Spring's Beauty Can't Compare to Yours [Hzc]

**Resilient, radiant female historian x emperor of an observatory, two sides to his nature

[Blurb]

Xu Yan once thought she would spend her whole life with the young Taoist who copied scriptures at Qingxu Temple, the two of them together forever.

Among the old papers in the Sutra Library, she was helping her father collate historical records when she came across a Taoist priest in blue drawing a formation in the blank space of a Buddhist scripture. Their feelings passed through the scrolls, and they debated history on the page. She had long known he was a hostage sent by the northern frontier prince, and had seen the calluses on his wrists left by his shackles.

On the night of the upheaval, she stole the palace defense map from the archives for him and held off his pursuers there. As he took off his blue robe and put on dark armor, she watched beside him. Li Che: the heir of the northern frontier who had weathered the upheaval with her.

The new dynasty had just been established, and powerful clans stood everywhere. He took her hand and tied the old handkerchief around her wrist again. "If I don't marry the Xie clan's daughter, this empire will fall apart in three months. It's not that I don't want you to be the only one."

Xu Yan didn't cry. She looked at him calmly, and after a long pause said only, "I understand."

She took all her annotations from the scriptures and turned away without looking back.

Li Che thought she would wait. But on the day he married the Xie clan's daughter and made her empress, Xu Yan disappeared without a trace.

The young emperor searched the entire country for one person, driven to madness. Any ministers from the powerful clans who tried to remonstrate with him had their titles stripped and were exiled.

Three years later.

A women's academy had opened in a water town in Jiangnan, a thousand miles from the capital.

It was the dynasty's first women's academy. It accepted students without regard to family rank or wealth, and became a celebrated institution throughout the region. The local inspector reported it to the court, only to receive a red imperial comment delivered at full speed: His Majesty was greatly pleased and would soon be making an incognito visit.

The inspector held the imperial comment as if it were his future, and begged the academy's extraordinarily lucky headmistress to prepare what she would say at the audience, lest she anger His Majesty.

Xu Yan sat sideways in a grand armchair, an old book in hand, gently rocking. "I'm just a commoner. His Majesty won't need to see me. You can handle it yourself."

As she spoke, a cry of alarm came from outside.

"Oh no! The emperor's imperial guards have surrounded the academy!"

1. Happy ending, both leads' first time, one-on-one, no switching heroes.

2. The hero's redemption arc.

Theme: Wealth and honor are not what I desire. I wish only to preserve your youthful glow.