Splendor Fills Chang’an

A distinctive career-focused storyline: Centered on “intangible cultural heritage Shu brocade,” it combines traditional craftsmanship with women’s entrepreneurship, offering the appeal of traditional culture while resonating with women who want to “make money on their own.”

Appealing across age groups: The romance is sweet with no angst, and the male lead steadfastly protects his wife. The household and business rivalries aren’t complicated, as the heroine easily outmaneuvers her opponents with skill and intelligence. Her heartwarming growth takes her from orphaned girl to county lady and inheritor of an intangible cultural heritage. The story suits readers aged 12 to 36.

A light blend of genres: Rather than being limited to one genre, the story brings together romance, business rivalry, household intrigue, political schemes, and patriotism in a breezy way, with a well-balanced pace.

Su Jinyao, an orphan from Shu, possesses her family’s secret dyeing recipes and exceptional Shu-brocade skills. After her grandmother dies, her uncle and aunt steal the recipes and try to harm her, forcing her to flee in search of a way to survive. She shows off her ingenious flowing-cloud patterns at a riverside stall, then meets Xiao Jinghan, the gravely wounded heir to the Marquis of Jing’an, at an abandoned temple. A bowl of herbal medicine and a piece of coarse cloth forge an unbreakable bond.

With her mastery of natural dyes, she weaves brocade in an ethereal shade of indigo. Through sheer perseverance, she makes her way into the county town, opens a weaving workshop, and brings together orphaned girls and women to form the Xuanxi Pavilion. She fends off the underhanded schemes of her competitors and refuses to rely on the wealthy. He hides his identity and stays by her side, first as a merchant from the capital and later as the heir to a marquis’s house. With his sincere love, he overcomes the prejudice of their different social standings and promises her a lifetime of peace.

Household intrigue tests their wits, business rivalries showcase their courage, and their intangible heritage crafts become the stuff of legend. Their romance is sweet and angst-free, with both of them choosing each other, while their love for their country is woven through every thread. From the first shoots of brocade by a stream in Shu, to a glittering legend in the capital, and then to flourishing trade routes across the Western Regions, Su Jinyao stitches together a path to independence, one needle and thread at a time. Together with Xiao Jinghan, she protects her craft and their homeland, allowing a thousand-year-old tradition of Shu brocade to shine in a troubled age.