Spring at Yan Terrace

苏晏温天津博集新媒科技有限公司Apr 2026

3.5

Word count: 175K words
Chapters: 142

Summary

In the eighteenth year of Anxing, the Emperor issued an edict: "Whereas the County Mistress Shen Yanning, daughter of a noble house, is intelligent and quick-witted, well-read and sensible, gentle and discreet, she is hereby specially conferred the title of Commandery Princess of Nanyang. The Xie clan of Chenjun has a son named You, of elegant appearance and distinguished bearing, of a noble and illustrious house, standing out from his peers. We now bestow marriage upon these two, hoping that this gifted scholar and beautiful lady will support each other in mutual affection and treat each other with conjugal respect."

Shen Yanning, Commandery Princess of Nanyang, was born to the present Emperor's own elder sister, the Grand Princess of Xiangyang, and a father from a prominent clan of high standing—yet three years ago, both perished at the hands of bandits.

Shen Yanning kept vigil for three years, secretly investigating the cause of her parents' deaths. This time, she returns to the capital under the pretext of the bestowed marriage, her true purpose being to find the murderer who killed her father and mother!

Xie You, second son of the Xie family, was said to be a graceful young gentleman, and with his wedding imminent, he was at the height of his fortunes—yet his maid Hongxing claimed to have borne his child. Before taking a wife, he had already produced an illegitimate eldest son...

The rumor drifted on the wind throughout the capital. Xie You wished to call at her door and beg forgiveness; Shen Yanning only smiled and paid it little mind—this rumor could not have arisen so simply.

When the wind rises again, see how Shen and Xie join hands to find the true culprit and guard their true feelings.

Editor's review

Yantai Spring uses an imperial marriage edict as its opening thread, weaving together the revenge undercurrent of a noble daughter and the turmoil of an arranged betrothal. Shen Yanning keeps vigil for three years and returns to the capital under the pretext of marriage to investigate the murders—her motives are clear and restrained; Xie You, before even taking a wife, is caught in a scandal of an illegitimate eldest son, leaving this seemingly well-matched union clouded in suspicion from the very start. Author Su Yanwen handles the relationship between the leads without letting misunderstanding devolve into clichéd quarrels: Shen Yanning, with the calm composure of one who "pays it little mind," sees through the hand pushing the rumor, revealing the heroine's intelligence and breadth of mind. The title "Yantai Spring" carries the air of noble houses, and the story moves between wedding rites, family estates, and investigation—retaining both the lightness of romance and the forward momentum of a mystery. Suitable for readers who enjoy the parallel threads of "marriage first, love later" and "investigating together," to unravel the clues alongside Shen and Xie over a cup of tea.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy the parallel threads of marriage-first-love-later and investigating together
Readers partial to calm, intelligent heroines and noble young gentlemen
Romance readers interested in bestowed marriages, household intrigue, and mystery elements
Readers who wish to see the leads collaborate as equals rather than one saving the other

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting fast-paced, high-conflict plotting with dense reversals
Readers with little interest in ancient betrothals and noble family backgrounds
Readers who prefer modern settings or entirely fictional worldbuilding

Reading tips

While reading, note Shen Yanning's reaction to the "illegitimate eldest son" rumor—it is key to understanding her character and investigative approach.
It is recommended to compare the text of the marriage edict with later character relationships to more quickly grasp the positions of the Shen and Xie families.
The investigative clues are rather scattered; jot down new suspicions as you read to connect them later.

About the publisher

天津博集新媒科技有限公司

Tianjin Boji Xinmei Technology Co., Ltd. is a publisher focused mainly on literature and general reading. Public information about the company is limited, but its catalog of nearly one thousand titles indicates publishing directions that include mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works, health, and Eastern philosophy. Representative publications include The Complete Dark Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the works of Jo Nesbø, Nobel laureates John Steinbeck and Yasunari Kawabata, the collected works of Shi Tiesheng, and the healing books of neurologist Oliver Sacks. Its author resources combine foreign classics such as Poe, Steinbeck, and Kawabata with contemporary mystery writers like Nesbø, supported by translators including Cao Minglun and Lin Liren, reflecting a publishing profile that balances retranslated classics with genre reading.

版权信息
燕台春回京
1
2
3
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6
燕台春公子
楔子
1
2
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尾声
燕台春替嫁
1
2
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尾声
燕台春宫宴
1
2
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燕台春书信
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燕台春情意
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燕台春求娶
1
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燕台春算计
1
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燕台春仇恨
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燕台春悸动
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燕台春反攻
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燕台春尚主
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燕台春内奸
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燕台春殒命
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燕台春归宗
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燕台春乱局
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燕台春：终章
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燕台春（番外）春光如许
燕台春鹊桥仙【七夕专场】

FAQ

Is Shen Yanning's main purpose in returning to the capital marriage or investigation?

Investigation is the core motive. She kept vigil for three years while secretly looking into her parents' deaths, and the marriage edict provided her a legitimate pretext to return to the capital. Marriage is the ostensible arrangement; finding the murderer is her true line of action, which also determines her unusually calm attitude toward the rumors about Xie You.

What is the story behind Xie You's "illegitimate eldest son" rumor?

The materials show that the maid Hongxing claimed to have borne Xie You's child, and the news spread throughout the capital. Shen Yanning judges that this rumor "could not have arisen so simply," implying someone is pushing it from behind. The story then unfolds as Shen and Xie together seek the true culprit and guard their true feelings; the rumor itself is a plot thread rather than established fact.

Is the romance between the leads sweet and indulgent or slow-burning?

From the available materials, the two are bound by the bestowed marriage and face the rumor and investigation together, so the romance leans toward a slow-burning type built on gradually establishing trust through collaboration. Shen Yanning is calm and restrained, Xie You wishes to call and beg forgiveness—neither is set up for love at first sight, and readers can expect a steadily developing romance.

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About the author

苏晏温 Author

Su Yanwen is an author about whom only limited public information is currently available. The library holds just one work by this author, Yantai Chun (Spring at Yan Terrace). According to the existing classification, the work belongs to the time-travel alternate-history genre, indicating that the author works within this framework, using a time-travel premise and a constructed alternate world to organize characters and plot. Since basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, it is difficult to introduce the author's background or creative career further, or to judge whether the writing style carries over into other works. On the basis of the available material, readers' understanding of Su Yanwen rests mainly on this single work, whose thematic orientation is fairly clear, while the author's overall body of work awaits further public information.