Together for a Lifetime

She was a heaven-blessed prodigy. Why, despite living a legendary life, did she die so young? Her passing brought sorrow to the entire imperial family, yet rejoicing to all of Great Qing. She was exceptionally clever and possessed breathtaking beauty. Men went mad for her, yet she could not master her own heart. “I’ll grow thin for you,” she promised her cousin. Once, deep in a sea of flowers, she glanced back and smiled. But for the prosperity of Great Qing, she gave up what her heart desired, only to die in tears, leaving no one to know the grief she bore. “Everything about you means you can never escape the bonds of the Aisin Gioro family.” This was the Qing emperor’s warning to her, and the fate she could never escape. Yes, the imperial princes who loved her were her destiny in this life. Beyond the railings, butterflies flitted along winding paths, drifting into the depths of the crabapple grove. In early spring, she donned a scarlet wedding gown and married the Thirteenth Prince. Three years later, what fate would entangle her? Though they could not bear to part, what could they do? “We’ll stay together, longing to stay together, even when death parts us.”