Shen Xihe is the most exalted princess in all of Dazhao. All she wants is to clear the skies, cleanse the court, and uproot the monsters lurking in the shadows, draining the nation's coffers and persecuting loyal subjects. Gu Huaijin is like the sharpest blade, appearing at just the right time. His background is spotless, he belongs to no faction, and he has no ties to the deeply entrenched aristocratic clans. Yet he bears a blood feud, seeking to clear his father's name of a false accusation. His talent is exceptional, and his essay, Ten Strategies for River Management, dazzles the court during the palace examination. The emperor, her elder brother, personally names him the top scholar, and from then on he enters court politics. He naturally becomes her most steadfast political ally. They support one another through the treacherous power struggles, and little by little, step by step, he finds his way into her long-cold heart.
As her elder brother lay dying, he once held her hand and sighed, “Not one of the court officials in their red and purple robes can match my sister's keen judgment. A-Tan, if you feel that no man in this world can be relied upon, if you feel wronged... then there is no reason you couldn't sit upon this vast realm yourself.”
When she climbed over mountains of corpses and seas of blood to reach the pinnacle, looking down upon the world, the rivers and mountains remained unchanged, but few familiar faces remained. She had gained the world, yet seemed to have lost everything. Almost no one she cared about was left by her side.
