Chunman is an imperial-examination stand-in.
Her younger brother is frail, and their parents died young, leaving them only a dilapidated thatched hut. To earn a living, Chunman starts taking exams in the place of scholars.
She considers herself a born genius. All three times she took someone else’s exam, her client placed first in the provincial examination. She got paid for the job and left cleanly, swiftly, and without a trace, like an assassin. She was practically a natural.
At the autumn exam the following year, she accepts a high-paying job from a spoiled young master. She never expects that both of them will end up in prison. She fumes:
“Weren’t you the son of a high official? Why isn’t anyone here to bail us out!”
The young master: “I wanted to experience what the prisons of Jiangnan are like.”
Chunman: “Take your time experiencing it, Your Excellency. Could you at least get me out first?”
The young master: “No.”
He folds his hands toward the east. “His Majesty has personally ordered me to apprehend the mastermind behind the examination fraud case. Miss Chun, do you have any last words?”
*
Jiang Shixiao, the Wei Dynasty’s Second Prince, has two missions on this discreet journey to Jiangnan:
One, apprehend the mastermind behind the examination fraud case.
Two, find the Third Prince, who was lost among the common people.
He finds the mastermind. It’s her.
He finds the prince, too. It’s her younger brother.
He was going to kill them both, but the bold, uncouth commoner was far too quick-witted. “Your Highness, wait! This humble woman is willing to brave fire and water for you!”
He believes her, letting a wolf into his home and raising a tiger that turns on him. He watches her rise step by step at court, soaring to success and paying him less and less regard.
Until at last, she points her blade at him.
As the mystery of her birth is gradually unraveled, she will slowly settle her blood feud, and that includes the foolish prince who taught her the ups and downs of officialdom and joined her in raising hell.
Reader's Guide:
1. An alternate ancient setting: the autumn and spring examinations are held once a year and last only one day.
2. Lots of elements: the crematorium trope, fake and real daughters, revenge and face-slapping, a shift from street life in the early story to court politics later on. If you don't like weak political scheming, don't overthink it.
3. Both leads are each other's first and only, happy ending, adversarial couple, neither lead is perfect.
Theme: Gold shines wherever it is.
