> At the spring banquet, my husband, paralyzed for three years, publicly cast me aside, his long-suffering wife.
> He held my pregnant elder sister in his arms and mocked me as low as mud.
> The guests roared with laughter: “A fallen woman like you thinks she can be a general’s wife?”
> I calmly tore up the divorce papers. “How funny. I was about to divorce you today, too.”
> Ledgers spilled from my sleeve, documenting three years of embezzlement by the General’s household.
> My elder sister suddenly screamed as a trail of blood beneath her skirts stained the peony carpet red.
> The death knell in the imperial palace rang out ninety-nine times.
> The Crown Prince had died suddenly, and the whole court was thrown into turmoil.
> A hidden guard quietly reported, “My lady, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
> I smiled and drained my cup. “Let the show begin.”
