The Passes and Rivers Do Not Fail Me

With a single imperial edict, Hua Jin became a princess sent away for a political marriage.

Rumor had it that her husband was ruthless and had earned the name of a demon.

He had once personally beheaded an enemy general and hung the head from a gate tower for three days to intimidate the border raiders.

In short, he was a mass murderer.

She thought that one day, he would take her life with his own hands.

After all, she would deceive him.

But when they first met, he was handsome, disciplined, and courteous.

It seemed rumors couldn't always be trusted.

Later, she decided the rumors were true after all.

Her husband really was decisive and fearsome out in the world, with a notorious reputation.

But behind closed doors, night after night, he was nothing more than a man kneeling at her feet,

her willing servant.

At first, he was completely at ease around her.

"Didn't you want to be my princess consort?" He moved closer, his chest feeling her tremble. He whispered in her ear, "Why are you shaking so much now?"

Later, he began to harbor wicked desires for her.

He wanted to melt her, to entwine her with his very bones and blood, to make her surrender, body and soul.

Later still, he gave her his heart, only to discover that she had been deceiving him, hiding things from him, and scheming against him all along...

"Did you do all of this?" He stared straight at her, wanting to hear her explain, wanting to hear her deny it, but her face remained perfectly calm.

The eyes that had once been as gentle as water were now utterly emotionless. "You've seen it all. I have nothing to argue."

He hated her so much he wanted to kill her. Yet even when he hated her, he wanted to find an excuse for her.

Love means choosing you through every difficult decision. (Ours is a mutual journey, after all.)

[A solemn promise from the author]

Decent writing! A logical plot that doesn't wander off for no reason! No forced character stupidity! No rushed or abandoned ending!

[Theme]: Different mountains and rivers, but the same human heart.

The premise is that two countries, long plagued by border clashes, decide to "use trade to prevent war" and arrange a political marriage to bring about a temporary peace. The leads have their own identities, backgrounds, and allegiances. With warmongering factions in both courts stirring up trouble, they are bound to distrust each other, clash over their values, and face difficult choices.

In the end, I hope their growth comes from realizing that, no matter their backgrounds or the schemes each person may have, human emotions are much the same. (That's the goal, anyway.)

[Content warning]

Inspired by some ideas, but all characters and events are original fiction. If that bothers you, feel free to skip it.

[Four to six updates a week, at 7 p.m.]

Writing alone feels like exile in Ningguta. I warmly invite kind, lovely, beautiful readers to join me on this journey. Let's spread love and peace together!

Theme: Different mountains and rivers, but the same human heart.