In the capital of Jingcheng, the Zhang family was the Empress Dowager’s natal family. Two marquisates—Marquis Shouning and Marquis Jianchang—belonged to them, occupying an entire stretch of Zhanghuangqin Street, basking in the boundless grace of the emperor.

But wealth and glory belonged to the masters. Jixiang and Ruyi had nothing—they were born as slaves in the marquisate, descendants of generations of household servants. Ruyi served as the maid of the marquis’s daughter, and Jixiang was the attendant to the marquis’s young master. Their fate was supposed to be producing a new generation of servants to serve the noble household.

But they plan to live differently. They refuse to be slaves in this life!

Must-read before reading:

1. This novel primarily depicts the daily lives of slaves in a noble household, viewing the rise and fall of the two marquisates and the myriad aspects of the world through the eyes of Ruyi and Jixiang. Noble sons, talented scholars, and graceful ladies are all background characters—tools, essentially. This is a story of chaos and mundane affairs told from the perspective of lower-class servants.
2. The original intention of this work is to portray the joys and sorrows of the household slaves. Ruyi and Jixiang are purely bottom-tier workers from the marquisate. There will be no plotlines like switched-at-birth, mistaken identities, secret noble lineage, or hidden heirs. If such a thing appears, Zhou (the author) will smash a keyboard on their chest on the spot.
3. Jixiang and Ruyi are the official couple (CP). Any men or women they encounter along the way are just fleeting passersby in life. They will ultimately grow old together, and the CP will not be broken up. The story is set during the Zhengde and Jiajing reigns of the Ming Dynasty and is entirely fictional. If any parts contradict historical records, please refer to the actual history and do not treat the novel as factual. Some modifications have been made for creative purposes and serve only the story—they do not represent any real stance.