In her previous life, she was sent by her family as a pawn in a political marriage. She endured ten years of humiliation in the Marquis’s residence, only for a cup of poisoned wine to bring her the news that her entire family had been executed.
In his previous life, he was a regent with power over the court. He married her without loving her, and they lived like strangers until, at her death, he realized she had been his only source of warmth.
Now they return to their wedding night. Red candles flicker, and the nuptial wine waits before them.
Shen Qingci looks at the man before her, gentle and refined on the surface but cunning and ruthless underneath, and plots: This time, I’m done pretending. First, I’ll empty his treasury and raise a private army of my own.
Pei Yan looks at the woman before him, demure and obedient on the surface but sly-eyed underneath, and thinks: This time, I’m done acting too. First, I’ll win this girl’s heart so she doesn’t go throwing her life away for that worthless family again.
On their wedding night, both are plotting against the other.
When she says, “Your Highness, let’s make a practical arrangement. The key is honesty.”
He replies, “The princess is absolutely right. Shall we start by dividing up the family fortune?”
From then on, the Marquis’s rear courtyard is no longer a battlefield of domestic schemes. Instead, the couple compete in acting and outmaneuvering each other, while finding time to fall in love.
A chaotic mess? No. This is a powerful alliance, and together they’ll rewrite the realm.
