Ballad of Spring

Luo Xinyi, a noblewoman known as the "Flower of Lijing," once drew a fortune stick about marriage.

It said she would find a good match, but would marry far from home.

At the time, she paid it no mind.

Then one day, an imperial decree arrived, announcing her marriage to Prince Yong, Nangong Jue, who was far away in Liangzhou.

Only then did she realize the fortune had come true.

If it had been right about her marrying far from home, then it must be right about her finding a good match, too.

After they married, she discovered that her husband was cold on the outside but warm at heart, and always considerate toward her.

To her delight, she also discovered that he was the man she had fallen in love with at first sight during the Shangyuan Festival.

Everything seemed to prove that he was the right man for her.

Many years later, now divorced, she attended the Shangyuan Lantern Festival and thought back to their first meeting, then looked back on everything they had shared.

It turned out their relationship had been nothing but a doomed affair!

A bittersweet, unconventional take on the "burn-the-male-lead" trope, with a large ensemble cast.

* The leads fall for each other at first sight, then are married by a twist of fate. Both are virgins. Bad ending.

* The political intrigue is just window dressing, serving only the romance.

Theme: When the mountains and rivers seem to leave no way forward, a willow-shaded bank and bright flowers appear beyond.