A Fleeting Spring Romance

As the emperor's daughter, whom he'd only recognized halfway through his reign, Xie Mingyun had a smooth and easy life as a princess. She had everything she could want, and the only time she stumbled was when her dear father found her a tutor to teach her the Four Arts.

The emperor's favored adopted princess, with the most distinguished and gentle Tutor Rong in the capital as her teacher, was the envy of every noblewoman in the city. But Xie Mingyun felt as if she were walking on thin ice, ready to burst into tears.

The reason was simple: the tutor the emperor had found for her, the Rong family's aloof and exalted scion, was the poor scholar she'd had a brief fling with years ago while traveling.

When they parted, she'd made a bold declaration.

"It was just a casual fling. You didn't take it seriously, did you?"

But when she turned around and entered the palace, the man she'd spurned had become her tutor.

*

Tutor Rong Huaian was refined, reserved, and gentle as jade. He had spent half his life following the rules. His one mistake was falling for a woman while traveling, only to be callously abandoned.

He had barely settled back in the capital when he received the emperor's decree: he was to teach the newly recognized princess.

He was about to refuse, but the moment he saw the face he'd hated so much for half a year, his mind changed. Seeing the panic on the little liar princess's face, he raised an eyebrow and said, word by deliberate word:

"The princess is unruly. I will not fail Your Majesty's trust. I will certainly teach her proper manners and make her a learned and virtuous lady."

The liar who had left without a second thought had now fallen into his hands. How could he possibly let her off easily?

*

Ever since Master Rong began teaching at the princess's residence, rumors spread that the princess and her tutor had some private grievance.

The tutor, usually so gentle and elegant, seemed to have it in for the princess. On his first day, he made her practice calligraphy for three hours. The next day, she studied the zither until nightfall, her eyes red from exhaustion.

Everyone thought: They must have quite a grudge against each other.

The people who had once envied the princess changed their minds at once. A gentle tutor was one thing, but nobody wanted to be put through this kind of torment.

In the first month, the tutor remained expressionless, and the princess's residence often echoed with zither music late into the night.

In the second month, the two were at each other's throats. The zither music stopped, but maids passing the princess's bedroom would sometimes hear someone whispering a scolding. Their verbal sparring was fierce.

Later, when the lessons ended, everyone assumed the two would never speak again. But three days later, at a palace banquet, Master Rong appeared at the princess's side, going everywhere with her. He lifted the hem of her rain-soaked skirt and treated her with such tenderness and care that he watched every step.

Everyone: Huh?

Didn't they say the two had such a serious grudge that they'd never speak again?

Then who were the two names on that imperial edict of marriage?!

Blurb written on August 17, 2023. Cover used with permission, thanks to artist Yixu.

The entire novel has been carefully edited several times. I take no responsibility for pirated copies.

Theme: Honesty.