"Between my family and my country, all I can do is wager on the next life."
The court was rife with strife, and powerful ministers were tangled in a web of collusion. To live in peace, Tang Xiaoqing was sent to a martial sect as a child, where she met Lu Yanjin, a young prince from the palace.
She thought she would stay far from court and live out a peaceful life. But on one trip back to the mountain, the two encountered the Crown Prince, who had been ambushed on his way back to the capital. They learned that the emperor was gravely ill, and that many of those below him harbored disloyal ambitions, with the Tang family foremost among them.
As a prince, Lu Yanjin had no choice but to return to court. Tang Xiaoqing, the younger sister of the Tang family's current head, remained at the sect alone to avoid suspicion.
Worried, Tang Xiaoqing took the opportunity to speak with the Crown Prince at night and ask how her family would fare. He only told her that, because she had gone to the mountain as a child and had not taken part in the rebellion, she would not be implicated.
"You may rest easy. Afterward, I will arrange a new identity for you."
"No, Your Highness. No matter what, my surname will always be Tang."
She gently yet firmly made her position clear.
Later, when the Tang family reached the foot of the mountain, Tang Xiaoqing did not want to endanger her sect, so she came forward and went down the mountain of her own accord.
Everyone thought she would ask Lu Yanjin to plead for the Tang family. They all believed that if the family spoke meekly, she would soften and obediently go down the mountain, becoming a valuable hostage the family could use to threaten Lu Yanjin.
It was true that she was softhearted, and that she had come forward and gone down the mountain of her own accord. But Tang Xiaoqing had never intended to plead for her family, nor had she ever intended to become Lu Yanjin's weakness.
She did not want to plead for her family because she had seen the vast storm of blood and violence to come.
She scorned the idea of being a weakness because she wanted to hold up the sky herself.
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1. This is a BE, but the leads get another life together! Their next life has an HE! You can check out the modern romance next door, Did Lu Ge Confess Successfully Today? But it may be more enjoyable to read this one as a BE beauty.
P.S. As the blurb suggests, this isn't fast-paced, feel-good fluff with intense romance. The author's writing isn't very strong, so read with caution.
2. The plot has no logic. There are two side couples, both male-male, but they barely have any romantic scenes and don't affect the main story. Wen Yanshang and Li Junmo are only here to make up the numbers and set up a crossover (yes, I did it just because I wanted to).
3. The plot and romance are roughly equal in focus. It isn't a mind-bender. I recommend reading it as a romance-focused story. The scope isn't huge either. Just read it for the feelings it stirs.
4. Weibo: @Su Nanyuan
Theme: First family, country, and the world, then tender affection
