Jiang Sheng fell in love earlier than most. At thirteen, she already knew to climb onto a wall and ask the man she liked:
"I heard you're looking for a match. What do you think of me?"
She hadn't even grown up yet, and he only gave her a cold laugh.
Then she fell off the wall and broke one arm.
The following month, he went to the frontier.
Everyone laughed that her persistent pursuit had driven him away. After all, the Ninth Prince, who loved pleasure more than anyone in the land, had no reason to head off to the battlefield otherwise.
Later, Jiang Sheng blossomed like a flower.
No one held her foolish childhood antics against her, and by the time she came of age, matchmakers were lining up at her door.
There were talented scholars everywhere and handsome men by the dozen. She was both delighted and troubled:
Which one should she choose?
At the end of that year, the frontier war ended in victory, and a million troops returned in triumph.
At their head rode a young general, seasoned by battle, stern yet composed.
The man she had once pursued had come back.
The early spring air was still cold. Snowflakes swirled outside, while inside the room it was warm and filled with fragrant mist.
She had taken off all her clothes and was soaking in the tub, unable to get up. Gritting her teeth, she looked at the man several feet away. "General, barging into a young lady's room and refusing to leave is rather rude."
He propped his chin on one hand and casually placed a piece on the chessboard before him. "It doesn't matter. It's not as if I have anything better to do."
Theme: Ah, love.
