Cordelia, a merchant’s daughter, had been childhood sweethearts with Aldric and was engaged to marry him. After the decline of the Qin family, Cordelia did not break off the engagement. Not only did she support Aldric financially as he studied to become the top scholar in the imperial examinations, but she also provided for his entire household before they were even married. However, once Aldric achieved the top scholarly honor, he decided to marry both his elder brother’s widow and Cordelia, even going so far as to whip Cordelia in defense of his sister-in-law. Having finally seen Aldric’s true nature, Cordelia turned and married Benedict, a pig butcher. She steadily dismantled the Qin family’s influence, expanded her business to the capital, and rose to fame throughout the land. It was only then that she discovered her husband was not a mere butcher, but the renowned and illustrious Prince Benedict.
