Shen Qingci, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's household, had loved the Fifth Prince, Xiao Jue, since childhood. Her affection was pure and burning.
To help him ascend the throne, she poured the full strength of her family into his cause, using the Prime Minister's household as his shield and clearing every thorn from his path. She was willing to stain her hands with blood and bear a ruined reputation for his sake. At last, he donned the imperial robes, and she stood by his side as she had always dreamed, waiting for the phoenix crown and wedding robes.
On the day of his empress-making ceremony, red candles blazed and wedding music filled the air. Yet Xiao Jue led in her gentle, frail half-sister, Shen Yurou, and not a trace of his former tenderness remained in his eyes.
“Qingci, your heart, your liver, and the power of your Shen family all belong to their rightful owner now.”
The cold blade cut through her skin. She watched helplessly as her sincere love was crushed, and all her devotion cast aside like trash. The icy wind at the mass grave cut through her thin prison clothes. Only as Shen Qingci drew her final breath did she understand that this love had been a carefully planned deception from beginning to end. She had wagered everything to make him king, and he had used her blood and bones to pave the way for his beloved to become empress.
If she is granted another life, she, Shen Qingci, will make those two wretches pay in blood!
