Zhao Lingxi, Princess Zhaoyang of the Dajing Dynasty, was the sweetheart that the emperor had held in his palm for fifteen years. She had a arrogant and bright temperament. She disdained the overtures of the princes and nobles of the Manchu Dynasty, but she was obsessed with the figure of her personal bodyguard Lin Yan - even if that person only saw the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers, and never exceeded the rules. The Tai Fu Xiao Che had power over the whole court and had hidden his deep love for the princess for ten years. He was willing to send away his concubines and defy the imperial power for her, but in exchange for her public humiliation and show of goodwill, she had a jade pendant. When he turned around and ran towards Lin Yan, there was undisguised joy in his eyes.
When the emperor was old and faint, and the undercurrents in the court were raging, Xiao Che finally broke the mask of forbearance, led his cavalry to break through the palace gate, deposed the emperor, and established himself on his own. On the day the new emperor ascended the throne, the red wall was stained with blood. He broke Lin Yan's sword with his own hands and imprisoned the trembling Zhao Lingxi in his arms. Next to the dragon chair in the Jinluan Palace, he whispered in her ear: "What the princess wants is 'respect but not love', and I cannot give it to you. From now on, you can only have me in your eyes - even if it is hatred, you must stay with me."
