GOODBYE, MY PRINCESS

In this translated work from China, which was made into a popular TV series, a young woman in a fictional dynasty must navigate political plots and her difficult relationship with her husband.

Qu Xiaofeng is Shangjing’s princess consort. Her treaty marriage of three years to Crown Prince Li Chengyin has been full of arguments and neglect. She also knows that he loves another woman. To quell her loneliness and restlessness, she sneaks away from the Court of Spring to eat and drink in the city. One night, she meets Gu Jian, a handsome stranger who claims that they were once promised to be married. But as she gets entrenched in royal politics, schemes, and plans, there’s little time to dwell on the past. Xiaofeng struggles with her feelings for Li Chengyin, whom she realizes she does love. All the while, she tries to determine which of the people surrounding her she really can trust—her husband, the other ladies in the manor, the seemingly loyal general, or Gu Jian. This tragic, emotion-filled story is filled with love, betrayal, action, and sacrifice. The compelling storyline takes many unexpected, often heart-wrenching, twists and turns. The beautifully translated narrative portrays the complicated inner workings of life in the palace. Although their meaning is sometimes opaque, sources for Chinese idioms and song lyrics are provided in footnotes. The final third contains stories from the Court of Spring, focusing on different characters from the main narrative.

Beautifully heartbreaking.