On the day Shen Qingwu married into the prince's manor to bring him good fortune, she already knew her husband, Yan Heng, wouldn't live through the winter.
Fine by her. He dies, she leaves, and neither owes the other anything.
But this ailing prince always scrutinizes her with those peach-blossom eyes. "Your Highness, you seem to know quite a bit about poisons."
Shen Qingwu smiled. "Your Highness seems to take great pleasure in testing me."
Behind his back, she did three things: First, she used the money from Jingzhe Tower, the most powerful assassin organization in the martial world, to build up his troops. Second, she used medicine from the miracle doctor Madam Qingfu to keep him alive. Third, she uncovered the truth behind her mother's death and destroyed his enemies.
Until, on the snowy plains, he took a deadly poison meant for her.
She dropped her disguise and raced a thousand miles to reach him. "Yan Heng, if you dare die, I'll remarry at once!"
He chuckled, coughing up blood. "I'm afraid... I'll have to disappoint you, my lady."
Later, when enemy forces besieged the city, he stood guard at the gates with his sword in hand.
And she stood on the city wall in red, with three thousand Jingzhe Tower assassins behind her.
"Your Highness," she said with a raised brow and a smile, "I'll defend this realm alongside you."
Only then did the world learn that the supposedly frail princess consort of Prince Chen's manor was actually the master of Jingzhe Tower, a woman richer than nations who controlled half the martial world.
Theme: "She made the entire martial world her dowry, in exchange for standing beside him and watching over their land together."
