In the Great Sheng Dynasty, the imperial court is rife with power struggles and hidden currents. Shen Qingxuan, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Personnel, conceals her astonishing intelligence beneath the guise of a gentle young lady. In truth, she is her father’s unseen strategist, a female Zhuge Liang. The Seventh Prince, Xiao Jingheng, has little support from his mother’s family and keeps a low profile, but he is ambitious and has his sights set on the highest throne.
A disturbance at the Qionglin Banquet allows the astute prince and the woman who has long hidden her talents to glimpse the sharpness beneath each other’s masks. From testing one another to forming an alliance of convenience, the pair, both rich in schemes, join forces to navigate the raging storms of grain transport, the imperial examinations, and the borderlands. They must also struggle to balance their growing affection against the cold realities of the world.
Yet the road to imperial power is paved with bones. When the ultimate storm arrives, the fate of the realm and the love between man and woman are placed on opposite sides of the scales. He is a ruler destined to stand alone, and she is the most brilliant, yet most heartbreaking, piece on his chessboard.
In this contest with the world as its board, their clash of wits is gripping, and their tangled love and hatred are deeply moving. See how Zhu Yan plots to claim the realm, only to find herself unable to escape the shackles of fate and imperial power.
(Dedicated to all readers who love battles of intellect and the classic beauty of tragic endings.)
Nice! The heroine is finally no longer silly and sweet! The writing is also very good! The plot is very compact!