When her elder sister fled her wedding, Shen Zhaoning was forced to take her place and marry Xiao Zhi, the powerful regent who held the court in his grip. Everyone waited to see how the country girl, a low-born daughter, would die in the regent's household. But on their wedding night, the Curse of the Phoenix struck: the regent, a man who killed without blinking, turned into a woman overnight. His military command was taken away, his title revoked, and the court's nobles rushed to find “her” a husband. The man who had once held all the power finally learned what it was like to have a marriage arranged for him, his name taken from him, and his life controlled by others.
Shen Zhaoning had planned to flee amid the chaos, but she discovered that her mother's death, the Shen family's theft of her dowry, and countless women erased from the family records were all connected to the Curse of the Phoenix. If they wanted her to take the fall, she would use the regent's downfall to reclaim her mother's inheritance, tear up the family genealogy, take control of the realm's trade routes, and force the court's nobles to bow their heads.
Xiao Zhi regained his identity and knelt before her, holding their marriage certificate. But Shen Zhaoning only smiled. “You can marry me. First prove you're worthy of being chosen by me.”
