The Moon's Ordeal
Princess Su Qingyue of the Great Qian Dynasty was raised by Xiao Mohan, her imperial uncle with no blood ties to her. She loved him deeply for years, yet her affections were repeatedly rejected due to their vast disparity in status. When the Xiongnu launched an invasion, they demanded the princess be sent as a bride to secure a truce. To defend her homeland and free Xiao Mohan from trouble, Su Qingyue volunteered for the marriage. At the wedding ceremony, she assassinated the Xiongnu chieftain and gave her life for the nation, bringing peace to Great Qian with her sacrifice. Moved by her loyalty and courage, the King of Hell granted her seven days back in the mortal world to settle her worldly affairs before reincarnation. Covered in blood and filled with sorrow, Su Qingyue returned to the palace, hoping only to bid Xiao Mohan a proper farewell. Instead, she caught him leaning intimately toward Xu Wan'er. Turning a blind eye to her blood-stained wedding gown and severe wounds, Xiao Mohan accused her of fleeing the marriage out of cowardice and abandoning her people. He berated her harshly, consumed by suspicion. In the past, to save Xiao Mohan, Su Qingyue had knelt for three days and three nights before a divine healer’s residence and stayed awake day and night to make calming incense for him. All these heartfelt efforts were slandered by Xu Wan'er, who claimed the credit for herself. Credulous and biased, Xiao Mohan had Su Qingyue flogged and forced her to kneel and apologize, pushing her into utter despair. As the seven-day deadline drew near, Su Qingyue burned all their tokens of love and built a cenotaph for herself. She let go of all her obsessions and resolved to depart for reincarnation. It was not until news of her martyrdom arrived from the border and her coffin was brought back that Xiao Mohan learned the truth. Testimonies from the divine healer and palace servants laid bare Xu Wan'er's hypocrisy. He finally realized how terribly he had wronged and hurt the woman who loved him most. Drowned in endless remorse, he sent Xu Wan'er to the cold palace, abdicated the throne, and became a monk, searching for Su Qingyue for eighteen long years. Eighteen years later, Su Qingyue was reborn as Princess Changle of the Great Chu Dynasty, deeply cherished by all. She shared mutual affection with Fu Jiuyuan, her childhood sweetheart. Having regained her past memories, she treated Xiao Mohan with complete indifference and firmly refused to rekindle their old romance. Though Xiao Mohan followed her relentlessly, he was met with absolute rejection in the end. As a wedding gift, he presented her with eighteen border cities of Great Qian. He attended her grand wedding in silence, watching her embrace a happy new life, then left alone. Never again would his heart stir for her. Love and hatred were both laid to rest, and they went their separate ways, each finding their own peace.
