The Princess Breaks Through the Qin Pass

Name: The Princess Breaks Through the Qin Pass
ISBN: 9787505986329

折火一夏China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

3.0

Word count: 209K words
Chapters: 12
ISBN: 9787505986329

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Summary

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: the Second Princess of Su shall go to the enemy state of Southern Chao and eliminate the Crown Prince, Qin Lian.” “Eliminate the Crown Prince—how exactly am I supposed to do that???” Su Xi asks, utterly baffled. “You are comely, Second Princess, and versed in the four arts. You can use your beauty…” Su Xi smoothly marries Crown Prince Qin Lian of Southern Chao, expecting to play the lamb and devour the tiger—only to find that the cunning Qin Lian is a sly fox. Suppression and resistance, teasing and being teased… in the spring-bright Eastern Palace, the daily drama of the lamb being eaten by the fox plays out. Su Xi, oh Su Xi, this time there is truly no escape—just wait to beg for mercy through pearly tears! But a pawn is always a pawn, and the day will come when it is discarded. “Qin Lian, if one day I leave you, what will you do?” Qin Lian answers calmly, “The world is mine—where could you go? If you leave, I'll drag you back and torment you even more.”

Editor's review

This is a light romantic comedy set in an ancient-Chinese framework. The Second Princess of Su is ordered to “eliminate” Crown Prince Qin Lian of Southern Chao, but ends up entering the Eastern Palace through marriage, falling under his control from the very start. The appeal lies not in deep political intrigue but in the comic mismatch of “playing the lamb to devour the tiger” versus “the fox eating the lamb”: the heroine believes she is laying a trap, while the hero has long seen through the board, and between suppression and counter-suppression a wealth of daily banter and ambiguous push-and-pull emerges. The style is brisk and the dialogue quick-paced, suited to readers seeking easy stress relief and fans of a scheming hero paired with a clever heroine. A caveat: the emotional line is the core, with national conflict serving mainly as a backdrop; readers expecting serious two-state maneuvering or rigorous historical accuracy may be disappointed. Best read as light entertainment, with attention to the turning point where the relationship moves from testing to dependence, and to the heroine's gradual awakening to her status as a pawn.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy light ancient-set romantic comedy and a scheming hero
Those looking for an easy, stress-relieving love story with brisk pacing
Readers comfortable with the “marriage first, love later” and bickering-interaction模式
Readers with low demands for political depth who read mainly for the romance

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting serious historical accuracy or realistic political maneuvering
Readers who prefer slow-burn realistic fiction or more literary works
Those who find the premise of a princess ordered to eliminate a crown prince only to marry him childish

Reading tips

Treat it as light reading; don't scrutinize the political logic line by line—enjoy the dialogue and interactions.
Watch for the heroine's psychological shift from “carrying out a mission” to “growing dependent,” the key to the romance.
If the banter feels repetitive midway, skim the daily scenes faster and focus on the nodes where the relationship changes.
After finishing, compare with similar “marriage first, love later” ancient romances to see how this book handles the characters' agency differently.

About the publisher

China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House ("Wenlian Press") focuses on literature, art, history and social sciences, while also covering computer science, popular science, mystery and detective fiction, and politics, reflecting a publishing profile that combines literary research with the dissemination of knowledge. Among the 91 titles in its catalogue are specialized studies on online literature and "female-oriented" internet culture by scholars such as Shao Yanjun, Gao Hanning and Wang Yujue; literary and historical essays such as The Four Zhang Sisters of Jiuru Lane and A Drinker Talks Wine; and popular science translations such as Henri Poincaré's A Brief History of Science. The press emphasizes contemporary literary criticism and original theories of online literature, while also attending to classic works and general reading, drawing on authors that include university researchers, translators and writers of literary history.

版权信息
第一章这是一个优雅无耻的男子
第二章吃醋理论——纳侧妃是不行的
第三章生存理论——不要和秦敛比心计
第四章吃醋方法——离宫出走
第五章苏熙，你就是我的命
第六章如果没有初相见
第七章哥哥，我们这样不大好吧？
第八章秦敛，你究竟有几分喜欢我？
第九章秦敛，你究竟有几分喜欢我？
第十章二十年，十二岁
番外秦敛

FAQ

Is this book a serious drama or a light read?

It leans overall toward light comedy. Although the background involves two-state conflict and the mission to “eliminate the crown prince,” the story quickly shifts focus to daily life in the Eastern Palace and romantic push-and-pull, with intrigue mainly driving the plot. Suited to stress-relief reading, not to be approached as a serious historical novel.

Is the heroine a strong type or a passive one?

Su Xi has an active, scheming side and believes she can “play the lamb to devour the tiger,” but the hero usually sees through her. Her charm lies in being clever, sharp-tongued, and endearing; as the plot progresses she gradually recognizes her “pawn” status and develops a sense of autonomy. Readers who want a fully dominant, powerful heroine should adjust expectations.

What type of character is the hero, Qin Lian?

He is the scheming, controlling type whose control shows up as teasing and doting. He sees through the heroine's intentions early but doesn't call them out, using suppression and teasing to advance the relationship. His line “If you leave, I'll drag you back and torment you even more” essentially sums up his approach; readers who like this type will enjoy him.

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About the author

折火一夏 Author

Zhe Huo Yixia is a web-fiction author about whom relatively little is publicly known: her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded. Twelve of her works are currently held in the collection, including Even If the Whole World Stands Still, Ningxia, Please Have Some Tea, Old Acquaintance, Elegance and Grace, The Spring Breeze Is Not as Gentle as Your Smile, The Date of Return, Luxury, and Once a Guardian, Forever Bound. These titles show that she writes mainly modern romance, with forays into youth literature and time-travel or alternate-world settings. Her stories tend to center on the emotional entanglements of urban men and women and on the meetings and partings of youth, and her titles often carry a gentle, wistful lyricism. Her writing emphasizes the unfolding of relationships and the building of emotional atmosphere, and she has attracted a following among romance readers.