In her most innocent, romantic years, Song Yingsheng, the general's legitimate daughter, sent a love letter to every talented young man in the capital.
She'd hoped to spread her affections around, but every letter went unanswered.
To save her from embarrassment, her good friend Lu Jinnian showed up at the general's residence with enough betrothal gifts to fill ten streets and asked for her hand.
After they married, Song Yingsheng dug up a wooden box beneath an apricot tree. Inside were the love letters she'd sent to the young men of the capital all those years ago.
Every young man's name had been crossed out and replaced with three crooked characters.
Lu Jinnian.
When Song Yingsheng looked at Lu Jinnian, he was leaning against the tree with a sly smile.
