Introduction
Imperial General Ling Zhao adopts Su Li, the orphaned son of a fallen comrade, and treasures the boy like his own heart. Frail since birth, Su Li leans on Ling Zhao for everything; his innocence is laced with a possessive yearning that grows past brotherhood. Rumors swirl at court that the powerful general must wed into a great house to secure the frontier. Believing Ling Zhao will soon marry, Su Li’s jealousy festers; he sulks, then plans to leave for distant academies to “stand on his own.” Ling Zhao senses the change, tries every gentle test and reassurance, yet rank and duty keep him from confessing the love he has hidden for years. A chain of misunderstandings culminates when Su Li, panicked by false word of an engagement, gallops home in the night to “catch the bride.” In the uproar Ling Zhao finally speaks the truth of his long-buried heart. Shock melts into recognition, and the two cross every boundary of status and custom to claim each other. Together they brave the storms of outraged propriety and political peril; their bond deepens with every trial until, at last, they spend the rest of their lives beneath one moon.