On their wedding day, the groom ran away.
Shen Qijin, eldest legitimate son of the Shen clan of Wuxing, a young provincial-exam graduate and a leading figure in Jiangnan’s literary world, would rather resign and retire than curry favor with a powerful minister, let alone marry the woman his family chose for him.
The bridal sedan arrived, and the bride ran away too.
Leng Shuangbai, eldest legitimate daughter of the Leng clan of Jinling, skilled in medicine and the art of war, and unmatched in wit, was being forced by her clan to curry favor with the powerful. She leapt from the sedan and fled.
In the peach grove of Xisaishan, the two runaway brides-to-be collided.
They did not fall in love, but became each other’s only trusted companion through life and death.
Early on: They flee their arranged marriages together, outwit their pursuers, punish bullies, and witness the many faces of the world.
Midway: They join forces and head to the capital to settle accounts with corrupt officials. He rises to become chancellor and establishes new institutions, while she works behind the scenes, shaping the course of events.
Later: Together, they sweep away the great clans, implement new policies, and usher in a century of prosperity under the Yongxi reign.
[No romance! Purely confidants! Two powerful leads standing side by side! A female-led political drama! The early story unfolds in the martial world, the later story at court!]
The male and female leads have no romantic relationship, but after eliminating the treacherous minister's henchmen, they each find their own happy endings. Later, these close friends complement each other, and the political intrigue storyline is fully developed.