Thorny Begonia

[The simplified Chinese edition has been published. For details, follow Weibo @Wu Yuan Er]

On the Lantern Festival night of the third year of the Tianshou era, the Crown Prince is assassinated during a sacrificial ceremony. His body is never found, and the case becomes known as the “Assassination at Tang.”

In the wake of the case, powerful clans rebel and place the prince Song Lan on the throne as their puppet.

To uncover the truth behind the case, quell the coup, and protect the Crown Prince’s most beloved younger brother, Su Luowei, born into a family of renowned ministers and the Crown Prince’s childhood sweetheart, marries Song Lan. She pours her heart into helping him consolidate power and secure his throne.

Until one day, Su Luowei discovers that Song Lan was the mastermind behind the Assassination at Tang.

She was deceived and kept in the dark, and had even unwittingly become his accomplice.

Once she learns the truth, Su Luowei resolves to do whatever it takes to avenge the Crown Prince.

So she sets her sights on Ye Tingyan, the powerful courtier Song Lan trusts most.

*

The Crown Prince has been upright and noble since childhood, as bright and pure as the moon. Yet his younger brother and childhood sweetheart conspire against him, and overnight he is cast into the mud.

He survives against all odds, disguises himself, and returns to court under the identity of his trusted aide Ye Tingyan, planning to eliminate all those who wronged him.

But he never imagined that Su Luowei, now empress, would cross the line of her own accord and show him favor.

He thinks that after all these years, he has never truly known Su Luowei.

Until Su Luowei leans on his shoulder and whispers to him:

“Lord Ye, go kill Song Lan and avenge my Crown Prince.”

*

“About the madness of those who glimpse darkness while striving for propriety, the resolve of heaven’s chosen in a world of mire, and the destruction and forging of idealism.”

P.S. This novel’s values are sound. The heroine does not begin a romantic relationship with the male lead while her relationship with the second male lead is ongoing.

P.P.S. Some plot elements are inspired by Li He’s poetry, including but not limited to ‘Song of the False Dragon,’ ‘Song of the Bronze Immortal Bidding Farewell to Han,’ ‘Song of the Old Man Gathering Jade,’ and ‘The High Wushan.’ Thank you, Changji.

[Content warnings: Please read]

1. The heroine is not a virgin (highlighted); the male lead is. Happy ending, fictional setting.

2. The romance is extremely melodramatic. The characters aren’t perfect: the leads are hopeless romantics who love each other desperately and will lose their minds. They’re quite something.

3. The writing may be tiring to read due to its diction and sentence structure. It has a serious tendency to pile on ornate language, many stream-of-consciousness scenes, and a slow build. This is not a power fantasy, and it’s quite different in style from my last novel, so please think carefully before starting if that bothers you.

4. For a detailed list of content warnings, please read the author’s note in Chapter One. Please don’t skip it!

The completed historical romance in the same series, Song of White Snow, is available in my collection. Take a look~

My next novel will be The Pouring of Ling.

Theme: Even in the mire, one can still leave behind the fragrance of lotus seeds