Yuan Lilu had just returned to the capital to reunite with her birth family when her father betrothed her to the eldest prince.
At the Longevity Banquet, Yuan Lilu's gaze met the eldest prince's for an instant before settling firmly on the accomplished monk in the hall.
Master Jiming of Cheng'an Temple was deeply trusted by the emperor. Rumor had it that a single piece of advice from him could sway the emperor's heart. The eldest prince tasked her with finding a way to get close to the master, promising that if he won the succession, she would become crown princess.
The master was peerlessly handsome. Yuan Lilu often brought incense offerings to the temple under the pretext of praying for blessings. As time went by, even she had to admit: the master truly was untouched by worldly dust, transcendent and aloof.
Until one day, deep in the meditation room, Master Jiming pinned her against the wall as they listened to the eldest prince outside, carrying on with someone while calling her a fool.
Furious, Yuan Lilu deliberately took the initiative and seduced him, finally plucking that lotus flower of Zen and making the high monk break his vows.
But when she opened her eyes the next morning, the bewitching monk was lying close beside her with his eyes shut. Something deep in Yuan Lilu's memories stirred, ready to break through.
Her mind burst into bloom with a bang: This... this is the husband she had in Qingyuan County...
At least he had forgotten, too.
Later, on the night of the wedding, the eldest prince was executed for treason.
The bride, Yuan Lilu, still dressed in her wedding robes, was tied to a meditation couch at Cheng'an Temple. She stared in terror as Jiming approached.
Jiming bent down and wiped the tear from the corner of her eye. "Lili, how cruel of you to abandon me once again."
He took off his kasaya. "We were husband and wife for two years. Forgetting it would have been one thing, but now that we both remember, we should continue where we left off."
Theme: Love can overcome anything
