Scheming beauty x cunning emperor, a battle of wits in the imperial palace that begins with manipulation and ends in surrender.
An imperial decree swept Shen Ruyun into the whirlpool of the inner palace. On the surface, she was a girl of ordinary background chosen for the palace. In truth, she was a woman burdened with secrets and the vengeance of her mother's murder. Armed with breathtaking beauty and meticulous cunning, she advanced one careful step at a time. Emperor Xiao Qiyan initially regarded her only as a pawn to keep the court in check, coolly plotting and using her at every turn.
Only when she danced in the palace hall, stunning everyone; when she stood alone to shield him during a coup; and when she clutched his sleeve amid the flames and whispered, "Your Majesty, if a game has no mercy, why not sacrifice a piece?" did he realize that he had long since become a pawn within her game.
When schemes laid bare true feelings, and deception gave rise to deep affection, the contest between power and true love spiraled out of control within and beyond the vermilion palace walls...
[Female Lead: Shen Ruyun] A clear-eyed beauty with a strategist's mind
Otherworldly beauty, a blade hidden in her heart: She entered the selection in plain clothes and became the most beautiful woman in the harem, but never let her looks make her arrogant. Instead, she used her supposed weakness as armor, navigating among the various factions.
Secrets are her knife, patience her blade: The truth behind her family's wrongful persecution is a chain that haunts her dreams, and the fuel driving her climb to the summit of power. To clear her family's name, she can lie low for years, or strike back in an instant.
She trusts neither an emperor's heart nor anything but the pieces in her hand: When Xiao Qiyan tests her, she yields in order to advance. Her words, "This concubine is willing to be Your Majesty's sharpest blade," win a moment of emotion from him, and a lifetime of being used.
[Male Lead: Xiao Qiyan] From cold emperor to lovestruck, devoted husband
Power was his sole purpose, with no room for romance: When they first met, he decided Shen Ruyun was "clever and useful." He lavished favor on her only to draw out his enemies, even tacitly allowing others to frame her in order to keep the court in balance.
After falling for her, his behavior takes a sharp turn: The ruthless emperor becomes a devoted wife-protector.
It's super good-looking. The back part is much better than the front part. The palace battle plot in the back part is quite special.