Spring in the Mist

[Blurb] Li Qingwei is the legitimate daughter of the Earl of Zhongyi. She has bright, expressive eyes and peerless beauty. Orphaned of her mother in childhood, she was raised for many years by her maternal grandfather, Prince of Pingxi. After coming of age, the Earl of Zhongyi's household summoned her back to the capital to arrange her marriage. After all these years apart, everyone in the earl's household was exceptionally "warm" toward her, especially her stepmother, Madam Zhou, whom she had barely seen since childhood. Madam Zhou was even moved to tears as she took Li Qingwei's hand and earnestly picked out several prospective husbands for her. The first: widowed in middle age. The second: surrounded by concubines. The third: physically deficient... Li Qingwei: Why waste time meeting these ugly men? She had a backup plan. She had met an eighth-rank official working in the western suburbs some time ago. The young official was strikingly handsome and refined, with a relaxed, distinguished air. His temperament was like spring rain in the mountains at night, clear and melodious. Li Qingwei found him agreeable, and the more she looked at him, the more he seemed like her future husband. The only problem was that he was young and low-ranking, not someone she could present to her family. She kept running into him, intentionally and otherwise. The two fell for each other, growing more and more intimate. One day, with a gentle rain pattering outside, they lingered together in tenderness for a long while. As the young official was about to rise, Li Qingwei hooked her jade-like foot around the golden sash at his waist. The man leaned down, his long lashes lowered to veil the hint of dignity in his eyes. Li Qingwei smiled. "Things have gone this far between us, so we should discuss marriage. But your climb through the ranks is arduous and slow. For now, you're still an eighth-rank official, and my maternal family would never agree. I have a long-term plan." "What plan?" the man asked. Li Qingwei smiled, her eyes bright with affection. "Become my live-in husband and come back to Bingzhou with me." The man across from her swallowed, his expression suggesting he wanted to say something but couldn't. * Not long afterward, at a grand banquet in the imperial palace, a man in a jade crown and court robes walked steadily toward her. Her stepmother and father tugged at her sleeve. "Why aren't you greeting His Highness the Crown Prince?" Li Qingwei looked up and saw a familiar face. * Crown Prince Lu Cheng has a noble status and a character as bright and clear as the moon, gentle yet self-controlled. He has rendered great service as an aide to the emperor and has a heart devoted to the people. He has countless virtues, with just one flaw: he has no interest in women. He had passed twenty, yet the Eastern Palace remained quite empty. They say the Empress was worried about it. Until one day, someone saw... At the bridge, a woman stepped down from the Crown Prince's carriage. The Crown Prince hurried after her and caught hold of her sleeve. The woman's fair face was stern, her red lips pressed tight. She flung a jade pendant with red-bean tassels to the ground. Her voice was cold. "I was ignorant before. I hope Your Highness won't hold it against me. I'll leave for Bingzhou and grow old there, never to return to the capital." The Crown Prince lowered his voice and coaxed her. "It was my fault for hiding it from you. Please don't be angry." Everyone: QWQ Content warnings: The setting is very loose, and the male lead appears in Chapter 3. The pacing is slow, and the story focuses mainly on romance. This is my first long novel, and the plot has plenty of shortcomings. It's not especially satisfying, and it contains a vicious stepmother and stepsister, as well as a useless father. If you prefer fast-paced wish-fulfillment stories, household intrigue, or period dramas, this may not be for you. The villains are defeated very late. You can skip chapters marked as plot-heavy. I recommend buying one chapter at a time! The original title was "Spring Palace": "East" represents spring, and its color is green. The Eastern Palace is also called the Spring Palace or Green Palace. There's no special meaning behind the title. Thank you for your support! Here's a preview of my upcoming novel, now available for pre-order in my author's section: "Moonlit Steps" [Blurb] [1] Lantern Festival, evening. Outside Xuande Gate, flutes and drums rang out amid silver lanterns and waves of snow. Yingyue held a glass lantern shaped like a dragon and phoenix flower basket as she squeezed through the crowd. People pressed in from every side, and a bump sent her tumbling into someone's arms. The clean scent of cold plum blossoms drifted to her nose The man she'd bumped into was so tall that she had to tilt her head back to see his handsome, well-proportioned chin. Yingyue looked up. "What a coincidence, Young Master Ting." Ting Jie lowered his gaze, his eyes clear as a moonlit lamp. "It is." After all, this was the third time she'd fallen into his arms that evening. [2] As a child, Yingyue met a boy who saved her life. The young boy was gentle and mild-mannered, but came from a wretched background: he was an illegitimate son, rejected by his father's family and bullied by his cousins. His life was very hard. Later, the two were separated by circumstance, and Yingyue searched for him for a long time. Heaven was kind to her, and ten years later, they met again on a spring night. But he seemed to have forgotten her. No matter. If she "meets" him a few more times, he'll remember eventually. Yingyue thought optimistically. [3] Tiankuang Festival, early afternoon. Ting Jie sat with one leg crossed, the book in his hand still unopened Outside the waterside pavilion. Yingyue scooped up water with her hand to feed the little dog she'd found. Her profile was lovely and pure, her long hair falling loose. The sunlight was fine and bright, making every strand of her hair shine. Life like this really wasn't bad. But she'd heard... That his half-brother, who looked just like him, was nearing the end of his assignment and would soon return to the capital. How could one make someone disappear from the world? Like water disappearing into water. Ting Jie propped his chin on his hand and pondered. Theme: A fascinating soul is one in a million