On the day the Empress Dowager decreed their marriage, the court officials all laughed: a good-for-nothing matched with an idiot, a perfect pair!
Chu Luan laughed too. No one knew that this fool from the Cold Palace held in her hands a network of spies left behind by the previous dynasty.
Xie Heng laughed too. No one knew that this sickly hostage was a wolf lying in wait for Northern Liang.
On their wedding night, in the bridal chamber, she pretended to be mad and foolish to test him. “Are you pretending too?”
Coughing up blood, he smiled and replied, “What a coincidence. So are you.”
From then on, the couple joined forces to put on an act:
She played the fool and face-slapped the scheming rival, while he feigned weakness and plotted against his enemies at court.
Until one day, he pinned her in a corner, his eyes no longer tender with pretense. “Luan’er, dare we turn this charade into reality?”
Chu Luan smiled and rose on tiptoe to kiss him.
“Xie Heng, I’ve been waiting for this day for five years.”
