[The Legend of Zanghai] The Magpie's Cry

The Pingjin Marquis's residence had three sons. The eldest, Zhuang Zhifu, had risen to the highest ranks of court; the second, Zhuang Zhixing, was famous throughout the pleasure quarters.

Yet the marquis's household also had a third daughter who had never been seen in public.

They said she was born with a disfigured, ugly face and did not dare show herself. But she was a master painter. With just a few strokes, she could make flowers bloom and birds sing on the page. Each painting was worth a fortune, and her fame filled the capital.

Canghai arrived at the marquis's residence carrying a deep-seated blood feud, and at last came face-to-face with this remarkable woman.

He had never expected that, in the elaborate revenge scheme he had so carefully devised, the one person he had failed to account for would be the cloistered Third Miss Zhuang.

A master of revenge and political schemes x a beautiful painter with a sinister heart

*Inspired by notes written while watching the show. A medium-length story, written as I watch. Updates begin at the Dragon Boat Festival.

*A pure self-indulgent dream-girl fantasy. The leads pursue their ambitions and flirt along the way. Canon-pairing fans and plot-focused readers who mind this, please steer clear.

Theme: Good and evil will get their due, and magpies will sing beside their nests.