A Sudden Spring Breeze

- The one all of Chang'an loves has returned.

Everyone knew that Princess Sheng'an was graceful and noble, breathtakingly beautiful, yet surrounded by scandalous rumors. No one dared marry her.

It was said that the princess had a dead beloved, Xie Linzhou, the adopted son of the Grand Tutor who had once caused a sensation.

The young man was like a pine breeze and moonlit water, exceptionally talented and once famed throughout Chang'an.

But he strayed down the wrong path and met a disgraceful end, dying in prison.

After his death, anyone whose mannerisms resembled his even a little was taken into the princess's residence as one of her male companions.

After three years, the princess's residence had an absurd number of them.

But people also said the princess was fickle, and no one could hold her favor for long.

The illegitimate son of the Shen family was idle, uneducated, and always getting into trouble. He was one of the most notorious wastrels in Yangzhou. One day, he accompanied his father into the palace, setting off a huge commotion.

There was only one reason: the eldest young master Shen had a face nine-tenths identical to that of the princess's beloved. The only difference lay in his bearing.

In appearance alone, he was almost indistinguishable from the original.

When Sheng'an heard the news, she hurried over. The cold, proud princess burst into tears in front of everyone.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, she named him her consort.

#Being your own replacement#

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Here's a preview of a future story:

"Silver Saddle, Peach Blossoms"

After angering the emperor, the crown prince was stripped of his title and exiled to the Southern Wilderness. The ministers rejoiced: "At last! That useless, good-for-nothing crown prince is finished!"

Xie Qiyun lived in the Eastern Palace but never led by example. He spent money like water and lived in extravagant luxury. Compared to his accomplished princely brothers, there was nothing to recommend him except his face.

Among the emperor's many children, he was the rotten apple in the barrel.

One day, drunk, he dreamed that he would soon anger the emperor, be punished, and sent into exile. Sure enough, before long, he was deposed.

On the eve of his exile, he dreamed again: the road ahead was fraught with danger, but a beautiful young woman in white would stay by his side, protect him, and save him time and again. The dream also included all sorts of unspeakable things. When he woke, Xie Qiyun was both terrified and blushing, his heart pounding. And sure enough, before long, he was ambushed.

On the night of the ambush, the accompanying maids were huddled under a table, trembling. But their crown prince neither hid nor dodged. He stared intently out the window.

The maids cried, "Your Highness, what are you waiting for?"

The deposed crown prince: "I'm waiting for my future wife. She'll come to rescue me, sword in hand, riding on auspicious clouds."

The maids cried themselves unconscious. Oh no, no, no!

-

Jiang Tingxue had three masters, each of whom treasured and carefully nurtured her. She had studied martial arts and reading since childhood, never slacking in winter or summer. Her manners were refined and proper, and she possessed an air of righteous dignity. Among her fellow disciples in Peach Blossom Valley, she was the model student.

Then one day, she accepted a mission to escort the deposed crown prince into exile in the Southern Wilderness. It was the first time in her sixteen years that she had ever left the mountain, and the first time she had seen the outside world her senior brothers and sisters had talked about.

Months later, when her fellow disciples gathered again, they were stunned to discover that their once elegant, ethereal little junior sister was gone. She was staggering around with a wine jar in her arms, rubbing her head against a man's chest. "Hic, Xie Qiyun, do I bet on big or small this time...?"

Unable to suppress his rising smile, Xie Qiyun gently coaxed her, then said with a perfectly straight face, "My apologies, my apologies. I hope you won't think too badly of her."

Master and senior brothers and sisters: ??? Wait, which of us is the outsider here?

Her senior brothers were especially heartbroken. They had told Tingxue how wonderful the world beyond the mountain was, but forgot to warn her to beware of scoundrels!

Especially the handsome ones who were good with sweet talk!!!

-The deposed crown prince's happy? journey into exile

-The model junior sister's fall? from grace

Theme: Look beyond appearances to see the truth.