She was once a carefree princess, but one day she was deceived, and her entire family was destroyed. Her servant gave everything to help her escape the palace, then died in her arms. Seeking revenge, she was left battered and broken, with nothing but schemes to her name. Step by step, she rose to become the most powerful figure behind the scenes in Southern Chu. But when she finally reached the top, she discovered that the country was already in ruins. Even as her generals met with brutal deaths, she was powerless to help.
"The world belongs to whoever is capable of claiming it. Your father was foolish and arrogant. And though you are clever and intelligent, you cannot judge people well. If someone like that rules, even without a wicked usurper to seize the country, the people will only be left to suffer for longer."
So she went to him and joined forces with him. Together, they purged the court, executed the corrupt, and abolished the country's name. When she became the empress of another nation and stood at his side, someone asked if her heart was at peace. She replied, "So long as the people are at peace, that is enough."
Born in the palace and bereaved of his mother at an early age, he concealed his ambition, intelligence, and literary talent to secure a peaceful life, content to assist his elder brothers. But no matter how much of himself he devoted to them, his brothers continued issuing one absurd decree after another, throwing the country into turmoil.
From then on, he began to fight for power. He rose from an unobtrusive commandery prince to a prince of the blood. When a princess from the Southern Kingdom was due to be married, he sensed something was amiss and secretly set events in motion.
He had assumed the Southern Kingdom would rapidly decline after the change of regime, but the princess reinvented herself and repeatedly saved her country. The two clashed several times, and the princess of the Southern Kingdom ultimately suffered defeat after defeat. With this achievement and his unparalleled cunning, he smoothly ascended the throne.
Later, during the palace selection of consorts, he was surprised to discover that the princess of the Southern Kingdom had walked right into his trap. He found it rather amusing.
