Wei Youwei is the legitimate daughter of the Grand Princess. Granted the title of Wengzhu, she has been in and out of the palace since childhood and is dearly loved by its nobles.
The Empress Dowager arranged a marriage for her. If all went well, the young general of the Duke of Zhenguo's household would be the man she spent the rest of her life with.
The noble young ladies of the capital were green with envy, but could only gossip in private. "A young military prodigy, literate at three, martial at five, on the battlefield by fifteen, with countless achievements to his name. What a pity he's matched with a clingy, spoiled little thing."
"Well, we still don't know whether Qi Yan can put up with her spoiled nature."
"If Wei Youwei didn't have such a powerful family, she wouldn't have landed such a fine husband."
Though Qi Yan was the second son of the Duke of Zhenguo, his repeated military accomplishments earned him promotions and titles. He was made Marquis of Changping, and eventually Grand General Who Pacifies the Far Regions.
The Duke of Zhenguo's household wielded great power at court, and tales of his son's bravery in battle spread among the people. The emperor lay awake at night.
Then, on the very day Qi Yan was made Grand General Who Pacifies the Far Regions, the Duke of Zhenguo's entire household was implicated in treason and wiped out.
Everyone kept their heads down, afraid of being dragged down with the Duke of Zhenguo's household. The noble young ladies who had once praised Qi Yan as a young general all wore looks of disgust.
One even mocked him in front of everyone: "A traitor deserves to die. I must have been blind to think he was so wonderful."
Only Wengzhu Wei, Qi Yan's betrothed, defied the emperor before the throne and swore to defend the Duke of Zhenguo's household.
The emperor flew into a rage, broke off the marriage arranged by the Empress Dowager, and ordered Wengzhu Wei confined to her manor. From then on, without an imperial decree, she was forbidden to enter or leave the palace.
Ignoring her mother's protests, Wei Youwei rode to the Duke of Zhenguo's household, once filled with laughter and joy. Her eyes welled with tears as she saw blood staining the entire estate.
"A Yan!"
The young man who had once ridden proudly in fine clothes lay on the ground, covered in blood. The hatred in his eyes made her shrink back in fear.
How could the Duke of Zhenguo's household have betrayed the country? She knew the royal family was merciless, but there was nothing she could do. She could save neither the Duke of Zhenguo's household nor Qi Yan.
Not a trace of color remained in her face. In a hoarse voice, she said, "The royal family wronged you. I am a member of the imperial clan, but I am also the woman you were to marry."
"I'll give my life to accompany you to the underworld. I only ask that you not look at me like that. Nuonuo is really scared."
After Qi Yan fell into the water on his tenth birthday, fragments would often flash through his mind in his dreams at night.
Some showed him fighting the enemy on the battlefield in the future. Others showed a girl whose face he couldn't make out. Whenever he tried to see her clearly, he would wake the very next moment.
"What mountain spirit keeps appearing in my dreams? It's so annoying."
Spring turned to autumn, and the dreams never stopped. Little by little, Qi Yan learned that the mountain spirit was called Nuonuo.
"Nuonuo. That's a lovely name for a mountain spirit, but why does she only ever say she's scared in my dreams?" Whenever he thought of it, Qi Yan would feel a sudden surge of frustration.
The day the army returned in triumph, he saw on the streets of Chang'an a woman who looked exactly like the girl from his dreams.
After having someone make inquiries, he learned that she was old enough to be discussing marriage, and that her elders had already reached an understanding with the Yong'an Marquis's household.
They had grown up together, childhood sweethearts. No outsider could wedge themselves into their relationship.
Qi Yan's longtime attendant, afraid he would resort to forcing the issue and ruining someone else's match, tried to dissuade him in every way he could. "The young lady is so sweet and gentle. A military man like you should stop getting involved. After all, a flower already claimed by someone else, no matter how fragrant, isn't yours."
"It's only a verbal agreement. Until the engagement is formally settled, who dares say she's spoken for?"
"If you covet a flower that isn't yours, don't blame me for being ruthless. I'll make sure they never get to pluck it."
Qi Yan thought: Besides, she is already my wife.
Synopsis archived with a screenshot on 2023/8/3.
Theme: A virtuous woman is a worthy match for a gentleman.
