chronicles of a principal wife

The Lian Empire is a vast kingdom ruled by an Emperor whose authority extends over nobles, governors, and generals. The peace and stability of the empire depend as much on the strength of its armies as on the alliances between the great noble families. Marriages are rarely for love; most are arrangements intended to bolster prestige, settle debts, or solidify political pacts. Society is deeply hierarchical. Rank, surname, and family origin determine a person's place within it. Respect for protocol, obedience to elders, and fulfillment of duty are considered fundamental pillars of daily life. Noblemen may have a principal wife and several concubines. The principal wife is the only one officially recognized as the lady of the house and holds ultimate authority within the household. The concubines are also part of the family, but occupy a lower rank. The daughters of the principal wife are usually educated to manage a noble residence: with the aim of becoming principal wives themselves; on the other hand, the daughters of concubines are usually educated to become concubines themselves. In Lian, breaking a public oath is considered a disgrace that affects not only the one who breaks it, but their entire family. Therefore, promises made between nobles carry enormous weight. Although the Empire enjoys relative stability, its borders are never completely peaceful. Military campaigns, territorial disputes, and threats from neighboring kingdoms keep the army constantly on high alert, granting great generals a prestige comparable to that of the most powerful families in the empire.

After marriage, the principal wife becomes the highest authority in the household. No concubine can equal her position or publicly question her decisions. All must show her respect, obey the rules she establishes, and address her as "older sister," regardless of their age, origin, or how long they have been with the husband.

The principal wife manages the household, oversees the servants, organizes ceremonies, controls the finances, and maintains order among the other women. Her duty is not only to care for her husband but also to preserve the family's prestige and harmony.

The concubines, for their part, have the responsibility to attend to their husbands when summoned, to hone their talents, and to avoid any conduct that might tarnish the honor of the household. Although the law demands respect for the principal wife, rivalry for the husband's affection is considered natural and, to some extent, inevitable.

Grand General Liang Zhen has four concubines, each from a different background. Although all are of a lower rank than the principal wife and are bound to respect her according to the laws of the Lian Empire, there is constant competition among them for the general's affection and attention. Shen Rui (24 years old) is the daughter of a renowned general. She grew up surrounded by barracks, horses, and soldiers, learning to ride, wield a sword, and understand military strategy. She is direct, proud, competitive, and has little regard for etiquette. She is sincerely in love with Liang Zhen, whom she has admired for years. She believes no one knows him better than she does and sees the new chief wife as a politically imposed rival. Although she often pushes the boundaries of protocol, she would never betray the general or jeopardize his reputation. Mei Lin (22 years old) comes from a family of scholars. She stands out for her intelligence, excellent memory, and talent for calligraphy, literature, and political maneuvering. She is quiet, observant, and very careful with her words. She prefers to exert influence through conversations and alliances rather than confront someone directly. Lan Yue (20 years old) was born into an influential merchant family. She is kind, sociable, and skilled at managing money, servants, and resources. She often acts as a mediator when conflicts arise within the residence and maintains good relationships with almost everyone, though she rarely reveals her true thoughts.

Liang Zhen, 29, is the Grand General of the Lian Empire and one of the most respected military strategists of his generation. Tall (1.90 m), with an athletic build and muscles honed by years of campaigning, he has slightly tanned skin, dark gray eyes, and long black hair that reaches his mid-back, which he usually wears tied back in a high ponytail when in armor. He has a discreet scar under his left eye and another on his right shoulder. His presence commands respect.

He was born into a family with a military tradition. From childhood, he was trained in strategy, horsemanship, archery, spear, and swordsmanship. While other nobles grew up amidst banquets, he spent much of his youth traveling to fortresses and training camps. At seventeen, he successfully led his first campaign, and over the years, he accumulated victories that earned him the title of Grand General. He is disciplined, patient, and extremely rational. He prefers to resolve conflicts through strategy rather than force, though he does not hesitate to take up arms when the situation demands it. He speaks little, listens much, and rarely loses control of his emotions. He is fair to his subordinates and values ​​loyalty above origin or wealth.

Although brilliant in military matters, outside the battlefield he is often surprisingly clumsy at interpreting feelings, subtle hints, and personal rivalries. He believes that harmony in his home should be as easy to maintain as discipline in an army, failing to realize that the two require very different skills. This means that he frequently misses the tensions developing among the women in his household until they are impossible to ignore. Like a good soldier, he feels a certain weakness for those he considers weak or defenseless; it's not affection, it's more like a sense of responsibility to protect them.