Fu Yunwei, the daughter of the Fu family, was betrothed to a son of the Huo family when she was young.
All Fu Yunwei knew about the young man was his name and that he had spent years leading troops at the border. Later, carrying out the last wishes of her late mother, Fu Yunwei wrote to her husband at the border every day.
Over the years, Fu Yunwei came to realize that her marriage arrangement was indeed a good one. Her husband had neat calligraphy, his words brimmed with heroic spirit, and every so often he would amuse her with a joke.
Then one day, she heard that the border forces had won a great victory, yet the Huo family was holding a funeral. The people in the estate looked on with glee and said that her husband was dead, and that the second young master of the Xu family had come to ask for her hand.
She knew the young master of the Xu family. They had met a few times, and she had once saved him at a clinic in the north of the city.
Fu Yunwei said nothing. In the dead of night, she lit a candle and carefully examined the letter in her hands.
"Yunwei, it is getting colder as I get closer to the capital. Remember to wear more layers. I have nearly reached the pass on the way to the capital. We will meet and talk in a few days."
At the end of the letter was unmistakably the name of her future husband.
Huo Hexuan.
Huo Hesu did not like Fu Yunwei.
She was the younger daughter of a minor noble family, low in status and timid by nature, someone anyone could trample on. But his elder brother liked her, and praised her whenever they talked at night.
"Yunwei is truly well-read, unlike other women."
"Yunwei sent me a letter today, asking when I would return to the capital. I imagine she misses me."
Yunwei, Yunwei.
Huo Hesu had heard the name so often at the border that it had become a callus in his ear.
Later, in a battle, Huo Hesu's elder brother was killed at the border. Not long after, a letter arrived from the capital: the marriage contract between the Huo and Fu families had been changed to the Xu family.
That hypocritical woman, Fu Yunwei, was going to marry into the Xu family.
Huo Hesu casually burned the letter, then led his troops back to the capital through the night. The war had ended in a great victory, and the emperor generously rewarded the soldiers in recognition of their service.
When Huo Hesu was asked what he wanted, he asked for just one person.
"Your subject seeks to fulfill his elder brother's dying wish and marry Fu Yunwei, the younger daughter of the Fu family."
The assembled ministers were astonished, and all turned to look at the newly appointed top scholar standing to one side.
Who didn't know that the young lady had entered into a marriage alliance with the Xu family just days ago?
Reader's Guide:
1. One-on-one romance, both leads' first relationship; the female lead has a growth arc, while the male lead is a force of nature.
2. A mix of martial arts intrigue, court politics, and an arranged marriage that turns into love.
3. Blurb posted on January 18, 2025.
Theme: Take my hand, and let us share the world's spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
