After Five Years of Separation

Hua Chun had a husband who was everyone’s dream. He was not only handsome, but also extremely talented and accomplished in politics, making him a prominent figure among his peers. Hua Chun initially admired him greatly and served him attentively, feeling proud of him. Two months after their marriage, she became pregnant. Her husband left her in her hometown to care for their parents and went to the capital alone to continue his studies. He did not disappoint her; he achieved the highest ranking in the imperial examinations and became a compiler at the Hanlin Academy. She rejoiced and wept for him. Even when her husband wrote that he would not be able to return home this year, she did not complain. Later, her husband, as a censor, went south of the Yangtze River to eradicate corrupt officials. Though young, he was intelligent and experienced, becoming famous in the capital. She grew increasingly proud of him. As his fame grew, so did the frequency of his replies. For five whole years, they only saw each other a handful of times. She had forgotten what it was like to be with a man… Day after day, year after year, she felt no glimmer of hope. Finally, news arrived from the capital that the princess of Prince Xiang’s mansion had taken a liking to her husband and wanted his wife demoted to concubine status so she could marry the princess. Lord have mercy, why bother with all this? She didn’t want to offend them, so she immediately sent a divorce decree to the capital, hoping to be released early so she could pursue her own future. The young Master Wang next door, though less famous and wealthy, was honest and kind, a good friend. A month later, people from the capital arrived. Not only did they return the divorce decree, but they also wanted to take her and her son to the capital… They wouldn’t let her go, would they? Okay, then no one would get away with it. (Opening Scene: A Real-Life Tragedy) (Daily life in a mansion, family troubles, arranged marriages, reconciliation, the tragedy of the wife-squatting, no change in the male lead)