[Matched rivals + ensemble cast + court intrigue + rival suitors + a protagonist who speaks her mind and knows how to flirt]; [white-robed scholar * business prodigy * woman disguised as a man] XX [heir of a military family * battlefield hero * devoted loyalist] XX [young lord of an eminent family * clear-eyed yet falling hard * stealing someone’s beloved by force]; [elegant classical style, lighthearted prose, intelligent characters]
[Story]
After a great victory on the frontier, the heroes of Nanzhou arrive in the capital, only for one of them to die mysteriously on the eve of his investiture and reward...
Tong Hezhi is ordered to investigate the case and meets Ye Nanlu, a white-robed scholar and business prodigy who is a woman disguised as a man, in Beizhou.
Each serves a different master. They test and outmaneuver one another, weathering danger after danger, twists and turns, and an intense push and pull. Through their evenly matched rivalry, they come to understand and cherish each other, uncover the truth behind one another’s masks, and reveal their secret identities one by one.
The court is rife with deception, conflicts erupt throughout the martial world, and flames of war never cease along the border. Amid troubles at home and abroad, powerful ministers, generals, merchant women, and border folk give up their homes and livelihoods for peace, as justice and passion bring a broken land back together.
[Theme]: Though the one you love may be separated from you by mountains and seas, mountains and seas can still be crossed.
[This is a fictional historical setting. Please don’t nitpick the details, and be kind.]
I've only seen a few and it feels good. I like how evenly matched the male and female protagonists are. I hope the author will continue to update 😄
The writing is good, and the male and female protagonists have distinct personalities.