Yu Zhao was a princess of the previous dynasty, yet the crown prince of the current dynasty took her in and raised her in the Eastern Palace. She lived under his favor, nameless and without status, but was the only one he doted on there.
However, two years later, Pei Jinyan was to become engaged to someone else, and Yu Zhao's quiet life in a corner of the palace began to change.
The constraints of the Eastern Palace pressed down on Yu Zhao until she could barely breathe. Step by step, she tried every possible way to escape this gilded cage.
She left the capital, thinking she had finally gotten away. Little did she know, everything was still under Pei Jinyan's control.
One dark, windy night, Yu Zhao, fast asleep, suddenly shivered. When she opened her eyes, she saw Pei Jinyan sitting by the bed, his cheek stained with blood as he watched her.
“Zhaozhao, I'm about to die. Aren't you going to do something about it?”
Only then did Yu Zhao realize she had never once left his sight.
After his injuries healed, Pei Jinyan forcibly took her back to the Eastern Palace, locking her inside a small world and losing himself in her tender embrace.
Unwilling to accept her fate, Yu Zhao began planning her escape.
Until she saw Pei Jinyan turn the entire court upside down, killing ministers and murdering the emperor. His former cool-headed composure had vanished entirely.
He's insane!!!
Yu Zhao knew that in the hands of someone like him, she wouldn't even have the chance to escape through death.
And yet Pei Jinyan, now the emperor, treasured her above all else.
“Zhaozhao, this jade branch of yours will never rise above my walls.”
“Zhaozhao, become my empress. You're the only one in my harem. If you leave, my harem will fall apart.”
Pei Jinyan was talented and handsome, and now he had power and influence too. Well, becoming empress wasn't such a bad deal.
