Secret Records of Flower Gathering

Xie Qian, heir to the Prince of Dingbei, falls out with his father and elder brother after rescuing a "Jin slave woman." He resigns his position as heir and builds a hut in the mountains where his late mother is buried, choosing to live in seclusion.

Xie Qian names the "Jin slave woman" A Xue, unaware that she is a member of the Flower-Picking Pavilion, the group that tried to assassinate his father. Three years later, just as Xie Qian is about to marry A Xue, he hears that war is imminent and descends the mountain to enlist.

A Xue sheds her disguise and vanishes into the shadows once more.

Later, they reunite in an enemy kingdom, fight side by side on the battlefield, and work in perfect harmony at court.

Because of his late mother, Xie Qian gets a glimpse into the secrets of the legendary Flower-Picking Pavilion. But he does not know that its third leader, a master of a thousand disguises and a brilliant strategist, is his own A Xue.

Years later, he rises to the highest ranks of the court and holds a grand wedding. Dressed in wedding robes, he rides out to fetch his bride.

At the far end of the long street, she is in shackles, paraded before the crowd.

Their eyes meet. Her gaze is calm as she silently mouths, "Congratulations."

Reader's guide and warnings:

This may be a new novel, but its story and characters have been turning in my mind for ten years. The outline is complete, so feel free to wait until there's more to read.

1. The broad setting draws inspiration from the Song Dynasty and includes some key historical events, such as the Jingkang Incident. Please note that this is a parallel world, not actual history, and the characters are not real historical figures! This author isn't very good at history and may make things up when the plot calls for it, so please forgive me.

2. The story is mainly about a group of legendary women in ancient times, told from the male lead's point of view. He brings the graceful elegance, while the heroine brings the schemes and intrigue.

3. This story contains feminist ideas, which may make for an uncomfortable reading experience.

4. All the poems in this novel are my own, except for those I credit in the author's notes. I have some familiarity with poetry, but I'm not showing off my knowledge. I simply grew up loving Dream of the Red Chamber, especially its distinctive use of poems inspired by different characters and events.

My skill may be ordinary, but if I don't try writing them, I never will.

5. If all of the above sounds good to you, thank you sincerely for reading The Secret Records of the Flower-Picking Pavilion.

Theme: The awakening of women's consciousness and their resistance to oppression in a patriarchal society during the ancient world's turbulent times