Spring Banquet

In her youth, Xue Wanying was born into a powerful family. Beautiful and gifted, she was adored by her father and grandfather, and studied under a renowned scholar of the age. Her teacher often lamented that she had not been born a man. Years later, when she had become the mistress of the imperial palace, her aunt, Empress Dowager Zhou, said to her, “Your grandfather used to boast to me about your intelligence and lament that you weren’t a man. Now I see that the latter part was right. You should have been born a man. At least then you wouldn’t be so hopeless when it comes to the affairs of the inner palace.” In too many palace-intrigue stories, the winner becomes king and the loser is branded a villain. There’s nothing wrong with that, but after all the scheming, is anyone really a winner? This story features an empress of great talent who is trapped within the palace walls, a peerlessly beautiful consort who loathes using her looks to win favor, and a sincere love. One autumn afternoon, I woke from a nap while you sat sewing, not yet asleep. That was a life of peaceful contentment. I played the se, and you played the qin; together we played a song of longing, and that was harmony between husband and wife. I rested my head on your lap as your fingers threaded through my hair, tying our dark locks together. That was growing old together. Neither lead is a virgin; slow burn; happy ending Theme: This novel explores women’s sense of self and their strength and independence.