The Swallow Returns to the Great Prairie

Yongqi gives in and marries Xinrong. Xiao Yanzi, heartbroken, dies suddenly, and a modern soul quietly takes over her body. When she opens her eyes again, she is the Pearl Princess, trapped in the cage of the imperial palace. Having seen through the tangles of love, all she wants is to break free from the chains of the Forbidden City. Just then, Mongolia requests a marriage alliance with an imperial princess of the Qing. The Empress Dowager’s youngest daughter, the Gurun Princess He Ke, is the only suitable choice. The Empress Dowager refuses to give up her daughter, and the court is split by heated debate. Qianlong is at a loss. This is her chance to escape. She dismisses everyone and goes alone to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, volunteering to marry into the Mongolian royal house in He Ke’s place. When the Empress Dowager asks in shock why, she calmly explains that all she wants is freedom on the grasslands. She also uses the marriage alliance as leverage to secure Ziwei’s recognition as a member of the imperial family and her marriage to Erkang. After weighing the pros and cons, the Empress Dowager agrees to the deal. Qianlong summons her and is impressed by her clear insight and courage. The title of Princess Gurun Heyan, an honor reserved for an imperial princess, becomes the perfect prelude to the marriage alliance. An imperial edict is issued, Ziwei is named a Heshuo Princess, and she marries Fu Erkang in a grand ceremony, fulfilling one long-held wish. When news of the marriage alliance spreads through the palace, Yongqi weeps with regret and kneels outside the Imperial Study, begging the emperor to revoke the order. All he gets in return is a reprimand. The Empress watches coldly, delighted by his misfortune. She gives up her luxurious trousseau and sets off on the long journey to her new home with seeds and farming tools. Her carriage rolls toward the grasslands, while the walls of the Forbidden City grow ever more distant behind her. This time, she is no longer the Xiao Yanzi who once loved recklessly, but is about to become…