Back when Chen Caozhi first met his sister-in-law Ding Youwei after the merging of souls, with night rain falling on the little tower, he revealed his ambitions to her: he would bring her back to Chen Family Cove and raise the Qiantang Chen Clan into the ranks of the aristocratic clans. Caozhi worked very hard toward this, and in less than three years, he achieved each of those goals. I was very gratified.
Back when Chen Caozhi first encountered Lu Weiwei beside West Lake, he naturally had no idea that the lovely young woman came from one of the most powerful families in the Three Wu. But I knew, and right then I decided that Chen Caozhi would marry Lu Weiwei. Afterward, Chen and Lu smoothly became acquainted and fell in love, and Chen Caozhi likewise expressed to his sister-in-law Ding Youwei his determination and confidence that he would marry the young lady of the Lu clan. To that end, Caozhi worked even harder, and his reputation did indeed soar, earning him the regard of the Prince of Kuaiji and Huan Wen-
But four years have passed. Wei Rui, just beginning to bloom at fifteen, is now in the flower of her twentieth year, yet marriage remains nowhere in sight. I underestimated how forbidding the barriers between the great clans were. I thought that with Chen Caozhi's talent and hard work, and with me secretly guarding and guiding him, marrying a Lu Clan Lady would not be difficult. I never imagined it would be this hard. If this were not a novel, such a marriage alliance would be utterly impossible. But even in a novel, once immersed in the historical setting of that time, with all its tangled interests, I cannot go too far against heaven and violate the consensus of the age, even with my authorial cheats in hand. And so the calm, composed Chen Caozhi has grown somewhat restless. A virgin after a million words—how could he not be restless? As for me, I am willing but powerless to help, fretting uselessly as I can only watch Chen Caozhi struggle forward little by little, and the novel's updates have slowed as well—
Back then, when Chen Caozhi first met Xie Daoyun in "Hearing the Flute Across Six Hundred Li," I already wanted to entangle the two of them. The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers, a peerless song for the ages—I wanted to bring something fresh and surprising to it, to compose another love story without equal. Kindhearted and full of feeling, I did harbor this ambition: to have both the fish and the bear's paw. Lu Weiwei, pure and lovely as an immortal, and Xie Daoyun, cool, proud, and wise—I loved them both. For I believed that it would be hard for Caozhi to marry only a Lu Clan woman, whereas marrying both would actually be somewhat easier. I will leave the intricacies of that aside for now. But now the road ahead stretches into uncertainty, and my updates are slow. Many readers lacking patience have left me; views, recommendations, subscriptions, and monthly votes are all sparse, and my confidence has suffered a severe blow as well. Caozhi still has to go to Chang'an to meet Wang Meng, Fu Jian, and Murong Chui and put his abilities on full display. I really need plenty of support from you readers.
Some readers have mocked me as Auntie Qiong Yao and called The Poor Scholar a romantic drama. As a representative figure of an aristocratic clan, Caozhi's marriage ought to be painted in rich, bold strokes, because one of the most important criteria for an aristocratic clan is the status of its marriage relations. To rise from a poor scholar into the upper ranks, Chen Caozhi must marry a Lu Clan Lady. And throughout this long process of winning her hand, Chen Caozhi gradually grows, and the scroll of history slowly unfolds. Of course, I do indeed enjoy writing about love, but my skill at stirring emotions is lacking, so please do not call me Auntie Qiong Yao.
Finally, let me make a promise: I will certainly keep writing this novel properly, so please rest assured, readers. I also ask you to be a little more patient, to be understanding toward this deeply troubled author, and toward this difficult book-
There will be no update tonight, but I still want to ask for subscriptions and votes of every kind. Ah, I really am shameless!
Before you continue