Spring in the Old Kingdom, Ten Years On

[Complete, finished; revisions in progress. My modern romance, Listening to Chen, is updating next door. Please add my upcoming novel, Returning to the Tyrant's Youth]

vb@Wu Nuo

Then: An unruly young general x a pure, sunny little princess

Now: A ruthless, seemingly gentle but secretly dark power minister x a noble and clever legitimate princess

*Childhood sweethearts + reunion after a long separation + fake marriage before love*

In the fifteenth year of Jingde, Lin Yue suffered a devastating defeat in its war against the Northern Di.

The once undefeated God of War, General Chi Xiao, was accused of treason and colluding with the enemy. The remains of the capital's most brilliant young general, Xie Jingzhao, were never found.

Lin Yue's crushing defeat sent the entire court into an uproar. The emperor flew into a rage and ordered the extermination of the entire Xie clan.

*

Cen Muning, Lin Yue's most beloved legitimate princess, was noble in status and cherished by everyone. She had grown up alongside Xie Jingzhao, eldest son of the General Chi Xiao household.

To uncover the truth for the Xie family and the boy she had loved, Cen Muning learned to endure in silence and grew up overnight.

*

Three years later, Jiang Wuwang, the new top scorer in the imperial examinations, asked to marry Princess Chao'an. The emperor granted his request, allowing the princess to marry him.

Cen Muning was no longer willful. This was good. She could use this opportunity and this husband she had never met to obtain justice for the dead Xie Jingzhao.

On their wedding night, they treated each other with formal courtesy. But she later discovered that her husband was no ordinary man.

*

If those closest to you betray the people of this realm, what should a princess do?

If justice and righteousness are buried beneath the power of the privileged, what should a princess do?

"Then I shall be the first princess to rule as regent. As a princess, I will establish relations between our two countries and usher in peace for generations to come."

*

That brilliant young man died forever in the conspiracy on the northern frontier. From then on, there was no longer a young General Xie Jingzhao, only Jiang Wuwang, a powerful minister who held the whole court in his grasp.

He returned consumed by hatred, shutting away his heart. Yet when he heard the emperor intended to send Princess Chao'an away in a political marriage, he disregarded their difference in status and asked to marry her himself.

Xie Jingzhao told himself he was only looking out for the bond they had shared as children.

But when he heard her say firmly, "I want to fight for the Xie family's century-old good name," Xie Jingzhao realized that, without even noticing, his little girl had already grown up.

Xie Jingzhao had once considered overthrowing the imperial rule. Later, he changed his mind. "Muning, you are part of the imperial family, so I believe Lin Yue has a brighter future."

Reading Guide:

The heroine grows over the course of the story and is intelligent throughout. She is a princess who appears to have been kept in the dark by everyone, but in reality, she has fooled them all!

They have secretly loved each other all along.

The political and romantic storylines are interwoven, and the romance becomes incredibly sweet in the middle.

The leads put the greater good first, but sometimes they also lose themselves in love.

In the later story, the hero truly has the power to overthrow the imperial rule, though this may not be immediately apparent.

Theme: The greater good comes before romance, but love is not confined by the greater good.