The Pear Garden's Old Dreams Fade to Nothing

Su Keran, a noble young lady, met Lu Zitao, a hostage prince, at the pear garden when they were young. They exchanged their longing for one another through paper kites sent over a wall, believing they would share a lifetime of moonlit nights and flowers. When her elder brother became embroiled in Prince Xiao Yi's conspiracy to seize the throne, she became a pawn. Her entire family was wiped out, and she was branded and maimed. Her face disfigured and confined to a wheelchair, she withdrew from the world and passed her days brewing wine. Years later, Xiao Yi, now emperor, sought her out and forced her to persuade an old friend to send troops. Past love and hatred, and the chains of country and family, all sank into a jar of bitter wine. Theme: Through a youthful romance in which two people miss each other at every turn, this story lays bare the coldness of human nature beneath the schemes of imperial power. With the motifs of pear-garden opera lyrics, pear blossoms, and aged wine, it explores the meaning of "lasting regret": love given to the wrong person, the loss of one's entire family, and a life left only half whole, all shaped by the countless ways people are powerless against their fate.