Springtime

He Tao was born into a family of princes and nobles, with a noble destiny. Her marriage prospects drew everyone's attention. The powerful families could produce kings, marquises, generals, and ministers. Yet in the capital, not one duke, marquis, or decorated military noble had expressed an interest in marrying her. The ladies of the great houses all said that He Tao was beautiful, but willful, arrogant, and overbearing, lacking the virtue and grace expected of a principal wife. Troubled by these rumors, He Tao wrote to a childhood friend for help. Inside the wax-sealed envelope was a malt candy offered as payment. Passed from hand to hand, it made its way into a modest residence. Sheng Che opened the letter and could almost picture He Tao's pitiful expression as she wrote it. He gave a soft laugh, unwrapped the candy at his leisure, and picked up his brush to devise a plan for her. * Born to an ordinary family, he couldn't rise to the top while young, so he had no choice but to pull her down from her pedestal. Please add this to your reading list. I'm begging you, please, please, please. I'll get down on my knees. - New novel introduction A story about performers. The music-house system was strict. The law decreed, "Men become slaves, women become courtesans," and their descendants could not leave their registered status for three generations. Still, there were a few lucky exceptions. Everyone at the Imperial Music Bureau envied Li Wan, who had bought her freedom for a fortune, and Dong Qingqing, who had left her status behind by marrying a commoner soldier. Li Xing'er thought little of them. What did it matter if she was of low status? All that mattered was living in luxury. Li Xing'er was exceptionally beautiful, and her skills at the zither and dance were outstanding. She wanted to become a first-rate performer, not so she could live at Yichun House, but so she could perform in the palace more often and catch the eye of a powerful noble. A concubine might still be of low status, but what was wrong with that if the noble was kind, generous, and foolish? The first person she set her sights on was naturally Lord Wei Zhixu, the man her sisters at the Imperial Music Bureau were always talking about. - The Wei family's founding ancestor distinguished himself in service to Emperor Taizong and was made Duke of Weiguo, a first-rank duke. The family stood among the highest nobility of the dynasty. The Wei family had strict traditions. Its young men studied diligently, strove to advance, and aimed high, with Wei Zhixu the foremost among them. Wei Zhixu himself was proper in speech and conduct, impeccable in character, and, more remarkably, possessed an exceptionally handsome face. He spent years training on the frontier with his father, but unexpectedly did not follow the path of a military general. In 976, he passed the imperial examinations and continued his family's glory as a scholar-official. One distant glance was enough for Xing'er to know that a man like Wei Zhixu would be impossible to win over. He was not her first choice for a meal ticket. Theme: Stay optimistic, cheerful, and always strive to improve.