The Flames of War Burn Away the Bones of Longing

[Cold-Blooded Career Woman × Mastermind Male Lead] She is the sharpest hidden blade of Great Zhou; he is the fiercest Wolf King of Beidi. One political marriage, two schemes. Whoever falls first loses. After Great Zhou’s defeat, Shen Qingyi, the legitimate daughter of the prime minister, is forced into a political marriage with Beidi. On their wedding night, Helian Yao grips her chin and sneers, “A daughter of the Shen family is fit only to be this prince’s plaything.” She lowers her eyes without a word, but her nails dig into her palm. He may humiliate this body, but she will never abandon her mission. She plays the obedient wife while biding her time in secret. She wins the people’s hearts by improving textiles, wins over the shaman doctors by treating a plague, and earns even the fiercest Beidi warriors’ respect. Only Helian Yao notices the cold glint in her eyes as she studies border defense maps late at night. He presses her at every turn; she counters every move. When he discovers she is secretly passing along military intelligence, she turns around and feeds him false information. When he takes a wild bear’s claws for her, she slips into his study. When she suffers a miscarriage and lies at death’s door, he holds her through the night, his hair turning white... ◇ Tender as water when she saves lives, unblinking when she passes on intelligence ◇ He says he hates her as he grips her throat, yet goes white-haired overnight for her ◇ The cruelest blade is hidden in the softest hollow of the waist Highlights: > The heroine stays clear-headed and focused on her career throughout > The hero pursues his wife with his eyes wide open > The fate of the nation and personal vendettas intertwine with political intrigue