[historical political intrigue, reforms, reunions, revenges, & rebellions]
Synopsis
Seventeen year old country boy Li Zhi enters the capital to start a government job as a lowly-ranked clerk. After a chance meeting, he gets a massive crush on Xie Heng, the Director of the vastly powerful Central Secretariat (中书省) and also the head of the most influential gentry clan. Even though Xie Heng should be out of his league in every way, Li Zhi tirelessly finds opportunities to see and talk to him. After seeing that Li Zhi is also smart and hardworking at his job, Xie Heng eventually takes him under his wings, and over time, reciprocates his feelings.
However, their relationship comes to a sudden end when Li Zhi discovers his secret heritage: he is the younger son of the former Crown Prince, who was framed and forced into suicide by Xie Heng's father. Li Zhi joins his biological brother -- who now uses a fake identity -- to plot revenge against the gentry clans and their puppet emperor.
Xie Heng is blindsided by Li Zhi's sudden betrayal and inexplicable devotion to one of his most dangerous political enemies, while Li Zhi feels intense guilt and heartache over his lingering feelings for Xie Heng. But their personal feelings are utterly insignificant compared to the ideological and political legacies of their storied families, the thousands of innocent lives already lost in this political contest, and the future of the nation at large ...
[Minor Spoilers ahead]
What I like about this story
Intriguing political drama where we see the point from all sides. Li Zhi starts the story as a regular civilian and later embraces his imperial heritage. In both roles, he is victimized by the gentry's ruthless efforts to preserve and expand their privileges in the social order. Meanwhile, Xie Heng and his allies are reminders that the gentry has produced many talented, loyal, and productive individuals who make valuable contributions to society. People's beliefs about justice and politics are colored by their personal experiences and ambitions. Everyone tries to do the best in accordance with their values, but they all have their own biases and blind spots.
Action-packed plot. We have teenage Li Zhi's adventures in his first job and first love, a dramatic reunion with long-lost family, political rivalry between powerful factions, several betrayals, several rebellions, a full-scale war with multiple amazing battles, traumatizing separations, heartwarming reunions, and more. The through line across all these stories is the theme of history and legacy -- the gentry clans that have accumulated generations of blood debts along with accomplishments and privileges, the imperial family that has been served and shaped by them, and the long-term impact this power structure has left on the nation it rules.
The romantic arc is deliciously bittersweet, because Li Zhi and Xie Heng don't get a lot of time together as a couple, even though they love and care about each other so much. When they first get together, their relationship is unbelievably sweet. Nineteen-years-old Li Zhi approaches the relationship with all the innocence, optimism, and awkwardness of a teenager in love for the first time. Xie Heng, being ten years older, is endlessly patient and doting despite his stoic exterior. He takes care of Li Zhi meticulously but lets Li Zhi set the pace of their relationship. They have valid and complex reasons to separate despite having feelings for each other, but they still try to remain civil. They occupy incredibly sensitive and important roles in society, and love simply can't be their first priority among all of their responsibilities, but they try so hard for each other.
The relationship between Li Zhi and his brother is incredibly heartwarming. Those thirty chapters in Book 1 after they reconnect should be a political and emotional nightmare as Li Zhi leaves Xie Heng to switch sides, but I'm always distracted by Zhao Qian's adoration for his little brother just bursting out the pages. They know their survival has come at a great cost, so they really treasure their relationship. Zhao Qian is so happy with his little brother-- whether it's meeting him properly, seeing how brilliant he is, or just talking to him freely. And Li Zhi's attachment to his older brother develops logically. He is uncertain at first, but when he remembers how much Zhao Qian has done for him, and how ill he has become, Li Zhi feels compelled to do everything in his power to help. (Xie Heng is also a nearly perfect older brother to Xie Jue, in a family that is much more formal and reserved with their expressions of love. But Zhao Qian is just more memorable from Li Zhi's POV and he is playing on Hard Mode the entire time.)
Xie Heng is that type of character who seems cold and distant, but remains unfailingly polite to outsiders while gentle with people he cares about. He is a gentle soul who builds nourishing relationships with his family members, allies, mentors, and friends. He is a wise and firm politician who has performed miracles to restore his country. As a love interest, he is virtually perfect --generous, doting, loyal, and impossibly patient. He does not blindly neglect his own principles, but he always wants to help and protect Li Zhi, and remains devoted to him until the end.
Zhao Shen is my blorbo here, the kind who has Never Done Anything Wrong. At first glance, he is a notorious murderous lunatic who kills random people and is abnormally interested in terrorizing our main character for fun. But it turns out he is just using his craziness as a shield to get revenge on well-connected enemies who have escaped justice, and he never intends to hurt Li Zhi. Everything he does has a reason, but he can't be honest about the truth and love driving his actions. AND he has been seriously ill/injured since before the story starts -- the poorest little meow meow if you will.
On the other hand
Xie Heng's character arc is very depressing to me, especially considering this man has shown saintly levels of grace, resilience, and love. He seems to be coping well, because he has agency in many decisions that get him to that point, and he can predict the consequences of a given situation better than most people. But I feel like the tragedy of Xie Heng the man doesn't get enough attention just because Xie Heng the perfect love interest has his love story ending well.
Li Zhi and Xie Heng spend so much time apart in this novel that I almost started shipping them with other people. I love them as a couple, but when the plot makes them to go through life-changing situations time and again with other people, I start to get invested in these new dynamics and relationships. Li Zhi's older brother is almost equal to Xie Heng in terms of his influence on the plot and on Li Zhi, and Li Zhi always prioritizes his brother as a matter of principle. The main couple gets far less screen time than you'd expect for a relationship that exists in some form across 85% of the novel.
The story's pacing and structure is fine overall, but it's a bit rocky around the beginning. The author heavily revised the novel a few times, which may have contributed to some awkwardness and inconsistencies in the narrative. For example, the reveal of Li Zhi's heritage feels very disorganized, like it can' t make up it's mind on whether this should be obvious or a surprise. It also spends six consecutive chapters on background information framed as Xie Heng's sister's backstory, just a few chapters after the main couple gets together, and it is jarring to have that momentum disrupted to spend a lot of time (15% of the novel up to that point) with brand new characters.
There are some details in the novel that aren't handled very well, though this does get into nitpicky territories. For a plot-heavy political novel, there is barely depiction on the actual work in government, except for those in judicial and military roles. The political conflicts and contests are very abstract. Zhao Shen coughs up improbable amounts of blood for his dramatic illness, but remains inexplicably functional as the plot requires. The logistics of warfare is non-existent. Some side characters sort of disappear into the ether. This is still a very entertaining novel, but it's definitely not the most rigorous work in the genre.
Overall
Despite the incredible adversities set up for our characters, this is fundamentally a plot-heavy feel-good story with smart and capable characters who earn a happy ending after a difficult journey. As a political novel, it covers themes ranging from a overly-powerful gentry to ambitious invaders. The story features a nearly perfect love interest for our protagonist, but unfortunately the plot forces them to spend more time apart than together. Instead, we see a rich tapestry of platonic relationships between dynamic characters, as loving siblings, trusted comrades, lifelong friends, unexpected allies, and estranged family members.
This is not the most complex and sophisticated historical political novel I have read, but it's definitely above average, with plenty of exciting action, surprising plot twists, and thought-provoking nuances within characters and issues.
TODAY WE HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR 2 YEARS AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US AND OUR VISION. WE COULDN'T OF DONE WITH OUT YAH, SO SIT TIGHT BECAUSE THINGS ARE JUST GETTING STARTED. #FRSTLV #SKATEBOARDING #SKATESHOP #TYFL
