The Last Camellia

“She should have gone to her grave bearing a grudge, dead in the fifteenth year of Zhaoming.” Winter in the fifteenth year of Zhaoming. Heavy snow snapped branches like bones. Elder Councilor Jiang was executed in the public square, and his only daughter, Wenjin, was consigned to the Bureau of Palace Gardens. Through the changing seasons, she navigated the treacherous court and fought with everything she had to clear her father's name, only for all her efforts to vanish into the cold earth and swirling dust. When her identity was exposed and she sat motionless in a prison cart, someone came toward her against the wind and draped a cloak over her shoulders amid the swirling snow. “Look, the Crown Prince couldn't protect you. He didn't even dare send you something to keep warm. Hah. It seems I'm the only one in this world willing to give you a burial shroud.” She looked up. It was the notorious corrupt eunuch. A little dazed, she glanced toward the unfinished Yugu Terrace and remembered the umbrella the Crown Prince had held over her head during his coming-of-age ceremony. Back then, he had gently brushed the snow from her shoulder and said, “I want to shield you from the snow forever.” Now the man before her took the wolf-fang pendant from his waist and tied it around her neck. He said harshly, “I've left you a black wolf. Take it south, return to your hometown, and pretend you're dead. Don't come back to the capital. From now on, our paths will never cross again. May we each find peace, wherever we end up.” * Ten years of drifting, boundless kindness repaid with betrayal. In life and death, teacher and friend, there was no longer a Jiang family's only daughter in this world, only the female official Xie Yuan. From the sole daughter of the Grand Secretary to a palace maid, from a low-ranking palace scribe to a female scholar. This time, with the tattoo on her forehead transformed into a plum blossom and her appearance changed, she returned to the capital to enter a trap from which none returned. Beneath the high terrace, the wind filled her sleeves. Along the road, late-blooming flowers fluttered down and caught in her hair, like frost and snow. The Crown Prince dismounted and led her inside, gripping her arm all the way. He took out a carved jade seal and pressed her hand against his palm to make an imprint. “People love seals and inscriptions. I spent so long carving this. Now that I've stamped it, I'll give myself to you in return. I only ask that your future be bright.” That night, he played the zither by her ear until dawn, holding her gently. At last, his voice trembling, he asked, “I know everything now. I only want to ask you this: who are you, really?” “Your servant is Xie Yuan...” 【After a lifetime buried beneath endless snow, she finally saw the bitter winter pass, while the late-blooming flowers remained unbroken.】 Note: 1. The prologue is told in flashback. One-on-one romance, happy ending. A healing and redemption story in the guise of court intrigue. 2. Set against a fictionalized backdrop of the mid-to-late Ming dynasty. Slow burn, with a heroine who grows over time. Estimated length: 400,000 to 500,000 words. 3. This is not a choose-your-love-interest story. The Crown Prince is central to the plot and is also the official love interest. He's wonderful, and this is absolutely a one-on-one romance. 4. Some events involving minor characters are inspired by historical figures. At heart, this is a story about a group of idealists. 5. The title isn't a typo. The missing character is omitted for reasons related to the author's original setting. Theme: The way of the noble person is to remain faithful unto death.