I Took His Throne, Then Was Reborn

Mu Ziyuan, the ambitious legitimate daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's household, plotted and schemed at every turn until she brought the gentle, jade-like Prince Xiao Heng down from the throne and claimed it for herself. Only after reaching the pinnacle of power did the cruel truth pierce her heart like an icicle: Xiao Heng had long seen through all her schemes. He had not been defeated by her. He had simply played a part in a drama, giving everything to help her. He silently cleared her obstacles and bore hidden attacks, ultimately using his life as a shield to take a fatal blow for her, dying with a smile. In that moment, Mu Ziyuan's world came crashing down, and bone-deep anguish consumed her reason. Clutching his cooling body, she dragged her bloodstained imperial robe with her and perished alongside the mastermind behind it all.

Her consciousness sank into endless darkness. When she awoke, she had returned to the morning she entered the palace for the selection of consorts, at sixteen years old. The memories of her past life were etched into her bones, the heart-wrenching pain still vivid. She was determined to cut ties with the path she had taken before, but then she saw Liu Fuyan, the female villain who had caused her so much suffering in her previous life, leaning pitifully against Xiao Heng, who was still Prince Rui. Even more shattering, Qing Dai, the loyal little maid who was as close to her as a sister, was being punished because of her!

The wheel of fate had turned anew. Carrying memories steeped in blood and tears, Mu Ziyuan vowed to turn the world upside down. The court was a treacherous maze, enemy kingdoms were watching hungrily, and the man she had once wronged so deeply was approaching once more, his gaze seeming to see through everything. This time, can she protect those she loves, uncover the shocking conspiracy behind Liu Fuyan's twisted obsession, and find another way forward amid the turmoil of power and true affection? And Xiao Heng's promise, "This time, I'll be the one to protect you first," is it the prelude to repeating their past, or a glimmer of redemption?