Hidden in the South Sea

Bright on the outside, dark within: a fox spirit, a black-hearted beauty × a strong, gentle, resilient woman general [After turning dark, they love and fight each other] Expected to go premium on January 20. Chapters from 32, the Lin Tai era, will become paywalled retroactively (teehee). When they first met, Lu Hong was Jiangxia’s most radiant young gentleman, famed for her talent, her literary brilliance and refinement. The only flaw in her otherwise perfect reputation was that, as a child, she had been hated and harmed by her own clan, leaving her with a limp. Deng Zhu was the daughter of Deng Qi, the former governor of Yizhou. After her father quarreled with Prince of Luling, the prince ruined their family. Fortunately, the Lu family took her in, making her Lu Hong’s concubine in name only. And so their fated connection began. ─ During the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, Buddhist monks paraded through the streets amid crowds like a surging sea. Though both knew the two hands had joined only as a matter of convenience, they still rested together. With the lights shimmering on the water, the young “gentleman” spent a fortune just to use their “pretend” relationship as an excuse to hear Deng Zhu call her “Madam” with genuine affection. A doomed entanglement took root. ─ Amid the shifting currents of court intrigue, Lu Hong finally saw through the Liang court. In her disillusionment, the fox spirit played the part of Guanyin. At last, she got her wish: she and Deng Zhu shared a bed and a wedding canopy. Yet she had stepped into a game of chess, with no idea where fate would lead. All she could do was cling to Deng Zhu in a fevered embrace, like a mountain spirit taking human form or a wood demon cultivating a human body, greedy for her warmth and tenderness, desperate for that warmth to fill the heart that had grown completely cold. ─ She should have hated her. Lu Hong had always thought so. She even hated herself for the way she was. And yet Deng Zhu would press close to her ear, lay a hand over her heart, and say: “My Shinu is without equal in all the world.” The third novel in my Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties series. Set in a fictional Southern Liang, with its timeline preceding The Lament for Jinling. This is not a BE! Don't be too scared (attempting to reassure you). Let me just give you the character and state verses. Lu Hong: The East Sea’s waves crash against the ramparts in my breast, yet cannot quell the sorrow of six dynasties along the rivers. Boundless surging waters grind these words smooth; only a dark stone stele remains, facing the rolling tides. Deng Zhu: The mighty river’s waves flow east, washing away the rise and fall of kingdoms at the ancient ferry. Count the heroes on your fingers, and not one remains; Jingzhou has always been the source of regret. Xiao Ze: A pure land amid the mortal world, gazing back across a thousand mountains and parting from all appearances; within the imperial palace, the ruler of ten thousand chariots sees people through the lens of desire, trapping the Buddhist way. The Xiao Liang Dynasty: Spring rains fall again and again, yet cannot cool Jinling’s flames; tears flow backward in the southern winds, but cannot restore the scorched cypress trees guarding the tombs. Theme: Finding oneself