Shen Xiu was the youngest successful candidate in the imperial examinations of the Yu Dynasty, and the emperor personally named him Third Place Laureate. Tall and graceful, with an elegant bearing, he caught the princess’s eye at first sight. The emperor intended to arrange a marriage for them, but Shen Xiu firmly refused, losing the emperor’s favor as a result. Orphaned young, he had grown up under his teacher’s care. When the teacher tried to match him with his granddaughter, Shen Xiu refused again, and the two parted ways. There were plenty of people at court who disliked him, and the emperor issued an edict sending him to Huai County, a remote, rugged place plagued by bandits, to serve as its magistrate.
