[Complete and thoroughly revised. Only the official version is supported. Romance-focused, with a serious tone and a happy ending.]
Blurb
After falling in love with the man she had never wanted to marry, Jin Zhui regretted it deeply. She wished she had understood their bond sooner, and had not wasted all the wonderful days they could have spent together.
Fortunately, Heaven gave them another chance. From the misty rains of Jiangnan to the vast mountain wilderness of Yunnan, she learned from her mistakes. She prayed to every Buddha and bowed to every god she encountered, asking for nothing else in this life but to never be parted from her husband.
She thought Shen Junqian felt the same way.
Until one night, she witnessed the man who never believed in gods or Buddhas kneeling alone before an idol, praying in a trembling voice:
He said, "Heaven above, if you can spare the person I love most from suffering, I am willing to be forgotten by her forever."
Long Blurb
Jin Zhui had three regrets in life:
First, being dependent on others, losing the name her mother had given her and becoming an ornament in a gilded cage.
Second, being at the mercy of fate, losing the bright moon who had once cared for her and suffering the endless gossip and slander that followed.
Third, having the worst of luck: she chose to become a nun on the crowded Flower Festival, only for her fiancé, whom she had never met, to chase her right to the gates of the Buddhist temple and drag her back into the mortal world.
Shen Junqian, an academician of the Hanlin Academy, versed in both literature and medicine, had a nature like grass and trees and a heart like healing herbs. People called him the Medicine Buddha, yet he dared to snatch her from beneath the gods and Buddhas, stopping her from cutting off her worldly attachments and insisting they "join their hair and tie their hearts together" in marriage.
When Jin Zhui learned he had only been putting on an act, she breathed a sigh of relief. After their wedding, they traveled together to Jiangnan. She had no mind for the spring blossoms and misty rain, and forced him to sign a blood-written pledge to divorce her, swearing they would part peacefully and each find happiness.
When he accepted an unjust punishment and asked to be exiled to Yunnan, she was the one who tore up the agreement and insisted on joining him in that foreign land of miasma.
From the scenic shores of Cang'er to the desolate, mist-shrouded forests in the Ailao Mountains, they traveled through a land of myths and strange tales, identified spirit herbs and poisonous spells, witnessed turbulent schemes and strange events, and endured love, hatred, feuds, and vengeance... Only then did she understand that all sentient beings in love were sinking, and that the dream of the sea of suffering was hard to escape.
Fortunately, there was still a corner of her heart where she could find refuge.
Between mountains and rivers, before the gods and Buddhas, she threw all her old greed, anger, delusion, and hatred to the wind. The only thing she still coveted was the faintly bitter scent of herbs in his embrace.
A sutra says: From delusion comes desire, and from desire, suffering.
She was glad she had not cut off her three thousand strands of worldly attachment. When he returned from the banks of the River of Forgetfulness and combed her hair once more, this painful affliction of love became the healing medicine that cured her.
Little Scene
After the man chased her to Jizhao Temple and caused a scene, the abbot declared that Jin Zhui's worldly ties were not yet severed and refused to accept her. She returned in disappointment, only to learn that the imperial decree had forced the match. This was just an act he had been forced to put on, with not a shred of true affection.
She demanded to know why Shen Junqian put on such airs. The scholar defended himself with a line of poetry: "The plants and trees have their own hearts. Why should they seek to be plucked by a beauty?"
"What if the beauty insists on plucking you?"
A pair of deft hands scented with medicine reached out to her. "Please."
[Reading Guide]
1. A proud, sharp-tongued heroine with a soft heart x a refined, self-possessed gentleman with a teasing side. Both leads are chaste, and the story has a happy ending.
2. The male lead is the heroine's destined love, while the second male lead is a distant, idealized first love who turns out to be calculating. The romance stays strictly one-on-one; the second male lead appears only in memories early on, then makes a dramatic return much later.
3. Feminist themes, with a focus on the heroine's emotional and personal growth.
4. The first volume, set in Jiangnan, is a gentle slice of married life, focused on the bittersweet push and pull of their relationship. The second volume, set in Yunnan, is divided into two parts and blends stories of everyday life, folk customs and strange tales, mystery, and political intrigue. The plot and romance progress in tandem, with a large ensemble cast and plenty of side couples. This is a fictional Song-inspired setting with original worldbuilding, so please do not scrutinize the details.
5. The book and volume titles are taken from a poem by Li He: "Do not lock the box of cornelian cherries, and do not open the cage of kingfisher feathers."
Blurb created on January 7, 2026.
[Misogynistic comments are not welcome.]
Theme: A good partner is good medicine; plants and trees have their own hearts.
