Savoring the Long Summer

Xie Yaoyao is the second daughter of the declining Xie family in Luoyang, a household that once held high prestige but has lost political power following a military defeat five years prior. Her elder sister, Xie Shu, was originally betrothed to Li Shan, the brilliant and ruthless young general who rose from humble origins to become a war hero after leading a daring cavalry strike that shattered the Hu barbarian forces. However, when rumors spread that Li Shan had disappeared and potentially perished with his ten thousand elite troops, the Xie family, fearing political ruin, hastily broke the engagement and married Xie Shu off to the powerful Xue family instead. In reality, Li Shan had not died but had executed a secret thousand-li maneuver, killing the enemy general and capturing their king, securing a decisive victory that the court initially failed to recognize due to intercepted dispatches.

Upon Li Shan’s triumphant return to Luoyang, the Xie family, led by the opportunistic patriarch Xie Zhaozhi, immediately seeks to repair the alliance. With Xie Shu already married, they pressure the gentle and compliant Yaoyao to take her sister’s place and marry Li Shan. Despite her mother’s anguish and Yaoyao’s own fears, she accepts the arrangement, understanding that her family’s survival depends on this political marriage. The Li family, newly ennobled with titles of Marquis, harbors deep resentment toward the Xies for their betrayal. Li Shan, known for his arrogance and volatile temper, openly despises the aristocratic families and views the marriage as a humiliation, treating Yaoyao with cold indifference and disdain.

The wedding is not held in the capital as tradition would dictate. Instead, Li Shan demands that the marriage take place in Bingzhou, the northern military frontier where he commands troops, effectively forcing Yaoyao to leave her home and family. During the journey north, Li Shan’s negligence leads to Yaoyao being left behind after her ox cart falls too far behind the fast-moving convoy. When assassins from a rival political faction attack the Li party, Li Shan rides back to rescue Yaoyao, grabbing her roughly and placing her on his horse. This encounter reveals a complex dynamic; while he is physically forceful and emotionally distant, he ensures her safety, and she remains passively compliant, hiding her fear behind a mask of calm.

Upon arriving in Bingzhou, Yaoyao witnesses the profound respect the local people hold for Li Shan, a stark contrast to the wary curiosity she encountered in Luoyang. The wedding proceeds with minimal ceremony due to Li Shan’s lack of enthusiasm and his mother’s reluctance to host a grand event. On their wedding night, Li Shan, intoxicated and bitter, refuses to consummate the marriage and orders Yaoyao to sleep on the couch while he takes the bed. He treats her with overt coldness, viewing her as a political pawn from a family that betrayed him. Yaoyao, though frightened and hurt, accepts his behavior as the inevitable consequence of her family’s actions, finding a strange peace in the lack of physical intimacy.

The story establishes a tense marital relationship set against a backdrop of political intrigue. Li Shan’s refusal to escort a captured Hu prince back to the north, citing his wedding as a priority, highlights his defiance of the imperial court and the powerful noble families who seek to control him. As Yaoyao settles into her new role as the mistress of the Li household in Bingzhou, she must navigate the hostility of her husband, the suspicions of his mother, and the dangerous political currents swirling around the military frontier. The narrative follows her gradual adaptation to this harsh environment, where her gentle nature is tested by the brutal realities of war and aristocratic ambition.