Inkstone in Frost

She was a frontier healer forced into servitude, hoping only to save enough to buy back her freedom and return home to open a clinic. He was a ruthless heir with power over the imperial court, able to drown the capital’s nobles in blood with a smile. During a trip to Jiangnan, she nearly became his personal maid... “Yun Shuang, you can’t escape me.” He gripped her chin, his eyes burning with possessive desire. “My lord, this servant only wants to go home.” She clutched the Hidden Record of Ink Crimes inside her sleeve, a record of every crime he had committed, unaware that he had already seen through her. While investigating tax fraud in Jiangnan, he made her watch corrupt officials beaten to death. When the imperial examinations were rigged, he watched coldly as she knelt in the pouring rain to plead for her cousin. During the border conflict, he shot his captured wife dead with his own hand, then turned around and took three poisoned arrows meant for her. “Shen Yan, what is it you really want?” “You.” [Reader’s Guide] A ruthless power broker × a steadfast healer. The male lead is merciless and vicious, yet obsessively devoted to the heroine. A story of forced possession and a long, hard pursuit of forgiveness. The heroine is no helpless innocent: she has medical skills and a sharp mind. Power struggles and romance are equally compelling, from the Jiangnan tax scandal to the border war, with high stakes throughout.