New Year's Eve is over, let's scatter flowers! It's been a long, long time since I've seen a work with such depth and literary quality! The first volume is a long and delicate story that heals people's hearts, while the second volume is grand and full of love and resentment, full of an epic sense of destiny. It is a story with truly high-level artistic power! The emotional line between the male and female protagonists is the best I have ever seen in ancient novels. It is so delicate and sincere that it can be called a unique love story. I really like the phrase "sincerity, kindness, and never forgetting each other" quoted in the poem. It is really an excellent commentary on this work! The three protagonists are all full of an idealistic temperament that is rare today in pursuing truth, goodness, beauty and authenticity. Jin Shui is independent and sober, and always takes the initiative to choose love and responsibility. Shen Junqian is rational and self-possessed yet gentle and affectionate. He is benevolent and determined to fight against difficulties with a gentleman's character. Yuan Qi'en is emotional and extremely tragic. He pursues beauty and freedom but is pushed into an abyss of no return by fate. He is the most complex and heartbreaking male lead I have ever seen. The group portraits are the richest in the novels I have read, especially the women in the Yunnan chapter, the princess, Qingluo, Yue Liu, Shayim, Danao, and Yingxiu. Every character is impressive, and everyone has the weight of destiny! I particularly admire the teacher's skill in writing dialogues. It is so infectious that I can feel the true emotions of the characters breaking through the screen. The scene in the heavy snow on Ailao Mountain at the end was really shocking! Fortunately, the ending is he! It's great that the daughter-in-law and son-in-law have returned to the pastoral after all the hardships 🥹 (Looking forward to the sweet extra story!) Thanks to the teacher for creating this touching story with all his heart, it seems like he has been on a long journey to follow it all the way! The stamina is huge and I feel like I won't be able to get out of it for a long time... I'm really looking forward to Teacher Feilu's next work! Happy New Year! 🎆
The extra is so beautiful, it contains the power to make people believe in love and miracles from the bottom of their hearts. I wish my daughter and son-in-law to go to more beautiful and spiritual places together! Ready to re-read this story, this story will stay with me for a long, long time 🤗
It's so awesome, I couldn't help but sigh when I saw it at the end. It is probably the most delicate and emotionally dense novel I have ever read. It is different from any romance I have read before. There is a big picture hidden in the gray lines. I admire the author's foundation in literature, history and Buddhism, and his extraordinary portrayal of the destiny of human nature. The group scenes in the second volume are extremely exciting, and every character is impressive. Especially the scene with the heavy snowfall in Ailao Mountain at the end is really soul-stirring, and it brought me back to the ancient times when I stayed up all night to read and read. I feel happy that the male and female protagonists have finally overcome all their hardships, but also feel deeply sad for the second male lead. There is no more King Jialing in the world... I haven't seen such a good book in many years. Words cannot express my love for this story. It is a fairy among fairy tales. I wish the author to stick to his heart and create more moving works! (PS I really like the extra chapter. It unlocked a mysterious territory that didn't appear in the Yunnan chapter. Hahaha. Watching the young couple's spiritual healing journey in the snowy mountains makes people feel warm in their hearts. It reminds me of the unforgettable scene of seeing the Rizhao Jinshan Mountain in Meili Snow Mountain. I hope to go there again! Congratulations to little Abao for finally finding his name!
Wow, this little prince of Dali is too crazy to criticize. He deserves to be a real devil. I like [Panda Head] inexplicably and look forward to the story between him and the princess sister. I feel very sad and addicted 🙏. The teacher is really good at writing. After entering Ailao Mountain, the story pace is so good, the group portraits are so exciting and every character is so interesting! Calling Scholar Shen to quickly come to the Shura Field to have a romantic relationship with a male ghost! [Covering face and peeking]
Does the author like Buddhism very much?
The author's writing style is impeccable and full of antique charm. Although it is the first book, the writing and narrative are very sophisticated. It is obvious that the author has done a lot of research on Buddhism, and he can easily pick up various myths and stories. He is simply very talented!
Ahhh, the long-awaited second male actor finally cheated! Sure enough, it is the pure wet male ghost smell [Panda Head] Looking forward to Shura Field [Panda Head]
The young couple will always be sweet from now on 🥺
I've finished reading it, it's beautiful, the writing is very good, the emotional lines are also very delicate, the heroine is very charming and loves people. The whole article is actually quite realistic. The Yunnan chapter has a strong sense of mystery. Maybe I am a firm materialist and do not believe in witchcraft. I can understand that people at that time believed in gods or Buddhas and refused to treat illnesses. However, I don't like that some places are deified, such as how the mute girl Jialing can speak again, and what is the explanation for the flowering of the sacred tree orchid?
The writing style is so amazing and amazing. When can I see the new book? 😣 😣 😣