Ten years of exhaustive study and sleepless nights have suddenly been rendered meaningless for aspiring Imperial Physician Lin Qingyu. In the midst of his education, he’s instructed to set everything aside and marry Lu Wancheng, the sickly son of the marquis—all in the hopes that this union will heal the illness that plagues the young master.
However, Lin Qingyu quickly discovers that Lu Wancheng isn’t just an ill-fated aristocrat. In fact, the man has a mysterious sixth sense that could help Lin Qingyu outmaneuver anyone, even royalty.
Thus, Lu Wancheng proposes an idea to his new male bride, one that will help send Lin Qingyu back home to continue his studies and fulfill his dreams, both benign and dastardly.
Yet as feelings bloom between these new allies, a dark truth threatens to rip them apart in both sickness and in health.
The Chinese answer to Japanese Isekai stories is transmigration. An unassuming person suddenly dies—usually due to that menacing Truck-kun or some other vehicle or accident—and is launched into an unfamiliar world. Be it historical or fantastical, the protagonist is dropped into a place they have little to no understanding of. A popular genre in Asia based on reincarnation, the idea of being born into a new world is enticing. It gives the protagonist new perspectives, forces them to confront dangers in that world and inner insecurities, and forge new bonds.
I’ve read a fair few Isekai and transmigration manga and light novels. One key difference: in transmigration, the protagonist is usually in another body as opposed to their own body being sent to the mysterious world. They must adapt to that person’s world, usually keeping their own personality in check so as not to frighten the people around them. The same is true with my new favourite Chinese light novel series: Thrice Married to a Salted Fish.
While the title sounds silly, the plot is deadly serious. The main protagonist isn’t our transmigrated soul, however. Instead, we enter ancient China through the eyes of aspiring physician Lin Qingyu, a man as venomous as he is beautiful. Thwarted from taking the Imperial Physician Exam, Lin Qingyu is ordered by the Emperor to marry a terminally ill nobleman, eldest son of a marquis, Lu Wancheng. Embarrassed and horrified at his life’s detour, Lin Qingyu has no intention of assisting his new husband, until the handsome man opens his eyes and intrigues him with his unusual personality. Lu Wancheng would rather lay in bed as a salted fish than do anything strenuous, though he enjoys boasting about his past exploits. Lin Qingyu doesn’t know what to make of him at first.
The story follows Lin Qingyu as he slowly softens towards Lu Wancheng, and the two become confidants. This is a slow burn, however, so there are no sexy shenanigans this early in the story! What follows is a harrowing tale of two men trying to get as much time together as possible, before the young nobleman’s time runs out. Filled with gossiping, treacherous family members and court officials, the two men’s lives spiral around each other as they try to survive.
The best thing about this story is the central relationship. If you haven’t guessed by now, Lu Wancheng is a transmigrator, and he knows much more about Lin Qingyu and the nation’s history than he lets on. Inspired to help his male-wife succeed when he’s gone, Lu Wancheng embraces Lin Qingyu’s vengeful side to wreak havoc on the nation’s nobles. One of the best lines I’ve read in a long time still makes me laugh: “I love the way you look when you use poison.”
Lu Wancheng’s acceptance and enabling of Lin Qingyu’s poisonous tendencies makes the duo stand out. Often in these stories, the protagonists are rather good at heart and try to uphold the nation. Even if they use less-than-savoury means to achieve that, they remain golden. Not these two! I’m not complaining. I love that they’re allowed to punish those who’ve wronged them, particularly the covetous crown prince obsessed with Lin Qingyu’s chilly beauty, who deserves everything he gets, as well as Lu Wancheng’s duplicitous family.
The hilarious part is Lin Qingyu is often set in motion because he’s merely annoyed, and Lu Wancheng is more than happy to follow. It would be difficult to maintain the tone, balancing comedic moments with the absolute destruction of those around them, but Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng are so fun to watch. They trade barbs, flirt, and dance around each other, making the reader want to keep going. So many times, I said, “Just one more chapter.”
As you might guess from the series title, this one isn’t all sunshine and murder. Lin Qingyu is destined to marry the titular salted fish not once, not twice, but three times, which means that Lu Wancheng’s survival is not guaranteed. I cried at the end of book one and immediately picked up book two. I had to know what would happen next. After devouring that, I was glad to see book three had recently been published. Now begins the long wait for the final book. What will happen to the couple? Will they end up happily married or will the world finally succeed in tearing them apart?
I’ll have to wait until October of this year to find out. I’m sure it will be worth the wait!
The author, Bi Ka Bi, uses an alias due to Chinese censorship laws pertaining to LGBTQIA+ content. This is their first series, which has been highly anticipated, and I can see why. I hope to see more from them in the future, perhaps in a different genre. Most Chinese danmei (BL, Boys Love; M/M, male/male) authors stick to the same thing, so it will be interesting to see where their inspiration takes them.
If you’re interested in other transmigration stories, check out Mistakenly Saving the Villain series by Feng Yu Nie and The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. These two are mostly from the transmigrated characters’ point of view, which leads to utter hilarity at many points and utter devastation at others. Enjoy the angst!
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