Spring Breeze Across Yumen Pass

The court of the Great Liang dynasty was rife with turmoil. Xie Yuan, a veteran statesman who had served three reigns, was entrusted by the late emperor to support the fifteen-year-old boy emperor as he ascended the throne. Surrounded by powerful ministers and with the Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain, the wily old fox Xie Yuan held the court together by sheer force of will. Yet at the height of his power, an imperial decree arranged a marriage for him: the Empress Dowager foisted Shen Yuan, the daughter of a condemned official, on him as his second wife. It was presented as a reward, but was really a way to plant a spy in his household.

On their wedding night, Shen Yuan hid a dagger in her sleeve, intent on revenge. Xie Yuan was the man who had impeached her father years ago.

When Xie Yuan lifted her veil, he saw no shy bride, but a pair of fierce eyes that looked ready to tear him limb from limb. The old statesman laughed. Far from getting angry, he returned the dagger to her. "Keep it for protection. You're not the only one in this household who wants me dead."

One was a powerful chief minister who had weathered countless upheavals and wielded power without hesitation. The other was the daughter of a condemned official, bearing the blood feud of her entire family and enduring humiliation as she waited for her chance. Their marriage, each hiding their own agenda, was supposed to be a silent struggle to the death. But when Shen Yuan stumbled upon evidence that Xie Yuan hadn't actually caused her father's death, and uncovered a shocking plot by the Empress Dowager to usurp the throne, she was forced to take Xie Yuan's side.