Minghe had seemed like a different person lately. No longer as carefree and innocent as before, she often sat alone, quietly nursing her sadness. Her maids were the first to notice something was amiss. Even the Princess Royal and her consort were worried about their daughter. The maids began speculating about what was troubling their young mistress:
"The young mistress has been sighing at her wardrobe lately. She must think her dresses are ugly and needs new ones."
"No, she often stares blankly at the moon by the window. She must be missing the pastries from the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet."
"You're the one who wants to eat them! Sometimes the young mistress giggles to herself. Maybe it's because she bumped into Lord Pei's chest a few times and accidentally knocked something loose in her head!"
Only Minghe herself knew that she'd become obsessed with the new tutor to the Crown Prince. But she'd recently learned that his heart already belonged to a young woman, and that he was deeply in love with her. Minghe would never stoop to stealing someone else's beloved. The only thing she could do was focus on Pei Zhan's flaws, keep her distance, and try her best to hate him. That way, she wouldn't have so much to worry about.
Pei Zhan, tutor to the Crown Prince, was handsome and distinguished, aloof and noble. He had entered government service at a young age, and etiquette and propriety had been ingrained in him since childhood. He stayed true to his ideals, helping the weak and petitioning for the people. Whenever anyone tried to arrange a marriage for him, he would play dumb and brush them off. To him, marriage was a constraint, a tie that bound him down.
Then, at the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, a lovely young woman carrying a jug of wine stumbled into his arms. He was completely stunned. After that, the young lady would keep appearing when he least expected it, making his heart race. The feeling was truly mysterious. But lately, the young lady had stopped smiling at him. She looked at him coldly, without a trace of warmth. He tried to rein in his feelings and focus on his duties, until the emperor summoned talented young men to the capital to choose a husband for the young lady at court. Only then did he panic. For the first time, he disregarded the proper etiquette between ruler and subject and rushed into the hall, hoping to win himself a chance.
From then on, Pei Zhan's reputation for lofty virtue and strict propriety was gone. For the sake of his beloved, even he could forget his manners.
Little scene: At the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, the moonlight spilled across the night. Pei Zhan left the feast and went outside to admire the moon alone. Beneath its light, he saw a graceful woman stagger out from the flowers. Holding up a wine jug, she drank to the moon. Lively and charming, she seemed like a figure in a painting. Pei Zhan lost himself for a moment. Realizing he was being rude, he was about to turn back when the young woman threw herself into his arms and asked, "Immortal brother, would you be my husband?"
Theme: Beauty and good fortune will arrive right on time
