Su Yunyao died miserably in Fengyi Palace after years of drinking the slow-acting poison her husband's concubine kept giving her. The pain cut to the bone. She begged her husband, Xiao Heng, to save her, but after ascending the throne as emperor, he watched coldly and let the woman who had harmed her be promoted to a high rank.
Reborn, she returned to the age of fifteen, just as the palace was about to decree her marriage to the crown prince. The hatred from her past life was etched into her bones, and she would never make the mistake of entering the Eastern Palace again.
Every day, she pretended to cough up blood and suffer from a grave illness, playing the part of a frail young woman beyond all medical help. The crown prince thought her sickly appearance would ruin his future and took the initiative to ask the emperor to cancel their engagement. The city's powerful families all mocked her for throwing away the chance to become empress.
Only Xie Yanci, the regent who held power over the entire court, saw through her deliberate act of illness at a glance. This powerful prince, usually cold and heartless, developed an obsessive, tender love for her alone. He secretly cleared away every obstacle in her path and was even willing to offer the power of the court as his betrothal gift.
When Xiao Heng ascended the throne and learned the truth about what had happened, regret drove him mad. He repeatedly issued decrees summoning her to the palace to be made empress, and even went to her in person to apologize.
Su Yunyao rejected him outright. She no longer wanted the favor of that heartless crown prince. Having escaped the misery of the Eastern Palace, she was cherished by Xie Yanci above all else, and his tenderness healed every wound left by her past life.
