The Ultimate Tragedy of a Simp

A historical fantasy set in ancient China that combines family intrigue, palace schemes, and revenge!

Shen Zhiqiu married Xiao Chen for love, never imagining that all he cared about was revenge. The Chen family was slaughtered, and after his father died, Xiao Chen clutched the jade pendant his father had held in his hand. As a child, he had escaped the massacre by chance while playing. The late emperor ordered a thorough investigation, but Xiao Chen's father was falsely accused of colluding with bandits, smuggling military provisions, and setting himself up as a local ruler. The entire Chen family died unjustly, and no one ever cleared their name. Later, Xiao Chen was taken in by his father's friend, the Commander of the Palace Guard, who resigned from office and brought him away from Liangcheng. After his adoptive uncle passed away, Xiao Chen set out for Liangcheng to avenge his family. He became a disciple of Shen Ling and used Shen Ling's influence to climb to a high position. But in Liangcheng, he met the first woman he ever loved. Their happiness was short-lived: she drowned in the lake in the Shen family estate. Convinced that Shen Ling had murdered her for his own daughter, Xiao Chen was left with a feud between their families and Qingqing's wrongful death. He completely shut himself off from love and set out to send them all to hell with his own hands... But why, one day, did he find himself softening toward her? He tormented and humiliated her, yet couldn't stop himself from falling in love. He knew that one day he would kill his enemy with his own hands, and that would make a future between them forever impossible... What will become of their relationship? Read on to find out... The palace-intrigue arc also follows Zhao Yu's harem. There are too many characters to introduce them all individually.