Forbidden love and a whirlpool of power struggles: who can break free?
He was once the young man she cherished and protected, but after ascending to the throne, his temperament changed completely. She was Qin Nanqiao, the Empress Dowager’s own daughter and, in name, his elder sister. Yet he deceived her, married her into the palace, and claimed her by force.
He loved her deeply, but showed it in all the wrong ways. He imprisoned her within the palace walls and demanded her love night after night, disregarding her feelings entirely. She was consumed by humiliation. The gentle young man she once knew was gone, leaving only a strange emperor before her.
Xie Qingliu, the Chancellor’s son, was devoted to her, and the Xie family took the opportunity to side with Qin Xiao. The court was full of shifting alliances and hidden dangers. Qin Xiao reformed the imperial examinations, throwing the interests of every faction into turmoil. Qin Nanqiao was devoted to her young son, and every step in her struggle against Qin Xiao was agonizingly difficult. When love becomes a shackle and power a barrier, how will they struggle to survive the whirlpool of politics and passion?
