She was Shen Qingci, the legitimate daughter of a family of generals. To help him claim the throne, she gave up her family’s military power and sacrificed every one of their lives. In return, on the very day he was crowned, he accused her of treason, banished her to the Cold Palace, cut out her heart and drew her blood, stripped her of her title as empress, and subjected her to endless humiliation.
He was Xiao Jinyan, a ruthless, obsessive emperor forged in blood and iron. He exploited her love for the sake of the throne and personally cast her into the abyss, believing she was nothing more than a pawn. He never knew that he had long since fallen deeply in love with her.
For three years in the Cold Palace, she endured every torment. Her heart turned to ash, but she was fortunate enough to be rescued by her former subordinates. Carrying nothing but hatred, she rose from the ashes and returned.
She shed her gentleness and buried her love, becoming a cold-blooded schemer. With every move carefully planned, she threw the court into chaos, seized control of the military, tore her enemies apart, and turned his empire upside down.
He finally came to his senses and pursued her like a madman, casting aside an emperor’s dignity and offering her the whole world just for one glance. All he got in return was her icy reply: “Xiao Jinyan, you could never repay the blood shed by every member of my Shen family in this lifetime.”
From deposed empress in the Cold Palace to regent empress, she punished the wicked and took her revenge, wielding power over the entire court. She was true to the world and to herself. As for his love, which came too late, she had long since stopped caring.
