[Blurb]
Zheng Yaohua was the daughter of the Grand Princess of Chongan.
Her mother was a grand princess, the reigning emperor was her uncle, and her father was also born into a distinguished family.
With both parents alive, an elder brother and a younger brother by her side, and the title of Yongshou County Princess bestowed on her by her imperial uncle, she was blessed with celestial beauty and should have spent her life in wealth and luxury. But a dream shattered it all.
In the dream, thunder roared, and Zheng Yaohua saw her grandfather’s entire family sentenced to execution for his crimes. Her maternal grandmother, the Empress Dowager, who had always been close to her, shut her doors to them. Her parents died from their worries, her elder brother left for a distant land and vanished without a trace, and her younger brother was still a child, leaving her alone to face the rumors and slander.
Once, her home had been filled with distinguished guests, carriages streaming past like water and horses like dragons. Now, no one came to call, and the gates stood deserted. Nothing showed the fickleness of the world more clearly.
Amid a sea of white mourning clothes, Zheng Yaohua saw a pair of eyes, deep as a pool, fixed on her.
Amid thunder and rain, Zheng Yaohua woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat.
*
Taicheng’s six dynasties vied in splendor, but the Jieqi and Linchun Pavilions were the most extravagant of all.
A friend had the two pavilions rebuilt in the ancient style. Once both were complete, they invited Gu Weizhou to admire them.
The pavilions rose dozens of feet high and stretched across dozens of rooms. They were built entirely of fragrant sandalwood and decorated with gold, jade, pearls, and kingfisher feathers. Their furnishings and treasures were rare and magnificent, their luxury beyond measure.
Gu Weizhou remained unruffled. When she heard the praise, the following year she built the Yaohua Pavilion, even more splendid than the others, a marvel without equal in recent memory.
Theme: May you grow stronger year after year, while spring grass grows longer with every passing year
