Proud, ambitious daughter of an eminent family X calm, tolerant, gentle older man of humble birth
Her great-grandfather was a founding hero, his statue stood in the Temple of Confucius, and people offered him incense. Her grandfather was the Minister of Rites and inherited the title of Duke of Xiang. Her father entered the Hanlin Academy before joining the Grand Secretariat... Born into an aristocratic clan, Jiang Que received the best education.
Sometimes she thought: Born with a seven-foot body, destined to die beneath a single coffin's worth of earth, only virtue and fame can endure. Alas, I am a woman, unlike my father and brothers.
When her family fell from power and the realm descended into chaos, she fell into the mud, and he caught her. By then, Chu Jie was already a powerful regional governor, well-traveled and unflappable. This young girl, still green in years, came to admire him deeply. Chu Jie had been born to humble beginnings, but after arriving in the capital, he rose step by step through his military achievements. Though he had reached a position of great power, he still believed that all pursuits were inferior to studying. Before a noblewoman whose family had held high office for four generations, he could not help but feel awe.
She was haughty, and he thought it only natural. She was precious, and he would cherish her in every way. She said she wanted to become an official, and he would do all he could to support her.
"Without calamity at home, I would not have been taught to read and write. Without turmoil in the nation, I would not have made my name."
Chu Jie smiled and bowed. "I'll risk my life to keep you company."
However, they held different political views. Jiang Que favored militarism and grand achievements, while Chu Jie had risen from among commoners and knew the people's suffering. The two gradually found themselves on opposite sides. Their love was real, but so was their refusal to compromise. They faced each other across a sea of hatred and passion.
Their colleagues all said Chu Jie had raised a tiger to his own detriment. The Jiang family had been on the verge of collapse, but he had personally lifted Jiang Que up.
Chu Jie thought that victory and defeat, life and death, were all part of war, and that history, as it recorded all of this, would have to record the name Jiang Que.
Theme: Perseverance
