Congealed Frost
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Summary
That year, outside the Yong'an Hall, snow fell thick and fast, whitening the ground.
Third Princess Shen Ningshuang met the hostage Liang Jingyuan, punished to kneel in the snow for offending the favored consort. The youth knelt in the snow, unwillingness written in his eyes, like a falcon with broken wings. She handed him a birthday cake, still warm—it not only warmed his cold body but melted the ice in his heart.
Within the palace walls, every step was fraught with intrigue. Two kindred spirits supported each other through wind, frost, sword, and blade.
He said: "My feelings for the Princess grow like spring grass, spread like wildfire; day and night, all is longing."
But on the day of the palace coup, watching the man in armor, blade in hand, step by step approach her, Ningshuang realized how terribly wrong she had been. The one who daily played the zither and painted with her was no incompetent hostage—he was the ambitious third prince of Liang. From their first meeting, those vows of love and tender affections had all been carefully calculated.
The kingdom fell; the Third Princess, in a bright red wedding dress, leapt from the city tower.
He watched her from afar, and died beneath a hail of arrows.
Like willow catkins scattering on the wind, like the bright moon sinking behind the mountains.
They met in a world of swirling snow, and at last vanished into the swirling snow.
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of ancient romance who enjoy palace intrigue and angsty love
- Emotional readers who prefer identity reversals and tragic fate
- Those looking for a high-emotion, fast-paced story for diversion
Not a good fit for
- Readers who prefer lighthearted sweet romance and happy endings
- Those with low tolerance for palace intrigue and emotional reversals
- Readers seeking rigorous historical accuracy
Reading tips
- Accept the premise of the hostage's hidden identity first; the plot will flow more smoothly.
- Pay attention to foreshadowing in the early interactions; looking back after the reversal will be more meaningful.
- Focus on the characters' emotional shifts rather than demanding realistic political logic from the palace intrigue.
- The ending is emotionally heavy; read when in a stable mood and switch to lighter works afterward.
About the publisher
Jiangsu Phoenix Literature and Art Publishing House focuses on literary publishing while also covering the humanities, social sciences, and books on art and daily life. Its approximately 1,535 titles in the database span social novels, world history, design, science fiction, classic works, and film and television: they include modern Chinese literary classics by Lu Xun such as A Madman's Diary: The Complete Short Stories of Lu Xun, Call to Arms, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, as well as foreign literary memoirs like Stefan Zweig's The World of Yesterday. In science fiction it offers Asimov's Galactic Empire series, while in architecture and art it publishes Liu Dunzhen's Classical Gardens of Suzhou and design titles from Phoenix Space. Its authors are concentrated among classic writers such as Lu Xun, Zweig, and Asimov, with translators including Liang Xijiang, Zhong Haonan, and Ye Lihua. Its overall character is built on classic works while embracing genre fiction and visual culture. Public information is limited, and this introduction is based on the titles in the database.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一章 初见
- 第二章 异变
- 第三章 赐婚
- 第四章 情定
- 第五章 拒婚
- 第六章 宫变
- 第七章 新途
- 第八章 软肋
- 第九章 奔赴
FAQ
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About the author
Shiyue Nanzhi is an author about whom limited public information is available; only one work by this author is currently in the catalog, the representative title Ning Shuang (Frost). According to the existing classification, this work falls under the time-travel alternate-history genre, suggesting that the author tends to use crossings of time and space as a narrative entry point and to develop plots within an invented historical or world framework. Because basic details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unconfirmed, little can be said about the author's life or creative development; readers can only come to know the writing through this single work, Ning Shuang. Time-travel alternate-history fiction generally emphasizes world-building, characters' adaptation and growth in unfamiliar settings, and the suspense and emotional tension that drive the plot forward, and Shiyue Nanzhi's work appears to fall within this range. On the available evidence, the author remains a recent or low-profile writer with a small body of work whose influence has yet to be observed, and future works and stylistic direction are worth continued attention.
