Gu Shuangning, the renowned Princess Huaning of Great Yong, is peerlessly brilliant. She helps build the nation's army and expand its power, never suffering defeat. She is admired by all and feared by many.
Then, one day, the tide turns. Great Yong suffers a crushing defeat, and under pressure from the circumstances and the people, she is forced to take her younger sister's place in marriage. Burdened with a vital mission, she weds the sixth prince of the enemy nation, a gentle, harmless man who is not long for this world.
At first, the two appear to live in harmony after their wedding and join forces to punish villains, while secretly testing each other and maneuvering against one another. Yet, slowly, perhaps because of the genuine affection hidden beneath their cold calculations, he shields her behind him and murmurs, “I'm here.” Perhaps, when she is hurt, she gently applies medicine and quietly avenges her. Perhaps, after weathering the storms together, they share an unspoken understanding: “We're in this together.” But she remembers her duty must come first, and keeps her growing feelings buried.
Once everything settles, Great Cang has unified the land, Great Yong has fallen, the Ninth Prince has ascended the throne, and the princess consort has died of illness. The springtime splendor of the garden is gone. Misunderstandings and truths pile up between them.
Consumed by hatred and coldness, she seeks him out once more.
That year, spring was in full bloom in Yongjing. Flowers blossomed everywhere, and willows swayed in the breeze. A smiling young woman brushed past him and pulled him out of the mire. From that moment, his heart could never be calm again. The marriage alliance that year felt like a dream.
“Ningning, when you found me amid the spreading spring blossoms, I never planned to let you go. Whatever your heart desires, whatever you want, I'll give it all to you.”
[A powerful, cold, beautiful heroine vs. a scheming, devoted, obsessive hero] A devoted one-on-one romance, with secret identities, hidden identities, court intrigue, a happy ending, and a little angst
