a heart's a heavy burden

Mei Mei scaring Utahime

Princess, thank you. 

“I was around you, but I did not pull you up… I was your knight, but I was the first one to leave you.” 

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I thought … that moment was the beginning of our happiness, but i didn’t expect it was the end of everything.”

Lighter & Princess (点燃我，温暖你)

I have loved none but you. -Persuasion  Insp.

Ling Buyi who has been fantasizing about murdering his traitor uncle for ten years: 

You know, when there’s a romance ticking along, yes, but there’s also vivid characters in the family and dynamics thereof, and a solid military/political story also ticking along, and also… Heroine’s family is… kinda gentry? They really have to care about marriages, and how things look, and appropriate alliances and shit and, yes, that reminds me very much of one of Heyer’s historicals.

Also also, everybody wondering if Heroine really wants to marry This Sweet Cupcake. (Who is undoubtedly a sweet boy, a pure glass of water in Heroine’s dry and thirsty life, it’s clear why she likes him… but. He doesn’t have much backbone. He’d make a great little wife, but he’ll never be able to protect her, especially not from his nastier family members, and. Well. Assuming they could head off into the provinces like they plan it might work, but…)

And The General (First Male Lead), who has a crush on Heroine and is subtly Demonstrating Value by dealing with a lot of life’s smaller inconveniences for her - in front of her fiance - and publicly escorting her through military blockades to spare her some trouble (look! he’s useful! do you see how useful and thoughtful he can be?) and looking Extremely Handsome riding his horse in full view of her and her mother (who is very clear that this looks like flirting).

I just got to the part where, yep, it’s very clear Heroine is set on marrying This Sweet Cupcake so The General, his subtle flirting all come to nothing, pulls a string with the Emperor to get a nice wedding gift (normal), and then pair it with an edict announcing her bravery and skill during her time in a bandit-struck province (this really happened). And. And. For a young lady, a sheltered young miss, to be honoured for her skill and bravery instead of just being a chaste and beautiful appendage of her family?

I am completely floored.

And The General arranged this knowing she was marrying someone else. This wasn’t a courting gift. He just wanted her to be honoured for what she was.