A Quiet Spring Day

The emperor wants to depose the empress, and the whole court is in an uproar. The censor remonstrates, but the emperor will not listen. Prince Tang submits a memorial, only to have it rejected again and again. Yet no one could have imagined this: Unable to win her pardon, Prince Tang dares to rely on his imperial brother's affection and return to the capital without permission. With all the reckless courage of youth, he sets out to clear the name of the empress who raised him, turning the capital upside down. But on the very day he returns, he meets a beautiful girl and loses his heart. * On Shangsi Festival, Wei Qiao goes on a spring outing with her friends. She is a beauty renowned throughout the capital, and especially beloved by her female companions. They tease her, asking what kind of man she wants to marry. She smiles gently. "Someone gentle and upright, like my father. Or someone of impeccable character, who respects and cherishes me." One of her companions laughs. "You heard her! All you lecherous rakes, stay away from our A-Qiao." Just then, the kite string in Qiao Niang's hand snaps. The kite drifts across the clear spring sky and disappears into the woods. After sighing over the lost fun, the girls prepare to head back. But as it happens, a handsome young man, his heart newly stirred, impulsively leaps into the water and becomes a lecherous rake for the first time in his life. He retrieves the kite and tries to strike up a conversation. Then, during their later chance encounters, he awkwardly but earnestly chats with Wei Qiao, hoping to be her friend. His enthusiasm borders on recklessness, and his cheerfulness sometimes gets the better of him. Yet Wei Qiao's gentle, quiet heart beats faster for him again and again. By the willow-lined river at sunset, her cheeks grow warm. * Since meeting Wei Qiao, the Censor Wei's daughter, Qi Su feels that spring has quietly blossomed in his heart. "Qiao Niang, you really are the best girl in the world!" "Actually, my name isn't Qi Jia. My real name is Qi Su, and I'm the emperor's sixth younger brother." "Once this matter is settled, I'll visit your father, then ask my imperial brother to grant us a marriage!" Prince Tang says, "I want to be with A-Qiao. For this life and every life to come, never to be parted." [Story highlights: pure sweetness / food / old times / adorable young lovers] Before I met you, my heart was already quietly longing. Note: 1. The main couple is Wei Qiao and Qi Su, with about 80% of the story devoted to them. 2. The empress's deposition case isn't the main plot. The story is leisurely, sweet, and relaxing. 3. The heroine is quiet and beautiful. The hero is a lively young ray of sunshine! 4. The fictional dynasty has an open-minded culture. Plenty of sweetness, no angst! They have a mutual crush in the early chapters. Theme: Good and evil both receive their due.