He Has a Palace in His Memories (Historical Romance)

A counterpart to my modern-day story He Saw the Light Behind Him 2. The full text is free. I’ll start writing whenever I feel like it.

The ancient-era version of Mu Jiaoyang and Xiao Tianxin from He Saw the Light Behind Him. Jing Lan, Xiao Tianshi, Habi, and Stupid Pig from the He Saw series will all appear.

Blurb:

Legend has it that the Buddha passed into nirvana between two sal trees, symbolizing both extinction and the arising of causes and conditions. The two sal trees stood opposite each other, one flowering and the other withering. Their flowers bloomed for only a single day, and so were called one-day flowers.

When Xiao Tian'er first met Mu Shaluo, he was holding a small pot of sal tree flowers. He told her that the one-day flower had only one day to live, yet still did its utmost to bloom brilliantly. He admired its noble character.

She felt for him and vowed to protect him forever.

He was the sal tree blooming in her heart!

Reader's Guide: 1. Shaluo and Tian'er team up to create a delightful ancient “police academy.” They solve cases and fight monsters together, while Shaluo keeps treating Tian'er to delicious food in this cozy, sweet romance.

2. Xiao Tian's motto: “I love food and handsome young men most,” specifically the peerlessly beautiful young man named Shaluoshuangshu.

3. To win Tian'er's favor, Shaluo brings back a short-legged dog from abroad. So this is also a cute-pet story, with adorable creatures appearing throughout.

4. Xiao Tian is a memory detective. Her mind contains an entire memory palace that she can use to solve cases. She has also built a home in her mind for herself and Shaluo, the Sweet Palace, where a pair of cute pets live alongside the two of them. Criminologist and female memory detective.

5. This is also a food story. Shaluo collects recipes from all ages and makes Tian'er something delicious in a different style every day.

A little scene:

Xiao Tian really loved to eat. She couldn’t stop thinking about “golden threads and jade slices,” counting them off on her fingers: “The dipping sauce has to be just right, and you have to consider the season, too. In spring, raw fish slices should be served with a sauce made from scallions and ginger. Hmm, it’s summer now, so we need white plum and garlic sauce. In autumn, it should be mustard sauce. Oh, and in winter, it goes best with tangerine and garlic sauce.”

Shaluo patted her head and chuckled. “Your head is full of nothing but food!”

Shaluo continued, “You can’t eat it without the right sauce. One of the ingredients in ‘golden threads’ is white plum. You have to soak unripe green plums in salt water overnight, then dry them in the sun the next day, repeating the process many times before they’re ready. But I just checked, and the kitchen has no green plums stored away. There’s not even any plum brine. If we had plum vinegar, we could still season it, but as things stand, the cook will have to make a different sauce.”

He shook his head again and again, clearly quite disappointed.

Xiao Tian'er tugged at his sleeve. “I never knew you were such an expert!” Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she gazed at him, as if she wanted to stare a hole right through him.

Shaluo said, “I know a little about cooking. If you like, once we’re back in the capital, I’ll find some fresh fish and make you ‘golden threads and jade slices’ with the finest plum vinegar. I have an orchard at my estate, with seasonal fruits and vegetables that I planted myself, more than enough for you to sample all year round. I also have plenty of rare flowers and trees for you to admire.” He paused, then bashfully asked, “Would you care to visit my estate, little sister?”

Theme: Truth, kindness, and beauty.