May You Be Well, Chancellor Xie

Everyone in the capital knows that Princess Shen Jingyi has a childhood sweetheart whom she was betrothed to before birth.

Everyone in the capital also knows that lately she’s been going to the Ministry of Revenue every day, just to catch a glimpse of the aloof and proud Assistant Minister Xie.

Who is Xie Huaixu? The entire court calls him Xie “Langyu.”

He is like the bright moon in the heavens, or a crane among the clouds, pure and peerless.

At the Spring Banquet, the hall is full of chatter, but he sits alone by the winding river, watching the fish, like a lone crane beyond a sea of flowers.

But Xie Huaixu is famously hard to get close to.

Other people are well-dressed. He is dressed with immaculate propriety, and looks at everyone as if separated from them by a barrier of snow.

For a year, she is his student, bringing him an umbrella, giving him incense, making him soup, and leaving him questions.

He accepts all of it, yet remains unmoved.

Someone asks her, “Your Highness, aren’t you afraid all your effort will come to nothing?”

She replies, “What if the water wants me to scoop it up?”

Later, he returns from patrolling the border and finds a long line outside the princess’s residence, all of them noble young men seeking her hand.

Without a word, he takes his place at the end of the line.

Someone asks him, “Lord Xie, are you here to give a lecture?”

He answers without expression, “I’m here to propose.”

Some people are worth a crane’s cry, piercing the clouds to meet the sun.

A little scene:

“Teacher, you have ink on your face.”

Xie Huaixu raises a hand to wipe it, but touches the wrong spot.

“Here.”

“Your Highness, there must be a distinction between sovereign and subject.”

“You taught me that the people come first and the state second. Since officials rank below the people, why bring up sovereigns and subjects with me?”

1. One-on-one romance, happy ending.

2. Please be civil when reading.

3. Fictional setting, don’t overanalyze historical accuracy!

4. The romance develops slowly, so it’s best suited to readers who enjoy a gradual, steady build. There’s less plot in the early part, and more later on.

5. The heroine isn’t actually trying to “climb” to the hero’s level. She’s a princess who bravely pursues love and enjoys the thrill of winning someone over. At first, she’s simply curious about the hero and wants to understand him. She breaks off her engagement with the second male lead because she doesn’t want to hold him back. She has always regarded him only as a childhood friend. Before meeting the hero, she did seriously consider marrying the second male lead.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6. I’ve always believed that in love, whether someone is in a higher or lower position, there’s no question of one person “climbing” to the other. The heroine wouldn’t want to get to know someone who wasn’t exceptional, after all, and the hero is very impressive!!!!!!!!

7. Although the heroine is a princess, I want to say that titles are just symbols of status, no matter the time or place. A princess can love and pursue someone of lower rank, or fall for someone of higher rank. That’s her freedom. I personally don’t like the idea that a princess heroine can only be pursued by others. That can happen, but it shouldn’t be an absolute rule.

Blurb written: 2026.4.20

Message: With integrity in your heart, you never need to ask where someone comes from.