The Proud Young Lady

[The refined and elegant young master of the Xie family vs. the seemingly foolish daughter of a great general] With her mother and uncle as powerful protectors, Zhu Sihe spent more than ten carefree years running wild in the northern borderlands. Then, one day, she arrived in Xiang’an and was betrothed to a powerful clan. After four miserable years, she died an untimely death. Living her life over again, she made up her mind: This young lady is done putting up with it! So, at a banquet one day, the noble young women of Xiang’an watched in dismay as the sixteen-year-old planted her hands on her hips and declared, “I scared the Northern Rong brats to tears with my bare hands when I was twelve. Whoever gets to marry me has their ancestors to thank!” But then she turned around and ran straight into her fiancé’s uncle, who was also the uncle of the ancestors she’d just mentioned. She gave an awkward smile and raised a hand to leave, only for a hidden weapon in her sleeve to fly out and hit someone squarely. Well, now she was done for. * From a young age, Xie Tingzhang was exceptionally bright, with a remarkable memory, a noble bearing, and striking good looks. He was the most famous young master in Xiang’an. At seventeen, he faced the first setback of his life: the top place in the imperial examination, which everyone thought was his for the taking, was snatched away. Who would have thought that the phrase his friend, the new top scholar, always repeated was, “Our little girl’s handwriting has improved again!” Xie Tingzhang studied the scribbles that looked like a dog had crawled across the page and thought, She’s probably only just begun learning to write. It’s not bad, all things considered. Before long, his friend came by, beaming and holding a purse. “Our little girl is so clever and deft with her hands!” Xie Tingzhang glanced at the clumsy embroidery. In his mind, he pictured a little girl with her hair in two buns, awkwardly threading a needle, and felt a trace of envy. Later, when the emperor arranged a marriage for the Xie family’s grandnephew, Xie Tingzhang thought of the girl’s age and found the whole thing absurd. His friend looked uneasy. “Our girl may be lively and outgoing, but she’s clever and quick-witted. I hope you’ll be patient with her, Tingzhang.” And so, at the age of twenty, Xie Tingzhang encountered the second great setback of his life...