Who can say how fate will arrange a marriage? You might think that being born in a royal household and being a princess guarantees a life of splendor and favor, but that is not always the case. Take Wei Yan, Mi Shu, and Meng Ying. They seem like three bowls of rice scooped from the same pot, born into similar circumstances, yet their fates are worlds apart. One is a queen, but her heart is more bitter than a servant’s. Another seems to have nowhere left to turn, yet still clings fiercely to a sliver of hope. Sometimes I wonder: is a person’s life determined by the hand they are dealt, or by the strength of their spirit?
