A Faint Return to the Splendid Hall

She is an unimpressive legitimate daughter in the eyes of the world, yet a phoenix returned with her claws sheathed.

Chu Qingci is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue. But with her birth mother dead and her stepmother in charge, she has earned a reputation among the noblewomen of the capital for being “plain in both looks and talent.” A letter of divorce thrusts her into a storm of gossip, and an imperial decree then betroths her to Rong Xuan, Prince of Jing’an, rumored to be disabled, disfigured, and fated to bring death to his princess consort. Everyone laments her ill fortune, saying she has fallen from the clouds into the mud.

What they don’t know is that her seemingly fragile body houses a clear-eyed soul that has weathered life’s storms and sees through the ways of the world.

Facing her stepmother’s cruel schemes and her sisters’ hypocritical traps, she keeps her composure and plans every step. She reclaims her dowry, puts the household in order, and turns softness into strength, steadily winning the battle within the family home. All she wants is a little peace and a quiet life.

When the mask of mediocrity is stripped away, what brilliance will the world see?

He is a fallen god of war, once celebrated, and a king of the shadows lying in wait.

Rong Xuan, Prince of Jing’an, was once dazzlingly talented and renowned for his military victories, but a severe injury left him a “cripple” confined to a wheelchair. He seems mild-mannered and indifferent, with no desire to compete, but in truth his mind is full of grand plans and he secretly commands the currents of power.

A marriage in which both parties have their own motives binds together two souls the world looks down on. He watches coldly as she navigates the inner household; she takes it all in stride as he makes his moves at court.

When one disguise meets another, and mutual testing touches the heart, can they warm one another and uncover their deepest secrets, while joining hands to reshape the power struggles of the capital?