After Becoming My Archrival's Spy, I Betrayed Them

[Spy consort × warlord of a fief] Lin Wanyi was made into a weapon by her mother, who was imprisoned deep within the palace. Acting on secret orders from the emperor and empress dowager, she infiltrates the household of Gu Xuanjin, the Prince of Zhenbei, whose power and achievements threaten the throne. Disguised as a concubine, she is there to find the perfect moment to strike. The fief is cold and harsh, but its people are warm-hearted. She sees with her own eyes how Gu Xuanjin governs with integrity and wins the people's loyalty, far surpassing the sinister emperor on the throne. A heart trained to be as cold as ice begins to melt under his unintentional care. Affection blossoms between them, and Gu Xuanjin's love plunges her even deeper into an abyss. She struggles between loyalty, filial duty, and conscience. Then her identity is exposed, the empress dowager is enraged, and a sword hangs over her neck as life and death hang in the balance. “Killing me would be easy,” Lin Wanyi declares, meeting Gu Xuanjin's unfathomable gaze. “But spare my life, and I will be your sharpest pawn, helping you... claim the empire! The day you don the imperial robes will be the day my blood stains the throne!” He takes in this deadly pawn, unaware that on the chessboard of power, the hardest move is to bury the one you love with your own hands. When the road to the highest throne is paved with her blood, will Gu Xuanjin still be able to strike that final blow?