A Broken Branch

At first, when Jiang Zhihe met He Chao in Jiangnan, all she could think was that the mole beneath his brow looked just like someone she had once known. At a spring banquet, with pale pear blossoms in bloom, he stood amid the sunlight and softly falling petals. The handsome young men of Bianliang could make even spring give way. When she saw He Chao again, he was riding through the capital, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day. Later, she asked him, "People may be different, but Heaven is fair. Someone who has done wrong should apologize, don't you think?" All she wanted was justice. She was willing to pay with her life, and had little thought for what might come afterward. But this spirited young man, dressed in fine clothes and riding a fine horse, was so fervent that he truly did pull her, bit by bit, out of the darkness. * He Chao liked Song Lan. It made no difference whether she was Song Lan or Jiang Zhihe, and it made no difference what she wanted to do. Three steps to winning a girl's heart: make sure she notices you, stand up for her, and act pitiful. And be sure to thank your rival for creating the opportunity. May good people live long and prosper. But why, the more he pursued her, the more it seemed he was someone's stand-in? * A seemingly frail illegitimate daughter who sometimes can't keep up the act x a bold, free-spirited heir in fine clothes and on a fine horse * One-on-one romance, both leads' first, happy ending Core message: People may be different, but Heaven is fair.