Because of a jade pendant, Zhang Rongjin's soul transmigrates into the body of a noblewoman of the Han Dynasty who shares her name. The original Zhang Rongjin drowned, and she gets the chance to be reborn. After transmigrating, she keeps dreaming of the original owner's former lover. The original owner left behind many secrets, all like riddles that seem to entangle her. They should have nothing to do with her, yet beneath the surface, they are tied to her in ways she cannot escape.
Everyone knows that Zhang Rongjin, the third daughter of the Zhang family and the legitimate daughter of the Commandant of Justice, is exceptionally talented and beautiful. She is also known as Chang'an's number one beauty. Everyone knows, too, that Zhang Rongchen, the Zhang family's second daughter, is kindhearted and generous, always treating the world with compassion. But as Zhang Rongjin looks deeper into things, she discovers that perhaps her half-sister is not as simple as she once thought. Perhaps the third daughter of the Zhang family did not die by accident. And the original owner's former lover in her dreams may not be who she imagines, either. She has no idea that the empress shrouded in layers of mystery in the history books is inextricably connected to her and to Zhang Rongjin.
If the person you love deeply suddenly becomes a stranger, would you let go gracefully or hold on tight?
If your beloved were in mortal danger, would you stake your own life to save her, even if you held the power of life and death and a glorious future awaited you, only for you to die and lose everything?
If you had to watch the person you love fall in love with someone else and marry him, would you bear the heartache and let her go, or insist on keeping her by your side, even if it made her hate you?
If all of these fates came together, would you have the courage to accept this cruelty? To give your life for her, then watch her spend her life in another's arms?
A few things to know before reading:
The names are drawn from the Book of Songs poem "Jian Jia," inspired by the image of a beloved across the water.
This story has a happy ending, with some angst. It includes family and palace intrigue, war, and struggles for imperial power.
It touches on the Rebellion of the Seven States and the Rule of Wen and Jing.
This is a reimagining set during the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of Han, a plausible invention based on historical facts.
Please credit the source when quoting original poems from this story.
