In her previous life, she was the lowliest legitimate daughter of a general’s household, used by her father and trampled underfoot by her half-sister, until she died miserably in a woodshed. Now Gu Jiuyuan has returned, carrying her hatred and swearing to make everyone who wronged her pay in blood. But she never imagined that the biggest “variable” on her path to revenge would be Mo Jue, the ruthless regent who holds power over the court.
He forces her to raise a child, yet gives all the world’s favor to her alone. She stews the imperial consort’s beloved koi, and he says, “You did well.” She kicks the spoiled princess into the water, and he hands her a cloak, asking, “Does your hand hurt?” She stirs up the capital with a wave of her hand, and he stands as her strongest ally.
Everyone says the regent has gone mad, bewitched by a woman with a tarnished reputation. They don’t know that his obsession has endured for two lifetimes, all so he can protect her and keep her safe. When schemes close in and she tries to leave with her child, the ever-composed ruler finally corners her, his eyes filled with a possessiveness fierce enough to destroy the world. “Jiuyuan, the realm is yours, and you are mine. This time, you won’t escape.”
