The Depths of Spring

When she was nine, Mulan, the daughter of a military commander, watched her entire family be executed for treason. Her wet nurse saved her by swapping her own daughter for Mulan, and Mulan narrowly escaped death. Ten years later, she returns to the capital under the assumed name Qiao Weilan, armed with martial skills and a keen mind. To the world, she plays the delicate, helpless girl who must depend on others. Beneath that facade, however, lies a blade poised to destroy her enemies.

From sneaking into the Li residence to uncover its secrets, to joining forces with the wandering hero He Haoren to investigate the smuggling of military provisions, and finally facing Northern Di spies at the border, Qiao Weilan uses her fragile-girl act as a shield and her wits as a weapon, navigating both court and martial circles. As Li Song's plot to betray the country gradually comes to light, personal vengeance collides with duty to the nation. She is no longer fighting only for revenge: she must also protect the land her father swore to defend with his life.

A killing move hides beneath her delicate handkerchief, and a sharp edge lies beneath her gentle words. This return, born of hatred, will at last bring the dawn of justice and peace for the land in the depths of late spring.