Anchored on the Shore

Complete! (Hopefully this version is typo-free.) Revised countless times, and very different from pirated versions. My new novel, "The Forbidden Palace," is now underway. The blurb is at the very bottom. Also, please read the notes below before starting. In her previous life, Ji Shiyan died on the battlefield. Alone in the world, she thought she would become a lonely wandering ghost. She never imagined that after her death, someone would travel a thousand miles to collect her body and handle her funeral, then express his love for her again and again in the eulogy he wrote. Liang Qiyin, the blind legitimate son of the Duke of Qingguo's household, was once engaged to Ji Shiyan, who later broke off their betrothal. Though they had been promised to each other as infants, they had barely met. Ji Shiyan couldn't understand why he had gone to such lengths for her. Was it really only because of a betrothal that no longer existed? When Ji Shiyan opened her eyes again, she had returned to four years earlier. Their engagement was still in place, and neither she nor her subordinates had yet died fighting beyond the border. Perhaps out of guilt, perhaps out of curiosity, when she was reborn, Ji Shiyan did not go to the Duke's residence to break off the engagement as she had in her previous life. She had wanted to find Liang Qiyin and repay him for collecting her body in her previous life. Instead, she stumbled upon his little-known past, one full of bullying and suffering. Ji Shiyan: There should be nothing wrong with showing my benefactor a little care, right? In his previous life, Liang Qiyin rode three hundred miles through the night, only to find Ji Shiyan's corpse. He died in the northern desert alongside her, and afterward, only an empty shell remained. Despite his frail, sickly body, he entered the Hanlin Academy, assisted the new emperor, and carried out reforms. At last, he marched beyond the border with the army, destroyed the Northern Barbarians, and avenged Ji Shiyan. When peace was restored, he took his own life. But when he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the age of twenty, the year Ji Shiyan broke off their engagement. Heaven had given him an enormous second chance. When he saw Ji Shiyan again, Liang Qiyin swore that in this life, he would protect her, cut down anyone who stood in her way, and rid her path of every injustice. Even if, just as in his previous life, Ji Shiyan didn't know him or remember him. Yet this time, he never saw her come to break off their engagement. Instead, they truly became husband and wife for a lifetime... In red robes atop a spirited horse, the mighty general charged out of the flames, bold and carefree. She leaned down and held out a hand to him, laughing loudly: "Liang Qiyin, I've come to take you to our wedding!" Everyone said Marshal Ji had three heads and six arms, born under the star of a great general. Unfortunately, she was born under the star of a calamity, destined to bring ruin to her father and mother. Surely her new husband wouldn't live much longer, either. But after the wedding, Liang Qiyin not only stopped languishing in bed, he grew livelier by the day. His consumption was cured, and he no longer wheezed when he walked. The capital's residents, who had bet on how soon Liang Qiyin would be cursed to death before the wedding: Can we get our money back...? A renowned, straightforward, and somewhat dimwitted female general vs. a genuinely frail, sickly, gentle, shy, and brilliant strategist Notes before reading (including content warnings): 1. One-on-one romance, happy ending. The romance and plot each get about half the focus. It's probably a sweet story (imagine this in bold red text). 2. The female lead is the strongest fighter in the entire story, completely unbeatable. The male lead has poor eyesight for certain reasons early on, but can see blurry shapes (he can manage daily life on his own; it's like being nearsighted, not complete blindness. His vision will be cured later.) 3. An alternate-history setting, with some historical references and plenty of original worldbuilding. The author has no brains, so the protagonists won't have much either. It's a light, simple story, so just read it casually. 4. The protagonists aren't perfect. They each have flaws, and they will kill, swear, and use torture to force confessions. If you have a problem, yell at them, not me T^T. 5. This story contains a lot of ridiculous flashbacks (take note). If that's not for you, you can skip straight to Volume Two after reading the first few chapters. 6. I'm terrible at writing romance, and there's a melodramatic amnesia trope (used to spice up the romance). Proceed with caution if that's a dealbreaker. 7. Strictly speaking, this is not a power fantasy. Not a power fantasy. Not a power fantasy. The protagonists aren't invincible, overpowered heroes (no offense). Everyone has different tastes, so if you're not enjoying it, just leave. No need to force yourself (let's all be happy). 8. The male lead is chaste in both body and mind. A man's chastity is his finest dowry. --- Coming Soon: The Forbidden Palace --- On the eve of Princess Mingchan's coming-of-age ceremony, her maternal uncle, a founding minister, was arrested for a crime. The emperor abolished the regency and established the Xiping Office. History would call it the "Dingyou Coup." Her maternal family was wiped out. Overcome with grief, her mother died in childbirth. Overnight, Cheng Yuntang fell from the clouds into the mud. Her title was revoked, and she was confined to the Cold Palace. As she endured one humiliation after another, the man who had recently promised to marry her stood nearby, not even daring to look at her. Only then did Cheng Yuntang realize how foolish love was. In this treacherous Forbidden Palace, nothing was real. The first time she killed someone with a knife, hot blood spattered across her face. She felt an exhilaration unlike anything she had ever known. Cheng Yuntang maneuvered across the chessboard of power, manipulating everyone as though they were pieces under her control. Until one day, a young man stumbled into her game. He was humble, lowborn, and naively foolish. Cheng Yuntang thought that one day, when he saw that she was not the gentle, kind woman he imagined, he would flee in panic like everyone else. Corpses piled beneath her feet. From princess to regent to the power behind the throne, she climbed toward the top as everyone abandoned her. Yet when she finally reached the highest seat and looked back, the hands supporting her were still his. Until death do us part. #This Forbidden Palace is both a cage and a sea of desire.# * Yan Hui once met a beautiful woman who smelled of begonias and was gentle and kind. "Good boy, come here to me." He thought he would live out his days in such peace. But only when his family was destroyed did he realize that the one pulling the strings was the delicate, jade-white hand before his eyes. An unfathomable chasm separated him from Cheng Yuntang. She was the bright moon and a luminous pearl, while he was a speck of dirt hidden from the light. Years later, Yan Hui crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, becoming a blade that killed with a single strike. Beneath the towering palace walls, he saw that beautiful woman again. Princess Mingchan Li Wangjin, who wielded power over the court, was wanton and arrogant, with countless lovers. She didn't recognize him. The beauty reclined lazily on a couch. "Good boy, come here to me." #I am her blade, and I am her shield.# * A cold, ruthless imperial daughter vs. a devoted assassin who never wavers Notes before reading (including content warnings): 1. Six-year age gap. The male lead is fourteen when he first appears. 2. The female lead has had romantic relationships with people other than the male lead. While each relationship is ongoing, she is exclusive with that partner. (Readers who require chaste characters, please stay away. In every sense.) 3. For a long time, the male lead's love is unrequited and humble. 4. An alternate world mixing elements from various dynasties, with plenty of original worldbuilding. 5. Characters' values do not represent the author's. I'm a good citizen. 6. The male leads and male supporting characters are chaste in both body and mind. A man's chastity is his finest dowry. 7. The plot mainly follows the female lead's growth. The male lead is the protagonist of the romance. 8. There are flashbacks, and the male lead does not appear in them. 9. One-on-one ending. --- End of Coming-Soon Blurb --- Theme: Though a thousand stand in my way, I will go forward.