
Status: Completed
This novel has been heavily recommended to me, but fearing that it could not live up to its fame, I put off reading it. Overall, I am not disappointed, but it is not as outstanding as I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, it is a really good novel, but it's hard for me to give it full marks. I like it very much, but I do not love it.

First, let's start with the good points. I enjoy both MC and ML, and they do make a great... more>> pairing. Yet, I wish we could get to know more about their personalities and feelings, which are, in my opinion, not extensively described.

Spoiler

The MC transmigrated into this world, but we do not get to learn about the circumstances of her transmigration, nor much about her previous life. She is calm, clear-headed and confident, but, at the same time, she is also detached, which made it harder for me to completely relate to her. The same is kinda true for the ML. There aren't many chapters that are written in the pov of the ML, but at least his feelings (when talking about the MC) are made abundantly clear. I know that, as the MC often states: actions speak louder than words, but I agreed with the ML at the end. It wasn't clear to me how the MC truly felt about the ML (which is really a pity).

Having their personalities, their circumstances and their feeling described further and more extensively would have probably pushed me to rate this novel even better.

[collapse]

It is a slice-of-life fairy-tale, and the drama and intrigues aren't excessive and usually resolved very quickly. No angst whatsoever. It is a comfortable read. Yet, sometimes feels slightly bland.

Lastly, I also wanted to mention the translator, who did an amazing job. I really do not mind the pinyin as much as others. Of course, it took time to get into it, but once you did, it just added flair to the translation. So please do not hesitate reading it because of that! You'd be missing out.

Just as a side note: What I also wanted to mention is that I really like the character transformation of the third brother, and the first epilogue further depicting him (which was really one of the most touching aspects for me). <<less
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King7
King7 rated it
October 8, 2019
Status: Completed
I don't know why many people gave it a high rating but this novel is obviously boring! Bland! I honestly finished it by sheer willpower.

I have read plenty of historical novels or books but this novel is not my cup of tea. For me, it's really boring. Several books I've read is somewhat the same with this genre; transmigrate, decided to live a peaceful life, not much angst and tragedies. But those books were more interesting than this.

What did the MC do? As the title says, she just acts virtuous,... more>> that's all. And let the story flow. She did almost nothing. How boring is that? Specially that it's her point of view. There many times in the book that I expected a good times but turned out to be a dissapointment. This book caused me really many dissapointments. It broke many of my expectations. Did you experience being cliff-hanged in the end of the chapter then you anticipate for what will happen next and when the moment comes, nothing really happens and move to another setting? Yes! This what mostly happened in this book! Better not to have expectation. Simply put, boring!

And the romance! I get that in a palace, there involves a harem, so the FL tried not to get attached to the ML for a thinking that ML will jump from one woman to another, but!

Spoiler

The novel almost finish but there's no development in the FL. Honestly, the book finished that I felt nothing. I didn't feel that the FL genuinely love the ML. I love slow development and slow romance but what is this? Too slow! Very very slow! And it ends unsatisfyingly

[collapse]

The only time I really like is on chapter 100+ something

Spoiler

when they already have their cute little buns.

[collapse]

I thank the translator for his/her hardwork! But if I rated it, it's 3.5/5. The remaining pinyin gives me a terrible headache. Too many untranslated words. I get that it left its original word since most were named by its rank. But you can just put the translated word in the novel and footnote its original text. It's more easier to read. And less troublesome.

So, I'm kind of fooled by great reviews. THIS BOOK IS BLAND AND BORING. <<less
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xuexin
xuexin rated it
July 16, 2018
Status: Completed
It's okay. It's very... mediocre. It was a bit of a slow read since the translation uses a lot of Chinese terms, and honestly I can't be bothered to remember all of them.

The romance was very... idealistic. It was too easy, I'd say. Not that exciting tbh, very bland. However, the author wasn't stingy with physical aspects and giving the romance a somewhat realistic boost in that part, so I'd give that a plus.
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literoftears
literoftears rated it
May 23, 2018
Status: c87
Although this story received a lot of good reviews, I personally didn't like the novel as much as the other readers. I think that the story was alright and the MC is pretty smart. She doesn't let anyone walk all over her and she knows how to get her husband to do whatever she wants. However, I think that this novel just wasn't my cup of tea. I was looking for a novel packed with revenge and scheming but this wasn't it. There isn't any real obstacles for the MC... more>> to overcome and she just seemed to be riding along in life. Although she sort of gets revenge on her old family for mistreating her, it wasn't very satisfying as she didn't have a hand in it. Her first "real" obstacle was to attract the ML, which happens pretty quick. Once that happened, life was just easygoing for her. Also, she doubts that the ML actually likes her (which is fine because she's being realistic), but after a certain point, you kinda get tired of it. Overall, it was kind of boring because nothing happens in her life. You almost feel as bored as she does getting stuck in the past.

P.S. If you're looking for a novel that delivers satisfying revenge and has amazing scheming, check out "The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage" <<less
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Nightbat
Nightbat rated it
December 3, 2017
Status: --
I read a few chapter (10+). And find that Story is still ok. There is many interesting part of ancient lifestyle to read.

BUT the translation is not good while the sentence is fine, they left many word untranslated at all.

Like the position of wife and concubine, the name setting of courtyard and many many many others.

... more>> You will find almost 10-20+ word per chapter which you have to look at the bottom of chapter for (Long) explanation.

I think some can be easy to just translate as wife/concubine/xxx garden (courtyard) / "callname"> Madamn /"another callname" > Bigsis etc.

Seriously It is tiring to read half-translate + half honorific word. <<less
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