In the fifteenth year of Jian'an, Gu Yanzhi, the king of Zhennan, returned to the capital according to the order. It was spread all over the city that he was about to become the master. What no one knows is that there is a mute girl of unknown origin hidden in his house.
Shen Yuan was unable to speak and had no memory. There was only a scarlet birthmark on her wrist like a curse. She ground and laid paper for him day and night, and watched him write secret reports, memorials, and funeral documents to be sent to the north with his beautiful hairpin calligraphy - addressed to the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers, with gentle words and bloody words.
Everyone knows that the king of Zhennan is benevolent.
Only Shen Yuanshi knew that this man would push open her door late at night, touch her neck with his cold fingers, and speak in a low and hoarse voice like a poisonous snake: "This face... Looks a lot like him."
She thought she was a substitute for some woman.
Until a secret report came from the north, saying that on the night when the Yanbei Hou Mansion was destroyed, an orphan girl who could lip-read escaped from the fire. And that Marquis of Yanbei had personally betrothed his daughter to King Zhennan as his eldest concubine twelve years ago.
Shen Yuanshi finally remembered everything - including who was the real culprit in the family murder case, including why she lost her memory and ended up in this palace, including whether the disgust or something else was hidden in Gu Yanzhi's eyes every night when he pinched her neck and said, "It doesn't look like her anymore."
Later, on the day of the bloodbath in the court, she stood on the Golden Palace holding a secret letter and told the truth word for word in front of the civil and military officials of the court. Gu Yanzhi was pushed to his knees, covered in blood, but he suddenly smiled.
"Shen Yuanshi," he called her name, his voice was gentler than ever before, "Who do you think sent that confidential letter to the emperor for you?"
