Plum Blossoms in the Fold

This book isn't very good, so don't read it. Go check out my new story next door instead QAQ

Here's the blurb:

Zhao Yan was born and raised in the palace. Her mother died when she was young, and despite being a princess, she had to scrape by and grow up cautiously.

At the age of eight, she told a monstrous lie to protect herself. She thought she'd gotten away with it and no one would ever bring it up again, but the palace maid Su Yuqing found out. From then on, Zhao Yan was terrified whenever she saw her.

Everyone in the palace knew that the newly arrived palace maid, Su Yuqing, was strict and difficult to get along with. She was merciless when teaching the princesses, and everyone complained.

Only the seventeenth princess, Zhao Yan, never dared slack off on her studies, to everyone's amazement.

Until one day, the usually aloof and cold palace maid dropped her icy facade and lowered her head to whisper to Zhao Yan, "I would gladly be your servant, Princess."

The world drifts by like running water. Looking back, a lifetime feels like a dream.

More than sixty years had passed since the previous dynasty fell. As the new dynasty compiled its history, an old historian, poring over piles of old papers, glimpsed a secret love story that had unfolded behind the vermilion walls of the inner palace

"Bodhisattva in heaven, I, your humble devotee Zhao Yan, kneel and pray again and again. May she always be happy and enjoy lasting good health."

The letter had no salutation or signature, only a few brief words. It was written after Princess Zhao Yan was ordered to marry into Xizhou. The usually obedient little princess, powerless and without influence, fought back with all her might. The letter might offer some insight into why.

Though there is no way to verify who this "she" was, unofficial histories have followed the clues and identified her as a certain palace maid.

[Reading Guide] The main story has a serious tone. Six-year age gap, both characters' first relationship, one-on-one pairing, happy ending.

[Coming Soon] Zhaozhao

In the ninth year of Yuanxi, a literary inquisition that swept through half the court came to an end after seven years. Tens of thousands of people from the Jiangnan faction were implicated. Countless families were torn apart by confiscations, executions, and exile. The history books record: At the time, nine out of ten rooms at the Jiangnan academies stood empty.

Three years later, the imperial examinations were held. Candidates poured into the capital from all over the country. At the capital's biggest polo match, the spectators crowded together, laughing and cheering as applause thundered.

The Huai Zhen Princess rode hard, her whip snapping and her smile radiant. She stole the show on the field, and, surrounded by the crowd, spotted Lu Zhaolan trying to avoid her. She called him over and asked his name.

"This humble student is Lu... Zhao."

The lofty little princess twirled her riding whip and smiled meaningfully. "Lu Zhao? I remember you, brother."

-

No one knew that the year before, while hunting in the forest, the Huai Zhen Princess had been bitten by a snake. A passing scholar risked his life to suck the venom from her wound.

Grateful for his life-saving kindness and their intimate contact, the Huai Zhen Princess fell in love at first sight and secretly gave him her heart. She hinted several times that he could become her lover, but he refused, again and again.

Humiliated and angry, she decided to make him hers by force. In the dark, she reached out and discovered that he was a woman. Furious, she stormed away that very night.

When they met again, he was down on his luck. She thought she'd be delighted, but instead, an indescribable feeling stirred in her heart...

Theme: Celebrating equal love and pursuing a life of freedom.