Female Lead's Blurb:
On the day Prince Ningxiang's rebellion is crushed, the palace walls are stained with blood. The victor claims the throne, and the defeated are doomed. Princess Consort Shen Shuangxu prepares a white silk sash, ready to follow her husband into death.
Only before she dies does she learn the truth:
Her husband, whom she helped launch his uprising at the cost of her entire family's fortunes, has already written a secret letter pinning the crimes of regicide and rebellion on her whole clan. They are merely stepping stones for his escape.
At that moment, Shen Shuangxu tears up the sash she had prepared to die with.
She hates his hypocrisy and cruelty, and hates herself even more for having wasted so many years on him.
In the midst of her regret, she suddenly thinks of the man seated high upon the dragon throne.
Ever since they first met three years ago, Wen Che's gaze has never left her.
So, one night, she knocks on the door of Shengchen Palace and bows gracefully beneath the man's unfathomable gaze.
From then on, she curries favor and offers her charms, taking every step with care. From the wife of a convicted traitor to the most sought-after imperial consort, she rises swiftly to the top.
Male Lead's Blurb:
Wen Che first meets Shen Shuangxu one early autumn, among the maple trees by a stream.
She plucks a red persimmon and glances back with a faint smile, her jade-like beauty radiant. Her name, Shuangxu, suits her perfectly. From then on, she fills every autumn of his life.
But the moon is like frost, and its light does not shine on him. In the end, he can only watch her marry another man.
Three years later, inside Shengchen Palace, her gauzy robe slips from her shoulders, and his brush pauses in his hand.
One night of passion, and his wish is fulfilled.
From that day on, he secretly vows to give her the highest, most incomparable honor.
Reading Guide
1. Cool, unattainable beauty and wife of a minister x restrained, secretly passionate emperor
2. Entirely fictional setting
3. Palace intrigue in the first half, devoted love in the second half, happy ending
Theme: The best kind of love is one that lifts you up
