The Princess and the Thief

Everyone says that Princess Jingshan, Li Ruying, was born wicked and vicious. If she hadn't been, the Sage would never have abandoned her among the common folk for nine years.

No matter how gentle and kind she seemed in public, it was all an act.

So when she let her lion charge into the funeral carriage of her late elder brother, the former Crown Prince, on the day of his burial, no one was surprised.

But in truth, the lion had clearly been charging at one of the pallbearers beside the coffin carriage.

-

Shen Heyu was born into a family of nobles. Frail as a child, he was sent by his parents to live in a temple.

The gods and Buddhas had made him strong and healthy, and also bold enough to set his sights on the princess's beloved lion.

He had secretly been feeding the lion for a year, and had no intention of dealing with its other owner.

But on the day he escorted the Crown Prince's coffin as a pallbearer, the lion charged straight at him. Surely she had abused it so badly that it could no longer stand it and had come to him for help.

If the gods could strengthen his body, surely they could also cleanse her wicked thoughts.

But when he took her to a temple that day, she wasn't even afraid of the spirits before the statue of the Perfected Lord.

So what, exactly, was she afraid of?

-

One night in a mountain cave, firewood crackled as she huddled in a corner, breathing out wisps of mist, her slender body trembling faintly.

Seeing her curl up until she was almost a tiny ball of flame, he took a deep breath and stiffly reached out an arm to draw her close.

So she was afraid of the cold, too.

"Before I met her, I only wished to live freely in the mountains and forests. Now I understand that passing the imperial examinations and becoming a high-ranking official, so I can protect her, would be a blessing in life."

[Reading Notes]

1. The main text is told from the heroine's perspective.

2. The leads are both each other's only partners, from birth until death. Happy ending!

3. The heroine's wickedness is all rumor; she's actually a lovely little princess. The hero starts out as a playboy, but grows for love and vows to become prime minister to protect his wife.

4. An alternate Tang-inspired setting, with a few original elements here and there.

[Next book: The Day My Husband's Soul Returned. Please add it to your collection!]

Theme: There is genuine love in this world.