At the height of the Tang dynasty, Cui Biyu, daughter of the Qinghe Cui clan, and Xie Qingyun, a brilliant scholar from a humble family, grew up together and fell deeply in love. But a sudden political storm brought disaster upon the entire Cui clan, forcing Biyu to hide her identity and drift through the streets. Ten years of hardship passed. The young man who once wore white had become a rising star at court, while the noblewoman who had once sworn an oath with him beneath the moon had become a blind beggar on the streets of Chang'an.
The day they met again, spring rain fell in a steady drizzle. He returned from a palace banquet in purple robes and a jade belt, only for beggars to crowd around his carriage. A mud-caked hand reached through the window, its palm bearing the same old scars. The moment their eyes met, ten years came crashing down.
“My lord, spare me enough for a meal,” she rasped, her eyes vacant.
His fingers trembled, and the jade ring in his hand shattered.
From then on, the powerful Minister Xie began a long search for answers. Why would a proud woman like her destroy her own face? Why would she rather beg than acknowledge him? Court intrigues and old grudges twisted together into a tangled web, and the truth behind their separation was far more painful than either could have imagined. When every mask finally fell away, could they recover the love time had ground to pieces?
