Too many characters, the pace crawls enough to keep you interested. There's barely any face slapping moment but the FL, Yin Hui makes up with her graceful demeanor and clever plots. The ML, Wei Luo is a stoic which ends up causing most of the Fl's issues. Regardless of the unnecessarily long spanned novel, it was a domestic soap opera I couldn't stop reading. I liked the FL's FIL, the Emperor. The huge cast was fun but after 450+ chapters anyone (especially ME) is bound to waver my gusto. One thing I liked about the FL is despite her rebirth, she didn't interfere in any of the major events and wasn't too OP. She was more of a calm prescient. Hence, why I liked this novel more than To Be a Virtuous Wife.
This is the third book I've read of the same author. And this is the one I least liked. Not because, it was a flop per se. It may be because I was apprehensive about the ML for half the novel.
Our FL, Yin Hui, Princess Consort Shu, goes back ten years in time after her first fight with her husband, Wei Luo. She suspects him to still be in love with his cousin sister (which is absolutely NOT true by the way).
Yin Hui resolves to live her own life freely devoting herself to her children and maintaining the basic relationship and responsibility as Wei Luo's wife. But of course, despite being an ice lump of a husband, our ML, Wei Luo, with his care regains her heart. Even the misunderstanding gets cleared up.
Yin Hui was an average FL. Her love for her children was obvious but I was skeptical about her own feelings for the ML, Wei Luo, most of the time.
Wei Luo himself was the typical cold-faced male lead. He was just THIS close to becoming a cardboard. But we also got see his warmth and care for Wei Heng. He gave his children the love and attention that he lacked in his own childhood. His love for Yin Hui may not have been obvious at first, but from the extras we see his perspective in the previous life and understand his care for her more. Honestly, this man was so stupid sometimes😭😭. His love for his father was also highlighted at times.
From the extras, it's obvious that the actual destiny of our main couple along with their children is already set. There may be some deviations but things still work out in the end. So I'd say that FL's rebirth was more to help the people around her than herself and her family.
There is political intrigue but there is more of familial slice of life. I liked the warm atmosphere of the ML's family despite them being part of royalty.
However, the best of them is Wei Luo's father, King Yan/ Emperor Yongping. He may scold his children in anger sometimes but I'd have to admit that he was a good father. He treated all his children fairly as much as possible. He was definitely a wise emperor and ruler who did not let his emotions influence the bigger picture. And he may even have been a good husband.
Grandfather Yin, Yin Yong, finally enjoyed his old age peacefully. I'm glad for Yin Lang. He deserved better and he definitely got it. The second family got what was coming for them. Yin Wen should burn in hell. Thank God, he got his just desserts.
Wei Yang's ending seemed a bit comical and abrupt to me. But oh well. Xu Qingwas deserved a better husband for real. Da Lang unfortunately got caught in the crossfire. At least, his ending wasn't like the young emperor, Wei Ang.
The second couple, Wei Yan and Ji Xianxian were hilarious. Her character progress was satisfying. I'm glad that she did not turn out to be another cannon fodder.
Loved Wei Xuan and Fu Shan's dynamics. I was really afraid that Fu Shan would be wronged at first but thankfully, things worked out at the end.
There's not much to say about Wei Jing and Wang Junfang, I guess.
The pairing of Feng Teng and Liu Qiuniang was unexpected but delightful especially considering the past life.
There's also Wei Ying and Cui Yu. Somebody was definitely cutting onions when they finally got their happy ending💖😭😭
And finally, Wei Heng, ML and FL's first son, was the real MVP for both lives👍🏻👍🏻
I really really loved this novel. It may not have been perfect. But in historical romance genre in Cnovels, it is definitely in my top 20. Would recommend!
O_o it's now 7/24/25 and I'm not sure why I didn't write ANY notes. It's somehow a mix of both "not worth it" and "too engrossing" I think?
I loved FL - poor girl - thought she had a good life then her husband smashed her over the head with a concubine - and in the aftermath of the argument she gets reborn/thrown back to a decade before. Loved how she was like "oh well this life I'm just going to live for myself/my happiness" ... and her change makes him change too and TELL HER YOU LOVE HER YOU DUMMY. So it was nice they worked that out. Also that every life he did love her and it was a misunderstanding about his bitch ass cousin being a concubine - AND THIS IS FUCKING WHY COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT. I loved how their life changed - and how she did subtle things to change their trajectory and it was so much better. And he was so in love. I enjoyed this book so much I immediately read another by this author. And would've read a third had it been fully translated.
I can definitely see myself re-reading it too. Though for "indifferent FL" I'd read like Eight Treasures Trousseau first. Still - this was very good. B+
Don't miss this novel because of the ratings. I felt suffocated reading the restrictions the FL had on herself being the daughter-in-law of the Prince mansion and I couldn't see how the ML could redeem himself till the very end. But I do not regret waiting for the ending at all. Good read guys go for it❤️
Glad I finished, I might re-read the first half but the second half was difficult to get through. The author clearly put a lot of effort into the large cast and different plot lines which I appreciate, nothing was too over the top or relied on plot armor. The first half was definitely more engaging with our FL becoming herself and the relationships between all the characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I read this book a while ago, but even now the story remains vivid in my mind—one of those rare reads that’s impossible to forget. Since it’s been living rent-free in my thoughts, I might as well leave my thoughts on it.
It was beautifully written. I think this was my second book by the author after Joyful Debt, which I also enjoyed, but this one truly blew me away. What stayed with me the most was the family dynamic and how incredibly well-crafted each character was. Everyone had their own personality; no one was entirely good or entirely bad, but a realistic blend of both—just like real people. The characters felt alive.
The MC’s choices were so different from her previous life; she genuinely felt reborn. She chose to cherish herself, and in doing so won the heart of her husband, earned the respect of her sisters-in-law, and brought harmony to the family. She knew when to advance and when to retreat—truly admirable. There wasn’t a single moment where I felt something should have been written differently.
If I enjoyed Joyful Debt, this book completely raised the standard for the author. Since then, I’ve read most of her works—some good, most great, a few just okay—but none have managed to surpass this one as one of my favorites. I still find myself comparing other novels with similar storylines to this one, and they often fall short.
Overall, it’s an excellent book with complex, realistic characters, rich family drama, and a heartfelt journey of growth. It feels like watching a C-drama, but in written form—with even more detail.