Cicada Wings in the Mirror

[Blurb]

Princess Zhaoyang of Great Wei was as beautiful as rosy clouds and the moon, with a pure and elegant bearing. She was the most cherished flower in the Wei court. Yet the night she was born, a comet swept across the heavens, and the Astronomical Observatory declared that the princess was fated to be a lone star.

As it happened, two fine young men from the Pei family were betrothed to her in succession, and neither survived the night of his wedding. Rumors gradually spread that the Li family's daughter brought doom to the Pei family's sons.

What utter nonsense. The Grand Commander had already lost two nephews, yet still swore to disprove the rumor. The Pei family's young men were consequently terrified of going anywhere near her.

The princess said, "The Grand Commander is a Pei, too. Why not put it to the test yourself?"

Later, the princess, who had made such bold declarations, was pinned against a door, unable to move. She thought in despair, How could the Grand Commander, who usually upholds the very monument to gentlemanly virtue, turn into a lecher who pins a young woman against a door and takes liberties with her?

The Grand Commander watched her flustered expression with amusement. Her image was reflected in his deep, dark eyes, as if she were trapped in a prison with no way to escape.

[Scene]

It had been a carefree winter day. Lan Tingbing, a wild child with no one to keep an eye on him, gripped his slingshot and was about to shoot the snowbird. After a long while, a barely audible sigh sounded. A pebble struck a branch in midair, startling the magpies into flight.

The princess: "Who did that?!"

Pei Jinhe: "Your carefree days are over. Go back to Chang'an and be a princess."

Li Yu: "I'm sick of the Grand Commander meddling in everything, even how many wives I can take. I won't stand for it!"

Li Sangrou: "Neither will I. Got any bright ideas, Zhinu?"

Li Yu: "Send a secret decree to the palace and have twenty strong men swarm him, then punch him to death!"

Li Sangrou: "Never mind that you don't have twenty strong men. The Grand Commander was born with divine strength and once fought a hundred men by himself."

Li Yu: "Forge a letter proving he's colluding with the enemy, frame him, have him imprisoned, then execute him by slicing."

Li Sangrou: "You don't even have the emperor's seal, and you're talking about this..."

Li Yu looked up. "Then it can only be up to you, Caicai. The last resort: turn Father into a brother-in-law. Then he'll be one of us."

Li Sangrou: "...Better to take up the king's sword and let blood spill right here."

Li Yu: "...You want my blood to spill?"

[Character Notes and Reader's Guide]

Timid, clever little princess x doting, fatherly Grand Commander

Nine-year age gap. The woman is not a virgin, the man is.

The male lead is devoted to her in body and soul.

Theme: If you love a young woman, you must give her everything.