The capital of Qingdan was in an uproar. The Emperor's most beloved Seventh Prince, Murong Yanhua, was a handsome young lord with a string of glorious military victories, the dream husband of countless noble young ladies. Yet he had married a disfigured princess sent over to cement an alliance, an ugly, talentless, jealous shrew! The capital's young ladies clutched their handkerchiefs and ground their teeth, green with envy: With such a plain, hideous wife, the Seventh Prince must be miserable. But when they saw her in person, they discovered that this supposed ugly woman had exquisitely beautiful features and was even lovelier than Qingdan's greatest beauty, the Chancellor's beloved daughter! The young ladies were envious all over again. So what if she was beautiful? She was still an ignorant, talentless fool! But the moment the fool entered the palace, she amazed everyone with her brilliance and became the talk of the capital. Even the top scholar was thoroughly impressed and conceded defeat. The young ladies couldn't stand it and angrily slandered her: “So what if she's both talented and beautiful? She must be a wanton woman who doesn't know how to behave!” Xia Weichun swung her little bundle over her shoulder and easily leaped down from the prince's mansion wall. “You got that part right, at least. I'm eloping today!” The young ladies were overjoyed, thinking the position of princess consort would soon be vacant. But just as Xia Weichun and her childhood sweetheart galloped out of the city gate, the young prince arrived with ten thousand troops and surrounded them. He swept her onto his horse with one arm. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled. “If you like eloping, my dear, there's no need to trouble an outsider. Your husband will go with you.”
